Muslim leaders join call for peaceful proselytization
Muslim leaders join call for peaceful proselytization
M. Taufiqurrahman and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Muslim leaders joined the call for the dissemination of Islamic
teachings (dakwah) on Monday, saying that teaching others about
the religion had long been a principle of Islam in the country.
Muslim Abdurrahman of the second largest Muslim organization,
Muhammadiyah, said on Monday that the dissemination of Islamic
teachings meant telling others, regardless of their religious
beliefs, of universal truths and virtues.
"In the times of Prophet Muhammad, dakwah was aimed at
righting wrongs apparent in society -- namely the oppression of
certain groups by others. That oppression happened to be carried
out by those who worshiped idols, who were then categorized as
heathens. But the primary message is propagating the universal
truth," Muslim told The Jakarta Post.
Muslim said the distorted interpretation of dakwah as the
conversion of those of other religious beliefs stemmed from a
narrow interpretation of the Koran.
"To some, who interpret the Koran textually, Islam is
perceived to be an institutionalized religion, and those who
subscribe to other religions have to be brought to its fold. They
don't interpret Islam -- which, in fact, means submission to
Allah in a general way, and does not involve conversion," he
said.
Muslim added that such a textual interpretation was also given
to jihad. "The true meaning of jihad is striving for the truth in
earnest. However, some interpret it as a holy war in the name of
Islam," he said.
Muslim scholar Ayzumardi Azra of the Syarif Hidayatullah
Islamic State University concurred with Muslim, saying that
dakwah was in fact targeted at those who had already subscribed
to Islam.
"In modern times, dakwah is directed at improving the
conditions of Muslims themselves. It is aimed internally," he
told the Post.
He said that the country's largest Muslim organizations,
Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, had taken on such a role, by
constantly focusing on education.
Azyumardi said that if dakwah was aimed at subscribers of
other religions, the primary objective should be to build
interfaith dialog.
A number of prominent Muslim scholars in Southeast Asia said
in a joint statement that dakwah was not aimed at converting
people of other religions, but rather could open up the
possibility of inter-religious dialog.
They agreed that dakwah was actually an invitation to hear the
message of Islam.
Despite the effort to paint a picture of moderate Islam in the
country, secretary-general of the Indonesian Ulema Council Din
Syamsuddin, said that the government should not review the joint
ministerial letter between the home affairs ministry and
religious affairs ministry on the construction of places of
worship.
Emerging from a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Din
said that the joint ministerial letter did not constitute
discrimination against subscribers to minority religions.
"What we need is a regulation that could eliminate potential
conflicts between people of different faiths, particularly
pertaining to the construction of places of worship, and in the
dissemination of religious teachings," Din said.
The letter, issued in 1969, has been seen as discriminatory by
some religious groups, including Christians, as it requires them
to secure approval from their Muslim neighbors before
constructing a church.
M. Taufiqurrahman and Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Muslim leaders joined the call for the dissemination of Islamic
teachings (dakwah) on Monday, saying that teaching others about
the religion had long been a principle of Islam in the country.
Muslim Abdurrahman of the second largest Muslim organization,
Muhammadiyah, said on Monday that the dissemination of Islamic
teachings meant telling others, regardless of their religious
beliefs, of universal truths and virtues.
"In the times of Prophet Muhammad, dakwah was aimed at
righting wrongs apparent in society -- namely the oppression of
certain groups by others. That oppression happened to be carried
out by those who worshiped idols, who were then categorized as
heathens. But the primary message is propagating the universal
truth," Muslim told The Jakarta Post.
Muslim said the distorted interpretation of dakwah as the
conversion of those of other religious beliefs stemmed from a
narrow interpretation of the Koran.
"To some, who interpret the Koran textually, Islam is
perceived to be an institutionalized religion, and those who
subscribe to other religions have to be brought to its fold. They
don't interpret Islam -- which, in fact, means submission to
Allah in a general way, and does not involve conversion," he
said.
Muslim added that such a textual interpretation was also given
to jihad. "The true meaning of jihad is striving for the truth in
earnest. However, some interpret it as a holy war in the name of
Islam," he said.
Muslim scholar Ayzumardi Azra of the Syarif Hidayatullah
Islamic State University concurred with Muslim, saying that
dakwah was in fact targeted at those who had already subscribed
to Islam.
"In modern times, dakwah is directed at improving the
conditions of Muslims themselves. It is aimed internally," he
told the Post.
He said that the country's largest Muslim organizations,
Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, had taken on such a role, by
constantly focusing on education.
Azyumardi said that if dakwah was aimed at subscribers of
other religions, the primary objective should be to build
interfaith dialog.
A number of prominent Muslim scholars in Southeast Asia said
in a joint statement that dakwah was not aimed at converting
people of other religions, but rather could open up the
possibility of inter-religious dialog.
They agreed that dakwah was actually an invitation to hear the
message of Islam.
Despite the effort to paint a picture of moderate Islam in the
country, secretary-general of the Indonesian Ulema Council Din
Syamsuddin, said that the government should not review the joint
ministerial letter between the home affairs ministry and
religious affairs ministry on the construction of places of
worship.
Emerging from a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla, Din
said that the joint ministerial letter did not constitute
discrimination against subscribers to minority religions.
"What we need is a regulation that could eliminate potential
conflicts between people of different faiths, particularly
pertaining to the construction of places of worship, and in the
dissemination of religious teachings," Din said.
The letter, issued in 1969, has been seen as discriminatory by
some religious groups, including Christians, as it requires them
to secure approval from their Muslim neighbors before
constructing a church.