Pluralism sidelined by growing conservatism

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.