Influential religious groups reject 'syariah' adoption

A'an Suryana, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

All mainstream religious groups in Indonesia have suggested that the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) retain Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution in its present form, on the grounds that it has done an adequate job in promoting religious harmony in the predominantly Muslim country.

Slamet Effendy Yusuf, the deputy chairman of the MPR's Ad Hoc Committee for Constitutional Amendment, said on Wednesday that the common stance was aired during a series of meetings recently between the committee and influential religious groups aimed at eliciting the latter's views on the proposed constitutional amendment.

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest Muslim organization, became the latest group to oppose changes to the article on Wednesday, although their position remains unofficial.

"The groups have agreed that Article 29 must not be amended," Slamet told participants at a meeting between committee members and NU leaders at the NU office on Jl. Kramat Raya in Central Jakarta.

Slamet, who is a former chairman of the NU youth wing Anshor, was accompanied by, among others, Patrialis Akbar, I Ketut Astawa and Aris Munandar.

NU was represented by Masdar Farid Mas'udi, Rozy Munir and secretary general of the NU law making body (Syuriah) Solahudin Wahid.

The committee had earlier met leaders of the country's second largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI), the Representatives of the Indonesian Buddhist Community (Walubi), the Highest Council of Confucian Religion in Indonesia (Matakin) and Parisadha Hindu Dharma. All of the groups insisted that the MPR retain the article when it reassembles in August for its annual session.

The debate on whether Article 29 should be changed has resurfaced after more than fifty years -- the same controversy dogged the drafting of the current Constitution, approved in 1945. Several groups, including the Muslim Propagation Council (DDI), are calling for the adoption of Islamic law (syariah) by adding a sentence to Article 29 stating that there is an "obligation for Muslims to adhere to the Islamic faith."

The first verse of Article 29 currently dictates that the state shall be based upon belief in the One Supreme God, while the second verse says that the state shall guarantee the freedom of every citizen to adhere to his respective religion and beliefs and to perform his religious duties.

"All aspirations are accepted, and those will serve as a foundation for our work in drafting the constitutional amendments, which will be presented to the MPR Annual Session," Slamet said.

According to Slamet, the committee is also working on draft amendments to other articles, including those on MPR membership, presidential affairs and the country's economic system.

The constitutional reform movement began in 1999.

Meanwhile, Masdar Farid Mas'udi of NU said that the organization would issue its formal opposition to the amendment of Article 29 after it had held a plenary meeting on the issue.

However, he said that the mainstream of NU would most likely agree that the article should be retained.

Masdar said this view had received support from Sahal Mahfudz, the most influential figure in NU due to his position as chairman of the organization's law making body Syuriah.

Efforts to amend Article 29 would jeopardize the sense of religious harmony in Indonesia, said Masdar, who leads NU's think tank.

He said the proposed addition to Article 29 would open up opportunities for the state to rule a person's private domain, which included the freedom to practice religion according to one's own beliefs.

This would endanger democracy, in which religious freedom is recognized.

"Indonesia is a plural community, and there should be no attempt to manipulate the state to enforce certain religious teachings in this plural community," he said.