Muslim figures differ on draft amendment

Muslim figures differ on draft amendment

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Leading figures of the country's mainstream Muslim organizations
were divided on Tuesday over a draft amendment to the 1999 body
of Islamic law, which some consider a "revolution" of sharia.

Muslim Abdurrahman, a noted Muhammadiyah scholar, suggested
Indonesian Muslims be open to legal reforms.

"Basically, Indonesia Muslims live in a very comfortable
atmosphere as there are options available to us. A Muslim here
may choose whether to use Islamic law or not for their
inheritance, for example," he told The Jakarta Post.

Muslim said Islam historically encouraged ijtihad (thought)
about fiqih (jurisprudence) so it could adapt to changing
situations.

"It's good if people are involved in a debate about the reform
of sharia," he said.

However, Dien Syamsuddin, Muhammadiyah deputy chairman, said
the legal draft was unlikely to get approval from mainstream
Muslims.

"I think mainstream Muslim organizations here will consider
this an argument, but that's all," said Dien, who is also the
deputy chairman of the Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI).

He said the Ministry of Religious Affairs' team that proposed
the legal draft had not yet discussed it with religious leaders.

"The government or the House of Representatives should not
make a hasty decision to pass this draft into law as it has not
become the accepted ijtihad of ulemas," he told the Post.

Dien played down the significance of the draft, saying it was
proposed by "a small number of people".

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) deputy chairman Masdar Mas'udi said he
appreciated the usefulness of the draft but predicted it would
face strong opposition from the majority of Muslims.

"There is no problem if (the government) intends on drafting a
new law, but, if the law involves symbols of Islam, it must
follow the logic of Islamic law, of which certain principles must
not be violated," he said.

Islamic laws on family, such as the laws on marriage or
inheritance, were always sensitive because their implementation
depended on the strongly held beliefs of followers, Masdar said.

The new law could turn some Muslims away from their
traditions, he said.

"A Muslim might prefer the national law to the Islamic law
regarding inheritance, for instance," he said.

Ulil Anshar Abdala of the NU research and development division
said new interpretations of Islamic law were inevitable in the
modern world.

"Maybe most mainstream ulemas will oppose it, but we always
should consider new ways of thinking," said Ulil, who is a
founder of the Islamic Liberal network.

On Monday, the ministry of religious affairs announced the
draft amendment to existing Islamic law, which has been effective
since 1991.

The draft revises Islamic law in line with modern principles
of justice, equality, universal brotherhood, civil society,
religious pluralism and gender equality.

Muhammadiyah and NU are mainstream Muslim organizations. They
have both adopted moderate Islamic teachings, which are different
from the strict literalist interpretations found in some Middle
Eastern countries like Saudi Arabia.

Separately, representatives of the Indonesia Mujahidin Council
(MMI) visited the Ministry of Religious Affairs to convey their
opposition to the draft which they deemed "controversial".

The group, whose leader Abu Bakar Ba'asyir is facing a trial
on terrorism charges, said most articles of the draft were
against Islamic teachings.