Muhammadiyah no longer seen as reformist movement

Muhammadiyah no longer seen as reformist movement

By Santi WE Soekanto and Wisnu Pramudya

BANDA ACEH, Aceh (JP): Observers and leading members say that
Muhammadiyah, with its 28 million members, has become sluggish
and no longer deserves to be called "Indonesia's reformist Moslem
movement".

Prominent political scientists Deliar Noer and Syamsuddin
Haris; sociologist Mochtar Naim; ulema Ali Yafie from Nahdlatul
Ulama; and several Muhammadiyah leaders acknowledged that the
many features of progressiveness, that the organization used to
posses, are no longer existent.

The organization, established 83 years ago as a drive to
purify the practice of Islam and bring reforms to a society
oppressed by colonialism, has become "backward" and can no longer
keep up with the rapid changes in society, they concluded.

Mochtar, a former staff lecturer at the Andalas University in
Padang, said the label reformist itself has been puzzling people
because, for almost the last five decades, Muhammadiyah has not
come up with any fresh ideas to address social issues.

"There's no reform, no signs of independence, not even in the
field of education," he said of the organization, which has
established 13,200 schools and universities. "All that it has
been doing is copying government policies in education instead of
establishing specific approaches or curricula."

"Probably, Muhammadiyah's strength lies in the fact that it's
a good follower instead," Mochtar said. "While to be a reformist
movement, you'd have to be brave enough to go it alone, to go
against the current."

Deliar was pessimistic over Muhammadiyah's ability to regain
its old position as the reforming drive of society. "The
conditions are very different now," he said. "In the past,
Indonesian Moslems were backward. Now, they are progressing
rapidly, and Muhammadiyah should be able to progress even
faster."

As an example, he cited the organization's ambitious drive to
give Islamic nuance to science, which has failed miserably
because its activists no longer possess the will to strive, to
reach the goal by translating ideas into actions.

"During Dutch colonialism, Muhammadiyah didn't care if it had
to go against the administration's policies in regards to
education," he said. "Now, Muhammadiyah schools are competing to
catch up with state schools and submit themselves to various
restrictions imposed by the government."

"Muhammadiyah needs breakthroughs, which are unrestricted by
government policies, if it really wants to color its educational
institutions with Islam," Deliar said.

Ali Yafie agreed that there has been a "perceived stagnation"
in Muhammadiyah. "I think those who are involved in the
organization feel it, and I am sure they would want to retain the
image of reformist", he told The Jakarta Post.

Members Fauzi A.R. and Rusjdi Hamka expressed concern that,
with its current development, Muhammadiyah would be able to
retain its position as an institution of dakwah (religious
propagation).

"People, especially in urban areas, change faster than we can
realize," Rusjdi said. "We have to admit that our religious
propagation movement has not been able to catch up with this
change. Now we see a great number of people experiencing
spiritual hunger and we can't keep up with them."

Fauzi said the organization has to "return to its initial
function as a moral force of society". Logically, he said, it
follows that Muhammadiyah should not "neglect the elements of
ulemas as the core of the organization".

"The next leaders should establish religious education as
their focus of attention," Fauzi said, a medical doctor and son
of the late A.R. Fachruddin, the charismatic Muhammadiyah leader
for 22 years.

Deliar and Syamsuddin agreed that one of the first things that
Muhammadiyah has to strive for, in order to justify its reformist
label, is to be independent and break away from political
entanglement.

"Muhammadiyah should return to raison d'etre, which is the
organization of education and religious movement," he said. "It
should sharpen its focus of attention, because its masses have
now become more critical and prefer to be more independent from
the power center."

"The organization should improve coordination and consolidate
itself," Deliar said, pointing out that these campaigns should no
longer rely on merely emotional bonds among members. Instead,
"the approach should be more rational in nature," he said.

Syamsuddin paid special attention toward the question of
Muhammadiyah's political entanglement, especially with the ruling
political grouping Golkar.

The fact that Golkar wants to swallow up every organization or
force in society is normal, he said. In relation to the 1997
general elections, it stands to reason that Golkar wishes to "co-
opt anyone", he stated.

Muhammadiyah, he believes, presents an appealing potential
power base for Golkar, which is, at the moment, reportedly,
experiencing strains in its relations with the Armed Forces.