Moslems encouraged to inspire civil society

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)