'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.