New Muslim cultural journal launched

New Muslim cultural journal launched

JAKARTA (JP): A new Islamic cultural journal has appeared
with the first issue featuring contributions from both Indonesian
and western scholars.

The English language periodical called Kultur, The Indonesian
Journal for Muslim Cultures, is to be published biannually. The
publisher is the Center of Language and Culture (Pusat Bahasa dan
Budaya) at the State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Syarif
Hidayatullah, Ciputat, Jakarta.

The journal is edited by Murni Djamal and members of the
editorial board comprise noted scholars from many countries. They
include Azyumardi Azra, rector of Jakarta IAIN; Nurcholish
Madjid, rector of the University of ParamadinaMulya, Jakarta;
Karel Steenbrink of Utrecht University, the Netherlands; Mohammed
Arkoun, from the Sorbonne University, Paris, France; M. C.
Rocklefs, the University of Melbourne, Australia; Olaf Schumann,
the University of Hamburg, Germany; and Robert W. Hefner from
Boston University, USA.

Those writing for the first issue include Nurcholish Madjid
with his article: Islam in Indonesia, a move from the periphery
to the center; Olaf Schumann with Relativism or relational
encounter: Attitudes in inter-religious and inter-cultural
relationships; M.C. Ricklefs with Culture, ethnicity and religion
as process: Inter-culturality as the key to the future; Robert W.
Hefner with Civil Islam and the challenge of multicultural
society; Azyumardi Azra with Hadrami as educators: Al-Habib
Sayyid Idrus ibn Salim al-Juffri (1889-1969) and Al-Khairat.

The journal is reminiscent of the short-lived Ulumul Qur'an,
which ceased publication soon after it first appeared for unknown
reasons. It is believed to have become one of the victims of
Indonesia's recent monetary crisis. However, the Dutch embassy is
mentioned as one of Kultur's supporters, so it is expected that
this magazine, at least, will hopefully have stronger financial
resilience. (tis)