Muhammadiyah defends its support for Amien<\/p>\n
A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post,Jakarta<\/p>\n
In face of fierce criticism from many sides, Muhammadiyah, the
\ncountry's second largest Muslim organization, has defended its
\nendorsement to National Mandate Party (PAN) Chairman Amien Rais
\nin the upcoming presidential election for what it called as
\nstrong commitment to reform and fight against corruption.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah Chairman Syafii Maarif said in Malang East Java,
\nover the weekend that with its political stance last Tuesday,
\nMuhammadiyah has not merely endorsed Amien in its presidential
\ncandidacy but and mainly showed its strong hope to have a
\nreformist national leader who is committed to carrying out the
\nnational reform agenda and ending the corruption.<\/p>\n
"We will not vanish if we just support Amien in the
\npresidential race," said Syafii.<\/p>\n
He denied that Muhammadiyah has left its democracy
\ntradition behind and adopted the sectarian politics, saying that
\nhis organization has urged its members to freely cast their votes
\nin the legislative elections "and only persuade them to elect
\nAmien in the presidential election."<\/p>\n
Political analysts, politicians and mass organizations have
\ncriticized Muhammadiyah which issued a political stance in its
\nplenary session in Yogyakarta on Tuesday to sully support Amien
\nin the presidential election because besides being former
\nMuhammadiyah chairman, Amien was reformist and had no bad track
\nrecords in the past.<\/p>\n
The democracy the nation wants to develop has been put in
\nlimbo with Nadhlatul Ulama (NU) Chairman Hasyim Muzadi who has
\nalso urged NU members to cast their votes for the National
\nAwakening Party (PKB) which was found and supported by NU
\nclerics, in the legislative elections.<\/p>\n
Syamsuddin Harris, a political analyst of the Indonesian
\nInstitute of Sciences, also regretted the political statement,
\nsaying that it has not only tarnished Muhammadiyah's image as an
\nindependent, democratic institution but also could incited other
\nmass organizations to take similar measure, which in time would
\nmake the people unfree to channel their political aspirations.<\/p>\n
"It's unusual and does not educate people. It has no tradition
\nto dictate its members on such important matters," he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Syamsuddin said the endorsement for Amien's presidential bid
\nby the Muslim organization was not good for democracy development
\nand could incite sectarian politics.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, he viewed the support for Amien who is also the
\nformer Muhammadiyah chairman was too early and would not benefit
\nboth to Amien and the organization.<\/p>\n
"People might think that Amien was just Muhammadiyah
\npresident," he added.<\/p>\n
He suggested that Muhammadiyah should make criteria for an
\nideal president, instead of driving its members to support a
\ncertain presidential hopeful.<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah scholar Muslim Abdurrahman criticized the
\nendorsement as a set back since the organization was started to
\nbe recognized as a cultural movement along with other civil
\nsociety elements.<\/p>\n
"It's a political blunder. The organization should pull out
\nits support for Amien's presidential bid," Muslim who chairs the
\nMuhammadiyah's worker, farmer and fishermen department, said.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Muhammadiyah's deputy secretary Hajriyanto Y.
\nThohari who is also Golkar Party legislator, also criticized the
\ndecision as undemocratic and could trigger sectarian politics.<\/p>\n
On Friday, several youth organizations under Muhammadiyah
\nannounced their disagreement with the holding body to nominate
\nAmien for its presidential candidate, saying that it's not in
\nline with the organization's highest decision maker (Sidang
\nTanwir)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/muhammadiyah-defends-its-support-for-amien-1447893297",
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