Ethical awareness basis of Islamic ideals<\/p>\n
Religion is said to have been frequently abused in intergroup
\nfriction but sociologist Abdul Munir Mulkhan from the Yogyakarta-
\nbased Sunan Kalijaga Institute of Islamic Studies and a leader in
\nthe Muhammadiyah organization also looks at perceptions among
\ndevotees.<\/p>\n
Question: Recently we've seen many groups saying they
\nrepresent Muslims involved in assaults against entertainment
\nsites which they say are sources of vice. How do you see this?<\/p>\n
Answer: There are a number of Muslim communities that are
\nconfused by the current rapid changes brought on by increasing
\nglobalization. I call them \"normative communities,\" meaning
\ncommunities which try to apply the Islamic normative laws as
\nstated in the syariah (standard of Islamic law).<\/p>\n
So, personally, they cannot be blamed for the acts of violence
\nwhich they see as carrying out the teachings. The fault lies in
\ntheir leaders or ulema who should teach them how religious values
\nshould be understood amid a rapidly changing social context.<\/p>\n
Such communities cannot accept the reality that society is now
\nmore open and permissive towards \"non-Islamic\" cultures.<\/p>\n
They also see people from such cultures are more able to
\nrealize their roles in life with a better social economic status.<\/p>\n
Both factors are main reasons behind their violent prone
\nbehavior towards symbols of more open and permissive cultures.<\/p>\n
Q: But there are indications that some are used by hoodlums to
\nwiden their territory...<\/p>\n
A: It is open to debate on who's using whom. But I think such
\ncommunity members are also using hoodlums to enforce the law
\naccording to their belief. They use hoodlums because they know
\nthat such attacks are illegal.<\/p>\n
The above communities often justify their actions with the
\nargument that there are anti-Islamic groups aiming to destroy
\nIslam through such cultures. (For this purpose) groups of
\nhoodlums and even people with political interests are
\naccommodated.<\/p>\n
Another factor is that it is easy to claim to represent
\nreligious values because the values are abstract.<\/p>\n
Moreover the origin of leaders from some of the groups are not
\nentirely clear, including their religious and social activities.
\nThis adds to the increasingly unclear normative base of such
\nmovements...<\/p>\n
Q: So who is actually responsible for such phenomenon in Islamic
\nsociety?<\/p>\n
A: This goes back to the elite in Islam; they should be more
\nclear in leading the ummah (Islamic community), in raising
\nawareness that the problem of vice (maksiat) cannot be destroyed
\nby violence because this leads to others' misery.<\/p>\n
I think this is the result of politicizing religion which has
\nmore or less affected the stance of the ummah in viewing
\ndifferences (in society), and in interpreting religious norms.<\/p>\n
Q: Has weak law enforcement contributed to such acts of anarchy?<\/p>\n
A: That is also a trigger... but the issue is not so simple ...
\nhow can we expect strong law enforcement? In the West it is
\npossible because people's minimum economic needs have been met.<\/p>\n
This is also an issue of the role of the state in protecting
\nits residents.<\/p>\n
Q: Haven't entertainment spots become inevitable needs?<\/p>\n
A: In the 1970s there was the suggestion that drinks containing
\nalcohol of a certain percentage be declared halal (allowed by
\nIslam); basically what is haram (forbidden in Islam) is (drinks)
\nwhich cause one to become drunk.<\/p>\n
Therefore the traditional fermented cassava or glutinous rice
\n(tape) could have more potential to make consumers drunk because
\nof its higher alcohol content.<\/p>\n
I think the concept of maksiat can be dynamic; basically it
\nmeans actions which are harmful to oneself and other people. This
\nincludes entertainment which makes people forget their
\nresponsibilities, which could be any form (of entertainment).<\/p>\n
Q: How should we respond to maksiat?<\/p>\n
A: We can resist it but we must provide an alternative. For
\ninstance, we should provide solutions for a prostitute, so she
\ncan overcome her economic problem in a halal way...<\/p>\n
I'm sure everyone wants to live their lives with nothing to do
\nwith maksiat, they just feel they are unable to do so and feel
\nreluctant (to change their ways) because others have such a
\nnarrow vision of maksiat.<\/p>\n
Q: Do all Muslims want the enforcement of syariah through
\nviolence?<\/p>\n
