Controversy on 'syariah' reemerges in Assembly
Kurniawan Hari, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Controversy surrounding the idea to adopt syariah (Islamic law) has resurfaced as the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) resumes deliberation on amendments to the 1945 Constitution.
Assembly legislators grouped in the Ad Hoc I committee for constitutional amendments found on Thursday that the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) followed in the footsteps of Muhammadiyah in rejecting the proposal to formalize syariah.
Also attending Thursday's meeting were officials of the Islam Propagation Council (DDI), who expressed their support for syariah.
The meeting was part of an exercise to garner as many ideas as possible from the public regarding the constitutional amendments. The legislators are expected to complete their field mission on Feb. 21.
"During the meeting, MUI deputy chairman Umar Shihab said the current article on religious affairs in the Constitution should be maintained because it already reflects the state's acknowledgement of religious faiths," Hamdan Zoelva, one of the legislators, said after the meeting held at Istiqlal Mosque.
Demands for the recognition of syariah have mounted since the fall of the authoritarian New Order regime in 1998.
DDI, known as one of the Islamic hard-liner groups, insisted that syariah deserved acknowledgment in the Constitution due to the fact that the people of Indonesia were predominantly Muslim.
The demand for syariah, more specifically the seven words of the Jakarta Charter, which obliges Muslims to abide by Islamic teachings, had been ruled out by the country's founding fathers nearly six decades ago for the sake of national unity.
"The inclusion of the seven words in the Constitution won't disadvantage followers of other religions," said DDI Chairman Hussein Umar.
In a similar meeting on Wednesday, leaders of Muhammadiyah, the country's second largest Muslim organization, said it was not necessary to formalize syariah in Article 29 of the Constitution.
Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Muslim group in the country with 40 million supporters, has repeatedly opposed the inclusion of syariah in the Constitution.
Despite the wide opposition to the proposal to adopt syariah, the Assembly failed to settle the controversy in the last annual session last year.
Other religious groups representing Christians, Hindus, and Buddhists, had also raised similar concerns, saying the existing article protects pluralism in Indonesia.
Responding to the controversy, legislators simply said they were not in position to make a decision.
"We will bring the views of the public to a deliberation at the Assembly in March," said Hamdan of the Crescent Star Party, one of advocates of syariah.
Apart from meeting various religious organizations, members of the ad hoc committee are scheduled to meet various sectors in the society.
Commenting on this initiative, director of the Center for Electoral Reform (Cetro) Smita Notosusanto said she doubted the move would bear fruit.
"I am skeptical. Unless the Assembly demonstrates a transparent decision making process, the hearing will be useless," Smita told The Jakarta Post.
The Assembly also failed to complete amendments to some articles relating to the electoral system.
It also shunned the call for the establishment of an independent constitutional commission.