MUI, Muhammadiyah may issue edict on women presidents

JAKARTA (JP): Two influential Islamic organizations, the Indonesian Council of Ulemas (MUI) and Muhammadiyah, said they would issue fatwa (religious edicts) on women presidents if the people asked them to take a stance on the controversial issue.

MUI deputy chairman Amidhan said after meeting with President B.J. Habibie the council's congress, planned for July 23 to July 26, would discuss the issue if "the government, on behalf of the people, wants us to do so".

A cautious Amidhan said the council did not wish to enter areas beyond its traditional focus of attention. "(Religious) edicts which are political in nature are often politicized or condemned by interest groups," he said.

Separately, the chairman of Muhammadiyah's law-making body, M. Amin Abdullah, was quoted by Antara as saying in the East Java town of Malang his organization would take a stance on the issue when the time was right.

"We will take a stance on the next presidency, whether a woman or a man should hold the position, but we are waiting for the right time," Amin said.

He said the law-making bodies of local Muhammadiyah chapters were currently discussing the issue, and the results would be submitted to the organization's central board.

"Actually, it doesn't matter whether it's a man or a woman who's the next head of state, as long as the criteria for presidents in general are met at all levels," he said. "The two most important factors are capability and acceptability."

He said women could become leaders at all levels of government as long as they were capable, trustworthy and subject to public control through existing social and political structures.

The controversy over whether the predominately-Muslim Indonesia could accept a woman president gained strength after it became evident Megawati Soekarnoputri's Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI Perjuangan) would win the general election.

Ulemas from Indonesia's largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), have given conflicting statements about women presidents. The 18 most senior Islamic law experts from NU gathered at Lirboyo boarding school in the East Java town of Kediri on July 10 to discuss the issue, and on Wednesday announced the results of their discussion.

The ulema said none of the current presidential candidates -- Megawati, incumbent President B.J. Habibie, Amien Rais and Abdurrahman Wahid -- met Islam's stringent requirements for leadership.

They said a president should be a mujtahid (a scholar of Islamic law). They also recommended the next president be al quwah (capable), al amanah (trustworthy, honest), al adalah (just) and responsible for the "worldly and spiritual" welfare of his or her people.

The ulema suggested the people elect the person with the fewest shortcomings. They also said that whoever was elected president would be considered mutawali dharuri bisyaukah, or an emergency leader.

Meanwhile, expressions of support for Megawati and Habibie continued to roll in. In Medan, hundreds of people continued to collect bloody thumbprints as a sign of support for Megawati.

In Jakarta, representatives of a communication forum for mosque activists and Muslim youths, known as BKPRMI, declared their support for Habibie.

In its congress, the forum agreed to mobilize its members across the country "to safeguard this aspiration", according to chairman Baharuddin H. Tanriwali, as quoted by Antara.

Islamic parties did not fare as well as secular and nationalist parties in the June 7 polls. United Development Party (PPP) chairman Hamzah Haz responded to the defeat by promising to combine the forces of Islamic parties to form an Islamic faction in the House of Representatives.

He said the faction would be a "center of power" in the upcoming General Session of the People's Consultative Assembly strong enough to challenge PDI Perjuangan.

"I have confidence in that," he said as quoted by Antara following a meeting with the chairman of the Ka'bah Youth Movement.

The youth organization announced its support for Habibie. Accompanied by PPP deputy chairman A.M. Saefuddin, representatives from the organization recently met with Habibie. (39/40/prb/swe)