Muhammadiyah continues push for morality<\/p>\n
Rita A. Widiadana, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah, the second largest Muslim organization in the
\ncountry, is certain to play a more active role in mediating and
\nmoderating the current political and social problems both on
\ndomestic and international levels because of its credibility and
\nindependence, says its chairman.<\/p>\n
In an interview with The Jakarta Post on the sidelines of the
\norganization's annual meeting in Denpasar, Bali on Friday, Ahmad
\nSyafii Maarif said that as a moderate and nonpartisan
\norganization, people still had trust in the organization.<\/p>\n
Since its establishment in Yogyakarta in l912, Muhammadiyah
\nhas always been regarded as a force of renewal and modernization
\nin the Islamic community. \"We have been practicing 'high-
\npolitics,' a political movement based on ethics, morality and
\nindependence,\" Syafii claimed.<\/p>\n
Domestically, Muhammadiyah can become \"a balanced and unbiased
\nreferee to help any disputing parties reach a compromise,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Internationally, Muhammadiyah can initiate international
\ngatherings among Islamic or non-Islamic countries to discuss and
\nmediate between the two parties.<\/p>\n
But, more importantly, the organization wants to focus first
\non national problems.<\/p>\n
\"We are now living in a period where people live in a social,
\npolitical and economic imbalances. Everybody is already sick and
\ntired of seeing political leaders bickering with each other...
\nThey are like spoiled children,\" Syafii said.<\/p>\n
What Muhammadiyah is urgently doing now is to aggressively
\nspread its campaigns on morality and ethics because figures in
\npolitical parties, legislative and executives are mostly
\ninsensitive and \"turn a deaf-ear to the needs of the people.\"<\/p>\n
Syafii said that Muhammadiyah had also been tasked to reveal
\nthe real portrayal of Islam and its people in Indonesia, as the
\nmost populous Muslim country in the world.<\/p>\n
\"I can assure the outside world, that radical and extremist
\nIslam is not the mainstream movement in Indonesia. It is only a
\nsmall minority group within the entire Muslim population in the
\ncountry,\" Syafii said.<\/p>\n
\"Islam is a peace-loving religion...There is often
\nmisunderstanding and misperception among those who believe that
\nthe radical Muslims represent the entire Muslim community here,\"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
But, Syafii said everyone should understand why radicalism
\nemerged here in Indonesia and elsewhere in the world.<\/p>\n
In Indonesia, most of these people are the energetic and
\nimpatient youth who could no longer trust in the corrupt
\ngovernment system and impotent legal and security apparatus.<\/p>\n
\"They are also sick of seeing hypocrisy shown by our political
\nleaders. They want instant change and abrupt action to stop any
\nirregularities in society. What they are lacking is they do not
\nequip themselves with intellectual instruments to articulate
\ntheir ideas and to explain the motivation behind their radical
\nactions,\" Syafii said.<\/p>\n
\"In the short-term, their actions might appear fruitful but
\ncertainly not in the long-term ... This is very dangerous if we
\nidealize their actions. Militancy is always dangerous as it is
\nalways viewed through a pair of black and white spectacles,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Our problems are now so complex that we cannot look at them as
\nblack and white only, he added.<\/p>\n
Syafii went on to say that two of Indonesia's largest Muslim
\norganizations, Muhammadiyah and Nadhatul Ulama (NU) had joined
\nhands together to create a more loving and peaceful face of Islam
\nthrough their religious, social and cultural propagations.<\/p>\n
Syafii said more than 300 top executives from all of
\nMuhammadiyah's chapters in Indonesia were taking part in the
\nongoing Tanwir (annual meeting) of the organization, which will
\nend on Sunday.<\/p>\n
\"There are two main objectives of this year's meeting,
\ninternal and external ones,\" he said. \"Internally, it is expected
\nthat all participants will have a similar frame of mind of what
\nMuhammadiyah is fighting for.\"<\/p>\n
\"I really expect them to realize that the nation is facing
\nvery serious problems, so it requires prompt but wise actions if
\nwe want all of the organizations' ideas and policies to
\nmaterialize.\"<\/p>\n
He also expected both members and executives of Muhammadiyah
\nwould widen their radius of communication and open more dialogs
\nwith people of different religious, social and cultural
\nbackgrounds. \"They should build better relationships, share and
\nseek solutions to the nation's problems with everybody, even the
\natheist people,\" Syafii confirmed.<\/p>\n
Conventional approaches to religious, social, and political
\nproblems must be left behind to adjust to the fast-growing,
\npluralistic society, he said.<\/p>\n
Externally, Muhammadiyah will forcefully urge the government
\nto improve the living conditions of the people and to be more
\nfocused on their programs.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muhammadiyah-continues-push-for-morality-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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