Driving Islamic reformism from within<\/p>\n
Muhamad Ali, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The New York Times columnist Nicholas D. Kristof in his recent
\narticle, Islamic Reformism: Martyrs, Virgins and Grapes (Aug. 4),
\nprovides criticism of religious fundamentalism -- Christian,
\nJewish, but specifically Muslim fundamentalism -- and hoped that
\nIslamic reformism could prevent the creation of future
\nfundamentalists and therefore should be path taken by the Muslim
\nworld. But he does not say how Islamic reformism can be
\nundertaken.<\/p>\n
The article coincided with the Indonesian government's plan to
\nhost an Asia-Pacific interfaith dialogue in October to discuss
\nterrorism and its roots. Muhammad Syafi'i Ma'arif, who chairs the
\ncountry's second largest Islamic movement, Muhammadiyah, said the
\nforum, which will be jointly funded by Indonesia and Australia,
\nwas expected to be attended by representatives from 15 countries,
\nwith hard-line Muslim groups also being invited to take part in
\nthe dialogue.<\/p>\n
The dialogue was aimed at scotching the notion that Islam is
\nsynonymous with terrorism. It would also focus on how to empower
\nmoderate Muslim elements and analyze terrorism from a Muslim
\nstandpoint. The big question is then: Why does Islam need
\ndialogical reformism and how should this be brought about?<\/p>\n
It is noteworthy that Muslims have long initiated reform
\nthrough the use of ijtihad (independent thinking), challenging
\nblind letter-for-letter compliance (taqlid). Muslims have
\ndeveloped their own ways of coming to terms with changing times
\nand places.<\/p>\n
They have created Islamic methodology in dealing with
\nreligious texts, including the science of the hadith (the
\nProphet's \"traditions\"), science of the Qur'an, science of law
\nand jurisprudence (ushul fiqh), and so forth. Muslim contact with
\nGreek philosophical traditions enabled further dialogues and
\nrethinking of Islamic tradition. Consequently, Muslim
\nphilosophers, sufis, theologians, historians, sociologists and
\nscientists flourished during the time the West was in darkness in
\nthe Middle Ages.<\/p>\n
But now, in this modern era, the Muslim condition is generally
\nthe reverse. Most Muslims are backward, poor and underdeveloped,
\nand the West has become politically, militarily, scientifically,
\neconomically and culturally dominant. The ideas of democracy,
\nliberal government, human rights, pluralism, tolerance are
\ncommonly viewed as Western, rather than Muslim traditions.<\/p>\n
Consequently, modern Muslim history is to be measured by
\nWestern standards. Modernization in the Muslim world is assessed
\nthrough Western categorization: whether or not Muslim states and
\nsocieties are close to the modernization taking place in Europe
\nor the United States.<\/p>\n
Muslims are mostly in Asia, Africa and the Middle East -- and
\nare only minorities in Western Europe and the U.S. Thus, many
\nMuslims feel they have to catch up with Western modernity. Some
\nMuslim groups become frustrated and involved in radicalism.<\/p>\n
Internal crisis and external hegemony are some of the reasons
\nwhy some Muslims need reformism. Muslims should be willing to
\nadopt and adapt to external ideas and experiences.<\/p>\n
Islam is said by its adherents to be the faith of both reason
\nand revelation. For most believers, Islam is \"rational\", although
\nit includes transcendental and supra-rational beliefs. Muslims
\nshould embrace science and technology.<\/p>\n
Thus, Islamic reform should mean returning to the basic
\nteachings of Islam, that is, the rational Islam. Here Muslims
\nshould reform themselves because their religion demands them to
\ndo so. Reform should also be begun from within. Islamic reformism
\nshould be both authentic and modern.<\/p>\n
How can Muslims undertake reforms? Some Muslims ask whether
\nthe discourse of the Islamic liberals (i.e. Islamic reformism)
\nhas not been a form of \"false consciousness\", an abject
\nsubmission to the hegemonic discourse of the dominant secular
\nWestern capitalist and imperialist societies, and oriental
\nOrientalism, or whether it was and is practical, rational,
