Moslem unity is pivotal

Moslem unity is pivotal

The five-day Indonesian Moslem Congress currently underway in
Jakarta was not meant to be a political meeting but Minister of
Religious Affairs Malik Fajar said in his opening speech that by
the end of it all Moslems should have a common perception of
where they stand on a myriad of moral, social and political
issues.

We also see this congress as being of great importance because
it is being held against the backdrop of seemingly unceasing
disunity among the nation's Moslem leaders. That the last -- and
only other -- such congress was held in 1945 shows how
significant the event is.

However, there is a certain irony that Majlis Syura Muslimin
Indonesia (Masyumi), which was born at a historic meeting as a
single political party for the Moslem community, still haunts
many Moslem politicians today. They say the current growth of
numerous Moslem political parties has been overshadowed by
Masyumi's disintegration.

In arenas outside these political activities -- which are
meant to uphold the political reform movement -- Moslems have
appeared in many guises. Consequently many people claim they
speak on behalf of the religion. Some self-styled spokespeople
are very radical and narrow-minded in their approach, many are
statesmanlike and others are far-sighted intellectuals.

Many were also active around Soeharto when the former
president was playing the Islamic card by abusing religious
symbols. They seem to forget how for more than three decades
Soeharto curtailed Moslems' religious and political rights.

Moreover, there have never before been so many people speaking
on behalf of Islam as today without making even the slightest
effort to express a modicum of Islamic morality. In this
connection we are seeing the supporters of a politician who
degraded another religion take to the streets to glorify him by
threatening to wage a holy war in his defense.

However, there have also been displays of political maturity
and moral wisdom in addition to the blatant shows of narrow-
mindedness. But all the outbursts of public political
participation should be tempered with a common idealism and
respect for plurality, plurality both within Islam and the
nation.

And many Moslems have also come to understand that the word
majority means more than attracting more supporters; it also
entails accepting greater national responsibility.

We understand that every right-thinking Indonesian understands
how important a pillar of our national unity is unity among
Moslems. On the other hand a strong and united Moslem ummah will
in no way be hazardous to national interests but, in contrast,
fortify them.

Unlike other religions, Islam has no separation between
religion and the state, although most scholars believe there is
no instruction in the Koran for Moslems to create a theocratic
state.

However, 14 centuries ago the Prophet Muhammad gave examples
on how to lead an ummah in a modern state and how to live in a
pluralistic civil society.

In Indonesia today, good examples of Moslem politicians
following the above advice are few and far between. They seem to
find it just too difficult to accommodate the views of orthodox
groups, who in turn have tried to no avail to understand the
"modern" thinking of their more educated brethren.

And now it is even common to see many "modern" Moslems of the
same educational level failing to communicate properly with each
other.

This is all a big challenge that this congress must find an
answer to. And the solution it reaches should help enhance the
unity among Moslems and help them solve their current problems
for the sake of creating a new and modern Indonesia.