Amien against creating Islamic state

JAKARTA (JP): The chairman of the Muhammadiyah Moslem organization, Amien Rais, said that efforts to enforce the creation of an Islamic state here would be detrimental to the religion's image.

Speaking at a discussion late Friday evening, the chairman of the 28 million-strong grassroots organization maintained that there was no direct reference in the Koran to the formation of an Islamic state.

Without a stipulation or demand in the Koran, he said he could not support the idea of forcefully forming an Islamic state in Indonesia.

Indonesia has the largest Moslem population in the world, with Moslems representing more than 87 percent of the nation's 203 million citizens.

He said it was not surprising that there was an Islamic element in Indonesian politics.

Prior to the formation of the New Order in the late 1960s, Islamic parties played a prominent role in shaping the political map.

But the 1945 Constitution acknowledged the presence of other religions and protected its followers' rights to practice and preach their religion accordingly.

Indonesia has been rocked several times by Islamic-based secessionist groups who want to set up an Islamic state.

The DI/TII group in West Java -- which staged one of the largest uprisings in the 1950s and 1960s -- attempted to form an Islamic state.

The province of Aceh is also known for its history of secessionist movements.

Remnants of such movements are said to remain to this day.

In May, three youths were sentenced to between nine and 12 months in jail for their involvement in a movement to create the Indonesian Islamic State (NII).

Amien argued that groups who are determined to establishing an Islamic state here are creating negative perceptions of Islam.

"By forcing their will on others to create an Islamic state they actually cultivate an image of Islam as being an intolerant and hostile religion."

But Amien argued that this should not be interpreted in such a way that Islam is sidelined from the political life of the nation, as advocated by secularists.

He argued that Islamic tenets should still be considered in the political deliberation of the country, especially since a majority of the population are Moslems.

Amien was speaking during the launch of a book, Tidak Ada Negara Islam. Surat-surat Politik Nurcholish Madjid-Mohamad Roem (There Is No Islamic State: The Political Letters of Nucholish Madjid and Mohamad Roem), published by Djambatan. (mds)