Pluralism sidelined by growing conservatism

Hisonari Kato, Tokyo

As an observer of the Indonesian scene coming from a Japanese Buddhist background, I am reminded of the crucial idea of the impermanence in Buddhism: all things evolve and nothing remains unchanged.

I realize it can be rather awkward to talk about Buddhist philosophy in the most populous Muslim country, however, it seems relevant to apply this Buddhist concept to a historical context in Indonesia. We have witnessed the fall of Soeharto and several changes in the national leadership in recent years. Indonesia is surely changing just as other societies in the world are. How it is changing, is an intriguing question.

People who lived in Jakarta fifteen years ago and visit the city again now will notice that there are many more Indonesian women wearing the Muslim headscarf, or jilbab. People now watch international news via satellite TV, which reports on the demonstrations organized by local Islamic groups. And a very conservative Islamic-based political party, the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), garnered the most votes in Jakarta in last year's election.

One might wonder whether these phenomena and events signal an emergence of Islamic power in the country. Although careful observation and discussion about each occurrence is necessary to properly answer that, it is plausible to affirm that Islamic conservatism has found its place in Indonesia.

This new conservatism can be observed on two different levels, that is, institutional and individual. The former is often affected by the national, as well as, international political situation and leadership, while the latter is influenced more by the domestic socio-economic conditions and emotions.

Some institutions seem to be moving in the direction of conservatism in Indonesia recently. The most conspicuous case of this would be the debate on the controversial draft of the Islamic Law Code (KHI) and the outcome of the National Congress of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) in December.

In October 2004, a team of researchers from the Ministry of Religious Affairs led by a Muslim woman scholar, S. Musdah Mulia, drafted the amendment to the original KHI, which had been issued as a Presidential Instruction in 1991. The draft emphasized equality amongst human beings and employed unconventional ideas to protect Muslim women, including the prohibition of polygamy. Mulia explains that the draft was the result of exercising ijtihad, or innovative human reasoning in Islam. She believes that Indonesia is desperately in need of having a new vision to improve the position of women.

However, the Ministry of Religious Affairs abandoned the plan to amend the KHI, saying that it was so controversial that it might cause social instability.

NU reelected Hasyim Muzadi (who also was Megawati Soekarnoputri's running mate in last year's election) as Chairperson of Indonesia's largest Muslim organization. As an institution it made its stance clear that Liberal Islam is not accepted as a course for the organization.

Liberal Islam is advocated by young intellectuals in NU such as Ulil Abshar-Abdalla. Such young intellectuals have been actively cultivating Islamic philosophy and have promoted interfaith dialogues for the last ten years.

They place a lot of value in pluralism, open-mindedness and tolerance and their ideas have resonance with the principles of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid, who led NU for many years. Despite the fact that there is a variety of socio-religious attitudes amongst Muslims, the innovative thinking that produces enlightened ideas has become a new tradition in the country. This is, again, the result of using ijtihad.

Does the conservatism observed in the institutions mean that the gate of ijtihad is closed? Will the new traditions created by some Muslims vanish? Most likely, the change in the domestic as well as international political climate will bring about a compensatory swing in the attitudes of institutions. More important, however, is that the institutions have autonomy to determine their own direction.

If both the conservatives and the liberals continue exchanging their views to deepen their understanding of each other's ideas (rather than excluding new thinkers from their institutional base or denying them), a more open atmosphere will be upheld in the society. It is equally important that the liberals should present their theological foundation in order to sustain their ideas and not to let the discussion become merely emotional.

The fate of new tradition is not known yet. However, it is certain that efforts of Muslim scholars who appreciate and exercise ijtihad provide non-Muslims with more insight into Islam. In addition, the debate between the conservatives and the liberals would be helpful for non-Muslims -- who often have negative images about Islam -- to gain insight into Muslim ideas.

Buddha's teaching of impermanence excludes one thing; impermanence itself. Needless to say, the fundamental Muslim credo does not change either. Yet, the question might be asked: are religions, including Islam, able to offer an efficient beacon in this complex, chaotic and problematic world? In this respect, Islam in Indonesia is indicative and thought-provoking for those who wish to seek the meaning of religion. In spite of the cogent growth of conservatism, the fact is that the new traditions have already been born, and the gate of ijtihad is not completely locked yet.