First journal on Islamic studies launched
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher launched Indonesia's first journal on Islamic Studies, Studia Islamika, hoping it will better introduce Indonesian Moslems to the outside world.
"Indonesia has the biggest Moslem population, but not many foreigners know what kind of people Indonesian Moslems are," Tarmizi said during a reception marking the first publication of the quarterly journal on Thursday.
Tarmizi said there are two reasons why Indonesian Moslems are not well known.
The first is that Indonesian people are "low profile and modest" and dislike exposure, he said half jokingly.
The second reason, however, responsible for making Indonesia a terra incognita, is the limited number of Indonesian scholars who can write about the country and its dominant religion in the English language.
Tarmizi also called on local Moslem intellectuals to dare to try to write in English.
"Please help dispel the negative images of Moslems in the international world, images that Moslems are terrorists or killers who like to spill blood," he said.
With their writings, the intellectuals can instead disseminate the pictures that Islam is a blessing for the world and that Moslems are fair and just communities, he said.
The first, 235-page thick journal consisting of scientific analyses of Islamic issues is published in English, Arabic and Bahasa Indonesia.
Out of concern
The journal's chief editor, DR Azyumardi Azra, said the publication of the journal was initiated by Tarmizi himself out of concern over the limited literature available on Indonesian Moslems.
The dynamic development of Islam and the thinking of its scholars here are not less progressive than in other Moslem communities around the globe, he said.
"It's too bad that our scholars' thinkings are not known and fail to be included in the international discourses on the religion," Azra said.
Azra said several previous journals on Islam could not survive financial difficulties, and he called on the minister to establish an endowment or other financial arrangements to ensure the livelihood of the new journal.
Tarmizi responded by giving his personal guarantee, saying he would see to it that the journal thrives.
The journal is published by the Syarif Hidayatullah State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN). The reception was attended by, among others, Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) K.H. Hasan Basri, scholar Dewi Fortuna Anwar, IAIN Rector Dr. Quraish Shihab, and other Moslem leaders including Prof. Ibrahim Hosen and K.H. Ali Yafie.
The first edition includes articles by Martin van Bruinessen, Azyumardi Azra, Nurcholish Madjid and Saiful Muzani. (swe)