No consensus in Islamic state debate
No consensus in Islamic state debate
DEPOK, West Java (JP): Moslems do not need to establish an Islamic state in order to fulfill their political aspirations, according to a prominent scholar.
Nurcholish Madjid and a number of other Moslem scholars engaged in lengthy debates here yesterday over the questions of whether Islam mandated the establishment of an Islamic state and how Moslems could best give voice to their political wishes.
Nurcholish told some 300 participants in the panel discussion on the Islamic state, organized by social science students at the University of Indonesia (UI), that Islam did not teach its followers to formally establish an Islamic state.
In Nurcholish's view, which he first put forward in the 1970s, theocracy is not something that is mandated by the religion.
It is more important for Moslems to carry out their various religious obligations, in any society in which they live, in particular the obligation to bring about social justice.
"Allah will salvage a just country, even if it's ruled by unbelievers, and Allah will destroy an unjust society, even if it's ruled by Moslems," he quoted the Koran.
Other speakers at the two-day discussion, which was opened by UI Rector M.K. Tadjudin, included Maswadi Rauf, Anhar Gonggong and Ahmad Suhelmi, all staff lecturers at UI's School of Social and Political Sciences.
At the end of the first day, yesterday, the seminar had failed to reach consensus as to whether or not Islam called for the establishment of an Islamic state.
Speakers and participants were divided over the issue, with each side supporting its arguments with Koranic teachings.
Discussions on the question of the Islamic state have been held here frequently, although they have usually been low-key. The issue is a sensitive one in Indonesia because of traumas in the history of Moslems' relationship with the ruling power.
Yesterday Nurcholish urged those present to "learn from history".
"Make history our laboratory," he said.
Nurcholish came armed with extensive research and quotations to back up his arguments, which extended to the issue of people's sovereignty.
"This concept means nothing but the rights and the duties of human beings, executed through every individual's effort to participate in the process of peaceful coexistence, especially in the fields of politics and power systems," he said.
"This participation is a natural expression of a person's right to choose a way of life, which he will personally account for before God," he said.
Ahmad Suhelmi praised Nurcholish's stance on the issue, but suggested that it might reflect his efforts to accommodate current demands for a more amicable, less polarized relationship between Moslems and the power holders.
The young lecturer said Nurcholish's position had remained consistent over the years, notably his belief that politics was not the only way for Moslems to realize the "greatness of Islam".
Political scientists Anhar Gonggong and Maswadi Rauf spoke about civil society and both argued that it was not the establishment of an Islamic state or Moslem political parties that was important.
Rather, Moslems needed to "empower" themselves, Maswadi told The Jakarta Post. "The question is how to build a strong civil society, a society which can control the administration," he said.
"This is a global issue, not only a Moslem issue."
"Moslems in particular, however, need this process of empowerment, because they are the majority," he said.
An Islamic state might represent the highest level of Moslem empowerment, but Moslems should not regard the establishment of such a state as the only way of empowering themselves, he said.
Similarly, it was improbable that the establishment of Islamic political parties, while perhaps more acceptable, could contribute much to Moslems' empowerment.
"In the current political situation, who can guarantee that an Islamic political party will have adequate leeway? This option is not viable, and to obsess over it is not very appropriate," he said.
Maswadi pointed out that Moslems should find ways to articulate their political demands through other channels, including the House of Representatives and the existing political parties.
"What's important is how Moslems can influence decision making processes, and how their aspirations can be reflected in the policies made," he concluded.
Today Indonesian Moslems appear to have come full circle in their relationship with the country's political powers, with each party now showing a willingness to accommodate the others' wishes.
The change is reflected in a number if government policies which are considered favorable to Moslems. The establishment of the Indonesian Association of Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) in 1991 was widely seen as proof of the power holders' wish to please Moslems. (swe)