Moslems face 'threat of disintegration'
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)