Moslems face 'threat of disintegration'<\/p>\n
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Scholar Nurcholish Madjid has voiced alarm at
\nthe threat of disintegration among Moslems in tandem with the
\nproliferation of new political parties claiming to be Islamic.<\/p>\n
\"I suspected this (development) early on, and hoped it would
\nnot happen. Now, what I was afraid of has become a reality, and I
\nam really concerned,\" he said on the sidelines of a seminar on
\nthe platform for reform at the Gadjah Mada University here
\nyesterday.<\/p>\n
He listed the People's Awakening Party launched by the
\nAbdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul
\nUlama (NU) Moslem organization, followed by the Crescent Star
\nParty headed by legal scholar Yusril Ihza Mahendra and his
\nassociates, which harks back to the old Masyumi Islamic party. He
\nalso mentioned the Justice Party, established only last week by
\nyoung intellectuals and Moslem da'i (preachers) as another
\nindication of the fragmentation of the Indonesian Moslem
\ncommunity.<\/p>\n
\"I am afraid, concerned,\" he said.<\/p>\n
President B.J. Habibie's administration has sought to distance
\nitself from the preceding Soeharto regime by allowing the public
\nto set up political parties unhampered. As of last week, the
\nmedia has recorded the establishment of at least 58 new political
\nparties, many bearing religious affiliation.<\/p>\n
Several analysts have warned of possible disintegration
\nbecause of the advent of many political parties, even though new
\nparty leaders argue they are striving for democratization.<\/p>\n
Nurcholish acknowledged analysis about why many new parties
\nemerged might be on target, but he believed in many cases the
\nfounding of parties was a reactionary action to ideological
\nsplinters within organizations.<\/p>\n
The People's Awakening Party, which was launched with much
\nfanfare, originated from a conflict within NU and the family of
\nAbdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur.<\/p>\n
\"No one in his family supported Gus Dur (party), not even his
\nyounger brother Sholahudin Wahid. I can see it from (the
\nlatter's) writings,\" Nurcholish said.<\/p>\n
\"Gus Dur is a man of ideas. His strength is at the 'macro'
\nlevel, so in 'micro' level he has many weaknesses... He should
\nengage in some introspection before it's too late.\"<\/p>\n
Amien Rais, the chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah
\nMoslem organization has announced his plan for an \"inclusive,
\nIslamic and nationalist\" party called People's Mandate Party
\n(PAB).<\/p>\n
\"He is facing a challenge of how to explain the platforms of
\nhis parties. He said the party would be Islamic inclusive (but I
\nbelieve), it was structurally inclusive but ideally exclusive,\"
\nNurcholish said.<\/p>\n
\"Amien Rais has some explaining to do, for instance, on why he
\nhas included (rights activist and Christian) Albert Hasibuan,\" he
\nsaid. (23\/44)<\/p>",
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