Moslems encouraged to inspire civil society
JAKARTA (JP): Disunity has held back Indonesian Moslems from becoming the driving force in forming a civil society in the country, a political observer said yesterday.
Moeslim Abdurrahman of Illinois University said some Moslem groups and individuals offered their views of democratization, but they did not have the support of the masses and failed to launch a concerted movement which could lead to a political transformation.
"They are 'promising forces' to our bid for a civil society, but it remains arguable if they... will bring about a real political alliance," Moeslim told The Jakarta Post.
He cited a mounting wish for a civil society as shown by Moedrick Sangidoe, the chief of the United Development Party (PPP) branch in Surakarta, Central Java, Muhammadiyah leader Amien Rais and youths who demanded the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement become an independent organization.
Moedrick stole the limelight in the May election with his "Mega-Bintang" rallies, an alliance between PPP followers and supporters of the ousted leader of the Indonesian Democratic Party (PDI) Megawati Soekarnoputri.
Abdurrahman Wahid, leader of the country's largest Moslem organization Nahdlatul Ulama, and noted intellectual Nurcholish Madjid, are also leading advocates of a civil society, according to Moeslim.
But he said the groups and individuals, whom he called liberal Moslems, found it difficult to iron out differences and advance.
"(Many) of them are out either to protect their respective groups' interest or to pave their way to the power elite. They have yet to think beyond their groups," said Moeslim, who is writing his thesis on Indonesian middle class Moslems.
Moslems make up more than 87 percent of the country's population of 200 people, but Moeslim said most of them refrained from talking about political reforms.
"Most Indonesian middle class Moslems (strive for) piety and (Islamic) identity which has nothing to do with the political process at all.
"They go to school, look for jobs which offer high salaries, conduct a pilgrimage to Mecca and establish a foundation to fulfill both their physical and spiritual needs," he said.
He blamed the trend on the government's policy which bars those in the grassroots from political activities for the sake of stability.
"The scarcity of liberal Moslems has allowed other groups linked with the power holders to dominate public opinion," Moeslim said.
He branded the other groups "political hoodlums" because of their dependence on their patrons.
He said non-governmental organizations could also play a key role in forming a civil society, given their skills in training people.
However, NGOs tend to waste their energy on training and they do not make the effort to prepare their trainees for a social movement.
"Romanticism has led them to energy-sapping humanitarian programs. NGO activists are content to become local prophets," Moeslim said.
He said NGOs had become polarized because of their rivalry in seeking sponsors and conducting projects.
Moeslim criticized people who demanded democratization and a civil society but set their goals only on the succession of national leadership.
"A civil society requires change in the political system, because a succession without political reform will only repeat the past," he said.
Another political observer, Mochtar Buchori, agreed. He said that once succession took place, the nation should reach a consensus on political reforms and how they should evolve. (amd)