MUI's edicts cause more violence, scholars say

MUI's edicts cause more violence, scholars say

Hera Diani, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Jombang regency in East Java is known as home of moderate Muslim
clerics, including former President Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
of the largest Muslim organization in the country, Nahdlatul
Ulama (NU).

In recent months, however, there has been a growing tendency
towards radicalism, with several clerics previously thought to be
tolerant becoming more conservative and antipluralist.

"Even within NU, the principles of brotherhood among Muslims,
at the level of state, and with fellow human beings, has faded,"
said Muslim scholar Lily Munir in a discussion on Tuesday.

"All because of the fatwas from the Indonesian Ulema Council
(MUI)," she added, shaking her head.

The state-sanctioned council issued a number of controversial
edicts last July, which many slammed as justifying violence
against different religious groups, instead of endorsing peace.

One of the edicts, for instance, states that Islamic
interpretations based on liberalism, secularism and pluralism
"contradict Islamic teachings."

The edicts also state that Muslims must consider their
religion to be the one true religion, and to consider other
faiths as wrong. It also stipulated that Ahmadiyah, an Islamic
group that does not recognize Muhammad as the last prophet, to be
a heretical sect, and its followers "murtad" (apostate).

The issuance of these fatwas consequently sparked violence
against the Ahmadiyah congregation, the most recent incident in
Cianjur in September, where dozens of houses and mosques were
destroyed.

Liberal Muslim groups were also targeted, such as the Liberal
Islam Network (JIL), which was urged to shut down its base in
Utan Kayu, East Jakarta.

Many are concerned with how radicalism has infused to the
grassroots level, with people unfamiliar with religious
discourse, but the clerics continue to preach provocatively
against faith differences and pluralism.

Muslim scholar and gender activist Yunianti Chudzaifah said
that radicalism has intruded into schools, as students as early
as kindergarten in Solo, Central Java, for instance, being given
flyers warning against "Christianization."

"I'm worried because the curriculum at pesantren (Islamic
boarding school) always describes Islam history as bloody, with
the emphasis on wars against infidels."

Yunianti said that there seems to be a wide gap between the
liberal groups and the grassroots, as the former always campaign
about pluralism but the latter is bombarded with preaching
against Jews, Christians and others.

JIL executive Hamid Basyaib revealed a survey by the group
about the increasing radicalist tendency.

According to this survey, 18 percent of the Muslim population
support hardliner groups, while those who are involved in such
groups number 6.5 percent.

"Maybe the number is relatively insignificant, but out of 210
million population, it can be quite significant. It's enough to
build their own country," Hamid said.

The survey also showed that 79.9 percent were certain that
Islam would eventually reap victory over their enemies, whoever
they are, and 83 percent are willing to die to defend God's
religion.

"It's fertile ground (for radicalism). And the fatwas
triggered it."

There is no other solution, Hamid said, except for the
intervention of a neutral and secular state.

Lily said that people have a negative perception of
secularism, while all it means is that religion should not be
used as a political vehicle by the state.

"If religion has become institutionalized, it's dangerous. I'm
really afraid that we will become like the Taliban in
Afghanistan, who were like little gods and punish those who
oppose them."