'Bughot'<\/p>\n
Supporters of President Abdurrahman Wahid have upped the ante
\nin the current power struggle between the country's political
\nelite to a dangerous level by broaching the concept of bughot, or
\nan attempt to overthrow a government regarded as lawful under
\nIslamic law, to denote the activities of his political opponents.
\nLeaders of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the Islamic organization which
\nis the backbone of Abdurrahman's political support, are currently
\npondering whether this religious concept can be applied to
\ntoday's political situation.<\/p>\n
Basically, if those people who are trying to unseat the
\nPresident could be construed as engaging in bughot, NU could
\neffectively declare a jihad against them. Such a declaration
\nwould legitimize spilling the blood of the President's political
\nadversaries, and unleash his fanatic supporters on a killing
\nspree. Their current slogan in defending the President, "We will
\ndie for you," would change to "We will kill for you".<\/p>\n
While the use of threats and intimidation remains fashionable
\nin Indonesian politics, there must be a limit on how far they can
\ngo. Legitimized killing, to which a declaration of jihad could
\nlead, is far too excessive. Supporters of the President are
\nplaying a very dangerous game by toying with the idea of branding
\nhis opponents as engaging in bughot.<\/p>\n
As the row between the President and his adversaries
\nintensifies, supporters of both camps are resorting to the use of
\nforce, or at least the threat of force, as part of their
\npsychological campaign to intimidate their opponents. Students
\nseeking his resignation, for example, occupied the House of
\nRepresentatives (DPR) building for a brief period last month.
\nSupporters of the President conducted a sit-in at the DPR
\nbuilding, some brandishing swords to make their point. They
\nblocked the port in Banyuwangi, East Java, on at least two
\noccasions, disrupting ferry services between Java and Bali. The
\nPresident's supporters have vandalized buildings and facilities
\nof the Golkar Party and the Muhammadiyah Muslim organization.
\nThey have painted crosses on the houses of some Muhammadiyah
\nleaders in East Java.<\/p>\n
Although there have been some violent incidents, they were
\nminor and understandable by the standards of Indonesia's nascent
\ndemocracy. Force and intimidation were the preferred tool of the
\npast authoritarian regime to impose its will on the rest of the
\nnation. Today's political leaders, while learning the ropes of
\ndemocracy in a civil society, still resort at times to these old
\npractices to help get their political message across.<\/p>\n
If we accept the notion that Indonesia is in a transition from
\na repressed to a democratic society, the use of force and
\nintimidation is a legacy of the past. Ultimately, such practices
\nare not acceptable in the political conduct of a real democracy.<\/p>\n
President Abdurrahman Wahid's position has lately become even
\nmore tenacious now as more and more political factions in the
\nHouse of Representatives review their support for him. They have
\neffectively told the President either to resign, or face the
\nembarrassment of being impeached.<\/p>\n
The President however has vowed to fight, and his supporters,
\nmainly from NU, have rallied behind him. While we may dismiss
\nNU's decision this week to look into the concept of bughot as
\nsimply part of its campaign to intimidate the President's
\nopponents, there are disturbing signs that these are not merely
\ntough words. Even if they are simply intended to intimidate, the
\nsituation could get out of control.<\/p>\n
Hundreds of young people, professing blind loyalty to
\nPresident Abdurrahman, have already enlisted with the "death
\nsquads". The use of Islamic symbols like bughot and jihad to
\ncondone violence, including killing, makes the condition even
\nmore explosive. These die-hard supporters will kill in the name
\nof their religion and their leaders. NU's youth wing, Ansor, has
\nhad a history of violence, including its role in the massacre of
\nsuspected communists in the late 1960s.<\/p>\n
What is most lamentable is the failure of the President and of
\nNU leaders to issue an outright condemnation of their supporters'
\nplan to use violence and intimidation. If anything, they appear
\nto be encouraging their supporters. If the situation were to get
\nout of control, there would be widespread killing in this
\ncountry. The President and NU leaders would have to bear the
\nlion's share of the responsibility for this.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/bughot-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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