RI 'could be model' of democratic Muslim nation<\/p>\n
Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Indonesia could become the prototype of a democratic Islamic
\nnation as the majority of Muslims here embrace moderation and
\nmodernity despite the fact that radicalism has been growing since
\nthe fall of former strongman Soeharto in 1998, says a noted
\nGerman Muslim scholar.<\/p>\n
\"The mainstream of Islam in Indonesia is not scriptural and
\nthe popular face of Islam here is flexible. I believe Indonesia
\nmay be able to come to terms with modernity better than other
\nMuslim nations, like Egypt,\" Bassam Tibi, a professor of
\ninternational relations at Gottingen University in Germany, told
\nThe Jakarta Post on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Bassam is currently in Jakarta to attend a three-day
\ninternational seminar on Islam and the West: One Year after Sept.
\n11, which is organized by the Center for Languages and Cultures
\nat the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University.<\/p>\n
He said fundamentalist groups were active in Indonesia but
\ndismissed fears that they would ever become a powerful force in
\nthe world's largest Muslim country, arguing that they were \"at
\nthe fringe of society\" and not at the center of power.<\/p>\n
According to Bassam, Indonesia's diversity of religions and
\ncultures helps prevent religious radicalism.<\/p>\n
\"This religious and cultural diversity will make Indonesia an
\nopen society,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Bassam, who was born in Syria, said fundamentalists could only
\nbe successful if they undertook underground action with the
\nbacking of the population, especially in times of economic
\nuncertainty.<\/p>\n
\"Because Indonesia is very diverse, if fundamentalists commit
\nactions like killing Christians, it will not be easy to get the
\nsupport of the entire population, unless the economic situation
\nis very bad,\" said Bassam, adding that economic hardship provided
\nfertile soil for the rise of fundamentalism.<\/p>\n
Bassam, who is also a founding member of the Arab Human Rights
\nOrganization, said a security approach was necessary to counter
\nand prevent radicalism from rising, as well as social policies on
\npoverty alleviation, conflict resolution and democratization.<\/p>\n
\"You have to have security measures to deal with
\nfundamentalists who undertake underground activities,\" he said.<\/p>\n
\"This is not repression, but comes within the standard of
\nhuman rights ... because fundamentalists also have human rights.
\nBut if I try to kill you, for example, and you stop me from doing
\nso, that does not go against human rights,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Militant groups are \"dangerous to the country\" if its economy
\nis not so good, he added.<\/p>\n
Radicalist and fundamentalist groups have been on the rise in
\nIndonesia since Soeharto was forced out of power in 1998. Laskar
\nJihad is the most prominent and notorious one. It has been blamed
\nfor violent attacks on Christians across Indonesia amid its
\ncampaign for Islamic sharia law to be implemented in the country.<\/p>\n
Bassam said he believed Laskar Jihad was linked to Osama bin
\nLaden and his al-Qaeda network, which has been blamed for the
\nSept. 11, 2001, tragedy in the United States. Earlier, Laskar
\nJihad denied any links to al-Qaeda.<\/p>\n
According to the German scholar, fundamentalism is the
\npoliticization of religious belief and stems from a
\nmisinterpretation of Islam.<\/p>\n
\"Enjoin the good and forbid the evil. That is Islam. But if
\nyou argue Islam is a system of government, this does not exist in
\nKoran and this is fundamentalism,\" he said.<\/p>",
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