The face of Islam<\/p>\n
Looking at stories about Islam in Indonesia (and just for the
\nsake of argument, let's take CNN's coverage as an example), the
\noutside world could be forgiven for thinking that the long-held
\nimage of tolerant, peace-loving and moderate Muslims in Indonesia
\nno longer reflected reality, following the Sept. 11 attacks on
\nAmerica.<\/p>\n
In the wake of those attacks, local groups operating under the
\nbanner of Islam threatened to harm or evict Americans and other
\nWesterners. There were daily protests outside the American
\nembassy in Jakarta, with some participants carrying posters of
\nOsama bin Laden and banners supporting his al Qaida group and the
\nTaliban regime in Afghanistan. There were reports
\n(unsubstantiated) of young Indonesians joining the Taliban to
\nfight against the United States.<\/p>\n
Added to this were news reports of bloody fighting between
\nMuslims and Christians in Maluku, North Maluku and the Central
\nSulawesi regency of Poso, as well as a series of church bombings
\nin various cities, including Jakarta, this past year.<\/p>\n
The face of Islam in Indonesia, going by the major news
\nstories coming out of this country, is complete: radical and
\nintolerant.<\/p>\n
Is this a fair portrayal of Islam in Indonesia? Hardly.<\/p>\n
While these news reports were mostly accurate, they often
\nomitted one small but crucial detail: The incidents involved
\ngroups that are in the minority. Putting aside our doubts about
\nthe Islamic credentials of some of these groups -- Islam preaches
\npeace, not violence -- they are not part of the Islamic
\nmainstream. Being in the minority, they could not claim to
\nrepresent Indonesia. Yet it is their views, and often violent
\nbehavior, that prevail in the news.<\/p>\n
Don't blame CNN or other news outlets. They are just the
\nmessengers. They are simply recording events as they happened.
\nThese small but radical groups have been able to steal the
\nspotlight because they are very vocal, and are probably more
\nattuned to the art of using sound-bites to get their message
\nacross.<\/p>\n
The major mainstream Islamic groups like Nahdlatul Ulama and
\nMuhammadiyah, in contrast, have hardly been in the news. On the
\nfew occasions when their leaders did speak out, they were often
\nignored because they were considered less \"newsworthy\".<\/p>\n
Since they represent the majority of Muslims in Indonesia --
\ntogether, they count on the support of between 60 million and 70
\nmillion people -- it is their views that should really prevail.
\nThey, more than any other group, have a larger claim to represent
\nIslam in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
It was heartening therefore to see the Nahdlatul Ulama and
\nMuhammadiyah, as the two largest Muslim social organizations in
\nIndonesia, coming out on Wednesday to work together to rectify
\nthe world's misperceptions about Islam in this country.<\/p>\n
Some of their leaders have spoken out publicly these last
\nthree months, denouncing the language of violence that the small
\ngroups have used. But with a more concerted effort, the Nahdlatul
\nUlama and Muhammadiyah can go a long way in restoring the image
\nof Islam in Indonesia as a peaceful and tolerant faith. This is
\nnecessary not only to pacify the outside world, but more
\nimportantly, to pacify non-Muslims in this country.<\/p>\n
The international and local media can help in conveying a less
\ndistorted picture of Islam in Indonesia. Ultimately, however, it
\nis these leaders who must shoulder the biggest responsibility in
\nportraying the real face of Islam here.<\/p>\n
It would help if the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, given
\ntheir long history of rivalry, were first to bury the hatchet in
\norder to be able to work together for the common good. And it
\nwould also help if their leaders were to explain the presence of
\na senior Army officer at their media announcement, because it has
\nsparked much unnecessary speculation about their motives.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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