President Megawati needs the support of the Muslims
Question: What does Megawati Soekarnoputri's rise to the presidency mean for Indonesian Muslims?
Answer: (Her win) was a natural occurrence; the consequence of a democratic life conducted through political activities, which are based on the Constitution. The 1945 Constitution says that if a president dies, resigns or is incapable of carrying out their duties, the vice president will take their place, regardless of who the vice president is.
The People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) found Gus Dur to have strayed from the broad Guidelines of State Policies (GBHN). It happened that the vice president was Megawati so, of course, as the constitution says, she replaces the president.
Q: What is your party's real stance on Megawati's leadership, given that you once rejected her?
A: (In the 1999 presidential election) we believed in the vision of leadership where the leader is a religious statesman. We did not reject her on the grounds of her gender, but because of her poor relations with Muslims, especially because there were people around her who we believe were problematic. Gus Dur was, at the time, considered to be safe. But things have changed.
However, we would take the same position that we did with Gus Dur, namely to be Megawati's "positive opposition". We will support only what is right, no matter where it comes from. We will reject and criticize any mistakes, no matter who commits them.
When the leaders of eight political parties met with Megawati at her house (during the Special Session of the People's Consultative Assembly), I made this clear to her. I said, "Gus Dur is an open lesson to any leader. A leader should be rational. No leader in the future should repeat and preserve the mistakes of their predecessors."
A rational leader is one who corrects the mistakes of their predecessors. One of Gus Dur's mistakes was that he ignored and even neglected the Muslim ummah (community). Take the Ambon (religious conflict) for example, where Gus Dur actually placed the blame on the Muslims.
In addition, he repeatedly said he wanted to revoke the 1966 parliamentary decree banning communism. He said he wanted to open ties with Israel. All of those things hurt Muslims. That's why Muslims stopped supporting him, until he was toppled.
This is why it would be irrational for Megawati to neglect the Muslim community, because most of her party's constituents are Muslims.
If Megawati takes up this amanah (duty entrusted to someone) steadfastly, she will succeed. Otherwise, do not blame anyone if she fails. This nation is already exhausted with all of these unending crises.
The way we see it is that, up to 2004, this nation needs all of its elements in order to survive and overcome the crises. Then, we'll be able to hold a fairer general election where Muslims will be more prepared.
Let us hope that at that time we will have better, more prepared leaders. The Justice Party, which has only seven seats in the House of Representatives/People's Consultative Assembly, cannot do much. But we won't waste this potential, no matter how small, by working for the good and fighting the bad.
Q: What did Megawati say when you reminded her about Gus Dur's mistakes?
A: She just smiled, she did not refute it.
Q: Does that mean you support her leadership now?
A: Once again, we are supporting the Constitution now. Or maybe you could conclude that we are supporting a leadership that will bring good for the ummah and minimize the mudharat (the bad).
Q: Even though you and the Muslim community were once against her?
A: The Muslim community's support of Gus Dur (in 1999) was because he was a "solidarity maker", one who was accepted by many people and could appease conflict. Megawati, at the time, was a troublemaker.
Later developments, however, showed that Gus Dur became the troublemaker. He was arrogant. He created controversies and conflicts everywhere. Even in the last minutes of his power he was still able to create enmity inside (his) National Awakening Party (PKB) by dismissing Matori Abdul Djalil.
The Muslim community used to be concerned because of Megawati's distance from the ummah and because of this image that (she was) perpetuating the (dominance) of the military. This was why we had to act carefully and eventually reject her.
After 1999, however, she started to build political communications with the ummah by going on the haj and umrah (minor pilgrimage) for instance, and by allowing her husband to have meetings at the Al Azhar and Al Furqan mosques.
Q: Couldn't it be mere strategy, a political tactic?
A: Yes, it's possible. But the situation now has reached the point where (we had to choose) between allowing Gus Dur to continue to be a dictator, or to bank on this bud of hope (embodied in Megawati). The way I see it, it's better to develop the positive potential no matter how small, than to preserve the potential for mudharat embodied in Gus Dur.
Q: So the Muslim community and PDI Perjuangan are now embracing one another?
A: I think we will not question who embraces whom, although of course the one that has significantly changed is the PDI Perjuangan by inviting (us) to pray at Al Azhar. What's important is that our nation is now in a bad condition, which is why it would be better if we all ta'awun alal birri wattaqwa (help one another in goodness and in truth) in order to lift our nation out of the crises.
Q: Let's assume that the Justice Party and the Muslim community would not want to repeat the same mistake they made with Gus Dur. What if Megawati changed?
A: As long as we remain in the spirit of ta'awun, we will continue to cooperate. But we will never tolerate ta'awun alal itsmi wal udwan (helping one another in sins and enmity).
Q: So, again, how will Muslims fare under Megawati?
A: We can judge from how she was and how she is now. In the beginning we saw that she was surrounded by many anti-Islam people. But the closer she was to her election, she began to be surrounded more by people like Arifin Panigoro, Sucipto and Pramono Anung, who are close enough to Muslims. In the military circle, too, Megawati is now closer to people like Hendropriyono and Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who are considered quite close to Islam.
Q: Are you saying Muslims will fare better under Megawati?
A: Maybe we should study how we were under Gus Dur. Many people say, Alhamdulillah (praise be to God) that, with the removal of Gus Dur, we are now free from syirik (the practice of giving Allah associates, such as worshiping idols).
Remember, when his ministers were holding a cabinet meeting, Gus Dur went to graves, so-called sacred places, trees and consulted soothsayers. If this practice was to continue until 2004, we imagined that many officials from all ranks would do the same thing.
Now, Megawati is probably a person who has just begun to understand Islam. It will be easier to educate a person with little understanding of Islam than someone who many consider a wali (a saint) but whose conduct violates religious teachings.
Aside from all of these issues, however, Muslims should awake and stand on their own feet. Do not depend on anyone, any president. Whoever the leader of this nation is, Muslims should create their own good prospects.
Q: Do you think Megawati will make policies that favor Muslims?
A: This is why we want Hamzah Haz as her deputy, so that he could represent the Muslim ummah.
Q: Do you think the Muslims' interests would be accommodated in Megawati's choice of cabinet ministers?
A: We surely hope so. But this is not something that we want out of fundamental urges. Rather, we want this on the grounds of cooperation and democracy, by understanding the reality of this country where Muslims are the majority.
Q: Some Muslim groups think that we have just emerged from one dangerous trap only to enter another. Your comment?
A: That could be so if we allowed ourselves to fall into a trap. But we can become proactive, we could at least minimize the mudharat and work for the good.
I prefer to see that Megawati has enormous potential that could be developed well. She used to have people like Theo Syafei, but now she has people like Ryaas Rasyid around her. So, the question would be who will influence her? Will we allow her to continue to be influenced by anti-Muslim people?
Why don't we win her over and free her from the anti-Muslim groups, because it's those people who all this time exploited any available chance to take Megawati away from the Muslims. (Deka Kurniawan)