No organization can survive with mediocre supporters: Syafii<\/p>\n
Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta<\/p>\n
Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Ma'arif reminded his supporters on
\nSunday that no civilization or force in the world could survive
\nwith only mediocre supporters who were unable to anticipate the
\nfuture and who thought only about the present.<\/p>\n
\"Quantity yes, but it should be accompanied by quality,\"
\nSyafii said in an address in front of 40,000 supporters of
\nIndonesia's second largest Muslim organization at the
\ncommemoration of its 90th anniversary at Mandala Krida Stadium.<\/p>\n
The 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah was established on Nov. 18,
\n1912, or Dzulhijjah 8, 1330 according to the Hijriyah Islamic
\ncalendar, by a noted Muslim preacher named Ahmad Dahlan.<\/p>\n
Also present at the ceremony were Minister of National
\nEducation Malik Fajar, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono
\nX, Muhammadiyah's vice chairman Dien Syamsudin and local
\nMuhammadiyah executives.<\/p>\n
Quoting government data, Syafii said that the best high school
\nowned by Muhammadiyah ranked only 40th in the country.<\/p>\n
\"This is deplorable, isn't it? That's why I urge Muhammadiyah
\nactivists not to focus only on quantity alone but give more
\nemphasis to improving the quality,\" he added.<\/p>\n
The Muhammadiyah, Syafii said, was established in the middle
\nof a very strong Javanese culture. However, the Yogyakarta
\npalace, as the center of Javanese culture, did not see it as a
\nthreat, thanks to the modern Islamic thinking that the founding
\nfathers of the organization had at that time.<\/p>\n
\"The underdeveloped Muslim community at that time would not
\nhave been able to face the challenge if the organization's
\nIslamic thought had been traditional,\" he said, underlining the
\nneed for forming a progressive Islamic movement, which was still
\nwithin the framework of the faith.<\/p>\n
\"Ahmad Dahlan was known as a very humble kyai (Muslim elder)
\nwhose thoughts were far beyond his time. He had deep
\nrelationships not just within the Muhammadiyah or the Muslim
\ncommunity, but also with non-Muslims and nationalists,\" Syafii
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Speaking separately to The Jakarta Post, Syafii said that the
\nMuhammadiyah urgently needed to improve the quality of its human
\nresources.<\/p>\n
\"In fact, this is the toughest challenge that we face,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/no-organization-can-survive-with-mediocre-supporters-syafii-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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