A: Election results suggest that the really practicing Muslims
\nare only about 25 percent. This relates to how Islam is
\nintroduced among its followers. It also involves a review of the
\nhistory of about 23 years in the period when the Koran was
\nconveyed in several phases.<\/p>\n
This was the development of society towards a normative
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
I would prefer ethical awareness as the basis of Islamic
\nnorms; the law is actually only the consequence of such ethical
\nawareness. Ethical enlightenment is the most important issue
\nhere; as exemplified by commands to perform the prayers (shalat)
\nin the 11th year of the period of the Prophet Mohammad.<\/p>\n
Islam teaches that those eligible to enter heaven are not only
\nthose who practice Islam. When people don't understand the laws
\nthey cannot be punished according to the laws; the degree of one
\nacting according to religion only applies to how far someone
\nlives according to the syariah.<\/p>\n
Islam can also tolerate followers of other religions, and can
\neven tolerate ways in social structures which are not based on
\nIslam.<\/p>\n
Q: Has the assault by the civilian groups enforced the image that
\nIslam is identified with armed conflict?<\/p>\n
A: That is part of Islamic history of 100 to 200 years after the
\ndeath of Prophet Mohammad. The rule of Bani Abassiyah, two
\ncenturies after the Prophet's death, saw the drawing up and
\nformalization of the syariah for the interest of the Islamic
\ngovernment at that time.<\/p>\n
Dissenting ulema and scholars, many of them Islam's great
\nintellectuals and philosophers, were eliminated.<\/p>\n
Q: Could you elaborate on the need for a review of
\ninterpretations of Islamic teaching?<\/p>\n
A: The social teachings of Islam were constructed 1,000 years ago
\nwhen the social context was very different from today. A (review)
\nis needed to provide guidance on how people should live in the
\nmodern world on the basis of Islam.<\/p>\n
The issue is highly complicated now ... regarding theology,
\nmany experts think the main Islamic thoughts recorded under the
\nrule of Bani Abassiyah was final.<\/p>\n
All Muslims feel sure that the Islamic teachings are complete,
\nmainly in the arrangements of social and private life. But what
\nis widely neglected is how to apply those arrangements in a
\ngrowing social context.<\/p>\n
Q: What would be an ideal Islamic society?<\/p>\n
A: A society which is based on Islamic ethics or the universal
\ntasawuf values. These ethics include teachings on justice,
\nhonesty, respecting other people's rights and so on.<\/p>\n
Islamic thought should therefore be enriched by philosophical
\nthoughts, which should not be subject to suspicion.<\/p>\n
Nowadays there are efforts to revive the original values of
\ntasawuf which do not necessarily involve tarekat institutions,
\nbut which stress ethical relationships, and also relationships
\nbetween man and God, so that ritual differences will no longer
\nlead to conflict.<\/p>\n
People will no longer feel restless in viewing skin deep
\ndifferences.<\/p>\n
I think this is the right time to review the role of religion
\nin economic, social and political life, because society is
\nbecoming more open. So leaders and ulema must be able to produce
\nradical concepts to seek solutions for civilization, to bridge
\ndialog between religious norms and rapid changes.<\/p>\n
Religious thinkers must provide practical and pragmatical
\nreligious ways, not those formulated 1,000 years ago. In other
\nwords, how to make religious life simpler; those who can fast can
\ndo so, and those who can't (need not).<\/p>\n
Q: The Wahabiyah movement, which seeks to purify Islam, views
\nIslam in Indonesia as contaminated by traditions. Is purification
\nnecessary?<\/p>\n
A: The Wahabiyah introduced by Muhammad bin Abdul Wahab tends to
\ndistance itself from local traditions ... so sharp differences
\nhave emerged between Islamic traditionalists represented by
\nNahdlatul Ulama and modernists represented by Muhammadiyah.
\nActually Muhammadiyah is not included in Wahabiyah although the
\ndevelopment of Muhammadiyah did involve the formalization of
\nsyariah.<\/p>\n
However, since the 1990s Muhammadiyah wished to return to its
\nroots, hence we're seeing more tolerant figures.<\/p>\n
In my view the understanding of purification should be a
\nmovement to return Islam to ethical values which are open,
\naccommodative, humanist and universal. (Asip A. Hasani)<\/p>",
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