NU says rallies, strikes lawful acording to Islam
BAGU, West Nusa Tenggara (JP): Indonesian ulemas decreed yesterday that street rallies and strikes, if held for good purposes, are lawful according to Islam.
Members of Indonesia's largest Moslem organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), agreed on the third day of their national meeting that Islam mandates amar ma'ruf nahyi munkar (persuading society to do good and discouraging bad).
It is in this context that street rallies and strikes must be seen, they said in the gathering at the Qamarul Huda Pondok Pesantren (Islamic boarding school), 17 kilometers southeast of the West Nusa Tenggara capital, Mataram.
"Street rallies and strikes, as long as for amar ma'ruf nahyi munkar, are allowed," said secretary of the commission on Bahtsul Matsail Waqi'iyyah (daily affairs), Aziz Mashuri, when reading the ulemas' recommendation.
The ulemas, however, also suggested that rallies and strikes be held within certain boundaries and avoid violence that endangers other people.
They also should only be held if protesters fail to reach an agreement with the government or their employers.
The session was chaired by deputy chairman of Rais Syuriah (vice chairman of the organization's lawmaking body) Ma'ruf Amin.
The ulemas also discussed in depth problems such as economic monopoly.
"Only government-owned companies may implement monopoly, monopsony, oligopoly and oligopsony, but not private companies," Aziz said, adding that the former would be people-oriented in their activities, while the latter were more profit-oriented.
AIDS
The commission also decreed that marriage between people with Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) or between a couple where only one person has AIDS is not prohibited.
"However, it is advisable to call off the wedding, as it is makruh (not recommended) in nature," Aziz said.
The ulemas also said that it is haram (religiously forbidden) for people with AIDS to quit treatment, despite the fact that the disease is as yet incurable.
Moslems may also bathe a person with AIDS if doctors say there is no risk of infection, the ulemas said.
The ulemas encountered difficulties agreeing on the use of insulin made from pigs' pancreas for people with diabetes. They settled on the decree that such insulin may be used if no other medication is available.
The ulemas agreed that human cloning is haram or religiously forbidden.
"Cloning of human beings will ruin all moral values, family ties and religious decrees," Aziz said.
"Cloning is only allowed for animals," he added.
The commission also recommends the protection of copyright.
"The use of copyright, which is a personal right and can be inherited by the holder's heirs, must be approved by the holders or their heirs," Aziz said.
Speaking on Friday prayers, the commission recommended that companies let their male employees perform prayers on time.
"Holding Friday prayers before or after the schedule is religiously unlawful," he said.
However, he said, the obligation for male employees to perform Friday prayers could be replaced by a regular Dzuhur (noon) prayer if they found it impossible to seek other people to take over their job.
Meanwhile, the commission prohibited nikah muth'ah (contract marriage) as it is against Islamic law.
"Islamic law stipulates that marriage is a lifelong relationship between a man and a woman," he said. (imn/43)