Is exclusivity hazardous?

This country has seen many splinter religious groups although only a few of them have become national topics. At least not many of them -- including Darul Hadis -- have been the subject of heated debate like Darul Arqam, an exclusive Islamic group whose popularity has become ubiquitous in several areas of the country lately.

The group is now in hot water for its apparent exclusivity. And its fast-growing popularity seems to have caused concern among the authorities. Even the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has become suspicious that the group is spreading devious interpretations of Islamic theology. The local ulemas councils in West Sumatra and Aceh have gone so far as to ban the group's chapters there on charges they are creating unrest among the religious public.

Although Darul Arqam itself has not made a public defense the worsening relationship between Al Arqam -- its fountainhead in Malaysia -- and the government of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has not helped improved Darul Arqam's position here. Mahathir and deputy Anwar Ibrahim, who have ordered Al Arqam's leader Imam Ashaari Muhammad At Tamimi to leave Malaysia, are themselves known to be devout Moslems, who have paid great attention to the development of Islam in that country.

In Indonesia, where religious problems are treated as very sensitive matters, the government is being careful in its consideration of what to do about Darul Arqam. Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher said that the government will not be in a hurry to take any measures against the group.

This policy of stepping lightly across a potential minefield is clearly geared to make sure the authorities do not make the situation worse with any move they make.

The most complicated questions involved here, perhaps, are just to what extent Darul Arqam's interpretation of Islamic teachings have the potential to cause trouble, and whether any dissension caused remains within the limits inherent to the teachings themselves. It would be counterproductive to ban any organization while the beliefs propagated could remain alive.

Another equally sensitive question is just how serious the group's political activities are to our public, if what they have done so far is simply to make statements attacking neighboring countries, as Minister Tarmizi has charged.

Still another question now is whether there is still room for the wisdom of discussion, for example, between Moslem intellectuals and Darul Arqam leaders in an attempt to brush aside misunderstandings on religious interpretations and to get a clear picture of whether the group is just a thareqat (mystical order).

Last but not least, if the authorities really do ban the group, we hope that the group's leaders are given the opportunity to defend themselves. The government will also have to spell out clearly all reasons for such a measure, both religious and political. This particular element is important in order to give a three-dimensional image of the relationship between the state and religion here.

In Malaysia, the situation existing when Mahathir emasculated Al Arqam was different from that here at the current time. The people there already understood the negative impacts of the group's beliefs.

But whatever verdict the government here makes, it is interesting to study why a group like Al Arqam -- despite its exclusivity -- has gained such an easy foothold, not only in Malaysia, but also in other Asian countries, inclusive of Indonesia.