'Cultural propagation promotes tolerance'
'Cultural propagation promotes tolerance'
Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan
Noted Muslim scholar Nurcholish Madjid hailed on Tuesday Muhammadiyah's plan to propagate religion using a cultural approach, saying it would promote tolerance among religious followers in the country.
Nurcholish said that by taking into account the presence of the surrounding cultural environment of the community, the countryUs second largest Muslim organization would not fall into "being pressured to propagate Islam."
"Cultural propagation is characteristically inclusive, as opposed to political campaigns which are exclusive," he told The Jakarta Post, after addressing a seminar on good governance at the Novotel Hotel in Medan, North Sumatra.
Muhammadiyah, which claims 30 million followers, has just concluded its national meeting in Bali, which resulted in some resolutions, including the proposal to propagate culture within society.
According to Nurcholish, cultural propagation must involve all people from different backgrounds, and it must consider the cultural practices preserved in the society.
Nurcholish cited an example of the past, when Muhammadiyah founder Achmad Dahlan established some Muhammdiyah schools using Dutch names, such as HIS Muhammadiyah, William Muhammadiyah and Hans Muhammdiyah.
In a society culturally dominated by the Dutch, such an adaptation would serve to encourage people to respect Islamic teachings, Nurcholish asserted.
Asked of Muhammdiyah'ss plan to support a Muhammadiyah cadre in the presidential election, Nurcholish said that it was quite understandable.
"One of the elements of democracy is participation. Muhammdiyah is not a political party, but it has the right to endorse a person for presidency.
The same practice exists in the U.S., where nonpolitical party organizations also nominate their presidential candidates from a political party," he said.
Nurcholish said that the support should be seen as a responsive step by Muhammadiyah, an organization which is living in society and is concerned about recent social and political developments.
"This is a new consciousness that the organization must pay attention to and try to meet peopleUs demands," he said.