THE uproar started with a poster, which read “Women Should Wear Jilbab (Muslim Headscarf)”. It was hung on the wall of Mussola (house of worship) As-Sa’adah at Tanjung Priok, North Jakarta. It was not an unusual appeal, but in September 1984 it caused a tragedy.

The political temperature at that time had neared boiling point. The Suharto government was busy campaigning for the nation to adopt Pancasila (five philosophies) as its sole natio