Muhammadiyah youth wing to elect new leader
Muhammadiyah youth wing to elect new leader
Edith Hartanto and Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The youth wing of Muhammadiyah, one of the most influential
Muslim organizations in Indonesia, is scheduled to elect its new
leader next week for the 2002-2006 period, amid fresh hopes that
the election should single out a future statesman for the
country's second largest Muslim organization.
Building a consensus based on its 90 years of existence, the
organization hopes to play a more active role in mediating and
moderating the current social and political problems both on the
domestic and international level, because of its credibility and
independence.
The election is scheduled to take place during a Muhammadiyah
council meeting from July 7 through to July 11, at the Asrama
Haji Sukolilo compound in the East Java capital of Surabaya. The
current youth wing chairman is Imam Addaruqutni.
There are reportedly nine strong candidates.
The ones from East Java, according to the Muhammadiyah youth
wing's official website, www.pemuda-muhammadiyah.com, are rector
Suyoto of the Muhammadiyah University in Gresik, East Java, and
the secretary of East Java's chapter of the United Development
Party (PPP), Moh. Mirdasy.
Other nominees comprise one of the youth wing's central
chiefs, Nadjamuddin Ramly; Muhammadiyah chiefs from Yogyakarta,
Untung Cahyono and Solechan; a Muhammadiyah chief from West
Kalimantan, Ikhsanuddin; Muhammadiyah officials from West Java,
Sudar Siandes and Uum Umar Syarif and a Muhammadiyah chief from
Central Java, Abdul Mukti.
Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Maarif had said he hoped the
election would produce a future statesman for the Muhammadiyah
organization.
"The one who fills the post should not be tempted to involve
himself directly in today's politics. He should instead help in
mediating current political and social problems. He must have
integrity ... it's not easy," Syafii had said, adding that he was
not rooting for anybody in particular.
Muhammadiyah, established in Yogyakarta in 1912, has around 30
million members, making it the country's second largest Muslim
organization after Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), another strong
organization of 40 million members.
Known to be more tolerant, NU often adopts various pre-Islamic
traditions when spreading the religion, mostly in Java.
Muhammadiyah in contrast, has been recognized as a
"puritanical" movement that seeks to separate Islam from other
elements that are against the Koran and Sunnah -- Prophet
Muhammad's sayings and deeds outside the Koran.
"Pure" Islam and logic (al-aql in Arabic) have come to be
Muhammadiyah's two most important policies.
Syafii, however, earlier said that Muhammadiyah should
reconsider and redefine its policies to be more flexible in
accommodating local cultures.
Muhammadiyah is therefore currently striving to intensify its
"cultural propagation" to reach out to all people in the
multiethnic layers of Indonesian society. Syafii defined the term
"cultural propagation" as the dissemination of Islamic teachings
in a sophisticated, nuanced form. This was one of many important
outcomes of the organization's four-day annual meeting in Bali,
in January this year.
Edith Hartanto and Yogita Tahilramani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The youth wing of Muhammadiyah, one of the most influential
Muslim organizations in Indonesia, is scheduled to elect its new
leader next week for the 2002-2006 period, amid fresh hopes that
the election should single out a future statesman for the
country's second largest Muslim organization.
Building a consensus based on its 90 years of existence, the
organization hopes to play a more active role in mediating and
moderating the current social and political problems both on the
domestic and international level, because of its credibility and
independence.
The election is scheduled to take place during a Muhammadiyah
council meeting from July 7 through to July 11, at the Asrama
Haji Sukolilo compound in the East Java capital of Surabaya. The
current youth wing chairman is Imam Addaruqutni.
There are reportedly nine strong candidates.
The ones from East Java, according to the Muhammadiyah youth
wing's official website, www.pemuda-muhammadiyah.com, are rector
Suyoto of the Muhammadiyah University in Gresik, East Java, and
the secretary of East Java's chapter of the United Development
Party (PPP), Moh. Mirdasy.
Other nominees comprise one of the youth wing's central
chiefs, Nadjamuddin Ramly; Muhammadiyah chiefs from Yogyakarta,
Untung Cahyono and Solechan; a Muhammadiyah chief from West
Kalimantan, Ikhsanuddin; Muhammadiyah officials from West Java,
Sudar Siandes and Uum Umar Syarif and a Muhammadiyah chief from
Central Java, Abdul Mukti.
Muhammadiyah chairman Syafii Maarif had said he hoped the
election would produce a future statesman for the Muhammadiyah
organization.
"The one who fills the post should not be tempted to involve
himself directly in today's politics. He should instead help in
mediating current political and social problems. He must have
integrity ... it's not easy," Syafii had said, adding that he was
not rooting for anybody in particular.
Muhammadiyah, established in Yogyakarta in 1912, has around 30
million members, making it the country's second largest Muslim
organization after Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), another strong
organization of 40 million members.
Known to be more tolerant, NU often adopts various pre-Islamic
traditions when spreading the religion, mostly in Java.
Muhammadiyah in contrast, has been recognized as a
"puritanical" movement that seeks to separate Islam from other
elements that are against the Koran and Sunnah -- Prophet
Muhammad's sayings and deeds outside the Koran.
"Pure" Islam and logic (al-aql in Arabic) have come to be
Muhammadiyah's two most important policies.
Syafii, however, earlier said that Muhammadiyah should
reconsider and redefine its policies to be more flexible in
accommodating local cultures.
Muhammadiyah is therefore currently striving to intensify its
"cultural propagation" to reach out to all people in the
multiethnic layers of Indonesian society. Syafii defined the term
"cultural propagation" as the dissemination of Islamic teachings
in a sophisticated, nuanced form. This was one of many important
outcomes of the organization's four-day annual meeting in Bali,
in January this year.