NU criticizes controversial MUI edicts
NU criticizes controversial MUI edicts
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bandung/Surabaya
More criticism has been levied against the controversial edicts
issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), this time from the
world's largest Muslim organization, Nahdhatul Ulama (NU), which
has around 40 million members.
NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi asked the council to consider the
effects of its edicts in the context of civil society,
interfaith relations and nationhood, as "we live in a diverse
society and this country is not an Islamic state."
"Any process of fusing Islamic law with state law must be
within the framework of the Constitution and the prevailing
regulations," he told a media conference at NU headquarters in
Central Jakarta on Friday.
Hasyim added that the MUI should also define the terms
pluralism, secularism and liberalism, which the MUI banned in its
edicts, as there seemed to be differing perceptions on these
terms.
The MUI recently issued 11 edicts, one of which states that
Islamic interpretations based on liberalism, secularism and
pluralism "contradict Islamic teachings".
Joint prayers performed with people of other faiths are also
banned, and saying "Amen" to prayers led by a non-Muslim is
stated to be haram (forbidden under Islamic law).
The edicts also declare the Ahmadiyah sect to be a heretical
movement and its followers to be murtad (apostates), while
interfaith marriages are also declared to be haram.
Hasyim said that as joint prayers are a fact of life in a
plural society, the only unacceptable thing would be for a Muslim
to pray in the name of "another religion's God."
He also condemned last month's attack on Ahmadiyah by a hard-
line group, saying that violence was not compatible with Islam,
even if Ahmadi beliefs were not in line with Islamic teachings.
"The important thing is to adopt stances having regard to the
social context. We've been living side by side with other
religions anyway."
While the chairman of the MUI, Sahal Mahfudh was from NU,
Hasyim said that the MUI was not comprised of ulema from the NU
alone.
"We would ask non-Muslims not to be upset with the edicts as
they are only aimed at Muslims, and are not the law of the land."
Despite the criticisms, the MUI is gearing up to promote its
edicts in the regions. Some ulemas in the regions have even
started to include the MUI edicts in their sermons.
Preacher Heddy Muhammad in Bandung, West Java, for instance,
urged Muslims not to be trapped into liberalism and pluralism as
Islam had its own rules set out in the Koran and Sunna.
Meanwhile in Surabaya, East Java, ulema in the two biggest
mosques, Al Akbar and Al Falah, said the MUI had not yet
forwarded them copies of the edicts or contacted them to explain
the edicts.
"Even if they do, we will see first whether the content is
suitable or not. If not, we will not promote them," said Zuhro,
who is in charge of the Al Akbar mosque.
Meanwhile, several Islamic conservative groups in Jakarta
defended the MUI on Friday, saying that the edicts had not been
railroaded through by a few conservative ulemas on the council,
as the critics contended, but had rather been based on a
consensus.
Gathered at the Al Azhar mosque in South Jakarta, the groups
also demanded on Friday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
ban the Islamic Liberal Network (JIL), which is one of the
strongest critics of the MUI.