Moslems face 'threat of disintegration'

YOGYAKARTA (JP): Scholar Nurcholish Madjid has voiced alarm at the threat of disintegration among Moslems in tandem with the proliferation of new political parties claiming to be Islamic.

"I suspected this (development) early on, and hoped it would not happen. Now, what I was afraid of has become a reality, and I am really concerned," he said on the sidelines of a seminar on the platform for reform at the Gadjah Mada University here yesterday.

He listed the People's Awakening Party launched by the Abdurrahman Wahid, chairman of the 30 million-strong Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Moslem organization, followed by the Crescent Star Party headed by legal scholar Yusril Ihza Mahendra and his associates, which harks back to the old Masyumi Islamic party. He also mentioned the Justice Party, established only last week by young intellectuals and Moslem da'i (preachers) as another indication of the fragmentation of the Indonesian Moslem community.

"I am afraid, concerned," he said.

President B.J. Habibie's administration has sought to distance itself from the preceding Soeharto regime by allowing the public to set up political parties unhampered. As of last week, the media has recorded the establishment of at least 58 new political parties, many bearing religious affiliation.

Several analysts have warned of possible disintegration because of the advent of many political parties, even though new party leaders argue they are striving for democratization.

Nurcholish acknowledged analysis about why many new parties emerged might be on target, but he believed in many cases the founding of parties was a reactionary action to ideological splinters within organizations.

The People's Awakening Party, which was launched with much fanfare, originated from a conflict within NU and the family of Abdurrahman, better known as Gus Dur.

"No one in his family supported Gus Dur (party), not even his younger brother Sholahudin Wahid. I can see it from (the latter's) writings," Nurcholish said.

"Gus Dur is a man of ideas. His strength is at the 'macro' level, so in 'micro' level he has many weaknesses... He should engage in some introspection before it's too late."

Amien Rais, the chairman of the 28-million-strong Muhammadiyah Moslem organization has announced his plan for an "inclusive, Islamic and nationalist" party called People's Mandate Party (PAB).

"He is facing a challenge of how to explain the platforms of his parties. He said the party would be Islamic inclusive (but I believe), it was structurally inclusive but ideally exclusive," Nurcholish said.

"Amien Rais has some explaining to do, for instance, on why he has included (rights activist and Christian) Albert Hasibuan," he said. (23/44)