\nemancipatory and internally well-founded. There are various
\nanswers to this, but, it can be argued, Islam and modernity are
\nnot incompatible.<\/p>\n
For liberal, Western and locally trained Muslims, like
\nNurcholish Madjid and the younger generation, reformism, or neo-
\nmodernism, should mean rationalization of what should be rational
\nin Islamic teachings. Islam is essentially a modern, rational
\nreligion.<\/p>\n
Yet, rationalization need not mean \"Westernization\", because
\nthe latter would mean deracination from some of Islam's cultural
\nroots. Not all Western cultures are relevant to Muslims,
\naccording to this viewpoint.<\/p>\n
For other thinkers, Islamic reformism should learn the lesson
\nof Christian Reformism -- Protestantism. Michaelle Browers and
\nCharles Kurzman in their edited book, An Islamic Reformism
\n(2004), attempt to observe how different Muslims think of their
\ntradition and seek its reform in different ways.<\/p>\n
Hashem Aghajari in Iran in June 2002, for example, argued that
\nlike medieval Christianity, Islam in the Islamic Republic of Iran
\nhas become bureaucratized and hierarchical and it therefore ought
\nto embark on a \"project of Islamic Protestantism\" as a rational,
\nscientific, humanistic Islam. Some further argue that Muslims
\nshould be allowed to undertake their own reformation, which would
\nresult in the reorientation and rationalization of religious
\nvalues and beliefs of Muslims.<\/p>\n
In fact, Hashem was not the first to endorse reformism.
\nMuhammad Abduh (Egypt, d.1905) has been called \"the reformer of
\nIslam\". Muhammad Rashid Rida (Egypt, d.1935) felt the need to
\ncombine \"religious renewal and earthly renewal, the same way
\nEurope has done with religious reformism and modernism.\" Tariq
\nRamadan (born 1962), the grandson of Muslim Brotherhood founder
\nHassan Al-Banna (d.1949), was labeled the \"Martin Luther of
\nIslam.\"<\/p>\n
Observing this phenomenon, the sociologist Jose Casanova
\ncontended that this is all in the very recent past: \"if there is
\nanything on which most observers and analysts of contemporary
\nIslam agree, it is that the Islamic tradition in the very recent
\npast has undergone an unprecedented process of pluralization and
\nfragmentation of religious authority, comparable to that
\ninitiated by the Protestant Reformism.\"<\/p>\n
How then to promote Islamic Reformism within the contemporary
\ncontext of Muslim diversity and modernity? Certainly Muslims are
\ndifferent in their religious backgrounds as regards education,
\nexperience and orientation. Religious monopolies are increasingly
\nbeing broken by globalization and new media.<\/p>\n
Thus, Islamic Reformism can take place in different ways in
\ndifferent groups, but they cannot ignore mass communications and
\nmass education. Since there is no single way of reforming one's
\nown religion, Muslims should initiate more dialogs and increase
\ncollaboration among themselves, and between themselves and
\nothers, including Europeans and Americans. Historically, Muslims
\nand the so-called West have influenced each other and therefore
\ninherent Muslim-Western antagonism is historically untrue.<\/p>\n
On the other hand, it is also a utopian idea to think that the
\nterrorists will become tolerant. The trans-local and trans-
\nnational terrorists should be dealt with through collaborative
\nsecurity measures. But world citizens, whatever their ideology,
\ncan prevent the emergence of future terrorists, partly by
\nunderstanding and dealing with the root causes of their hatred.
\nIslamic Reformism is therefore not a mere matter of religion, but
\nalso a political, intellectual, economic and cultural endeavor.<\/p>\n
Islamic Reformism can be best undertaken from within, but this
\nshould not mean that external ideas and wider collaboration are
\nnot necessary. Within the modern and global context, Muslims do
\nnot live in isolation, neither do the Western people.<\/p>\n
The writer is a lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
\nUniversity (UIN), Jakarta. He is pursuing a Ph.D in history at
\nthe University of Hawaii. He can be reached at
\nmuhali74@hotmail.com<\/p>",
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