Ramadan: A Momentum for the Jihad Against Corruption
The month of forgiveness has arrived. Across the nation, people welcome this noble guest. Ramadan is a momentum to enhance personal spirituality as well as social piety. Therefore, for the faithful, it is unseemly to taint Ramadan and the months that follow with corrupt practices.
Ramadan is not merely about restraining one’s stomach from hunger but also about suppressing greed for illicit material gain. The dishonest practices of bribery and gratification within bureaucratic circles ought to be fought and resisted collectively as a manifestation of the jihad against corruption.
During this momentum, anti-corruption scripture recitation sessions deserve to be promoted at every house of worship to remind people of the latent dangers of graft. Seven-minute sermons (kultum) against corruption need to be delivered from the pulpit to affirm that corruption is a grave sin that must be avoided.
Ramadan safari programmes, which have traditionally addressed religious topics, need to incorporate anti-corruption material to refresh the nation’s memory that Indonesia is currently suffering from an acute stage-four disease of corruption.
The intention to eradicate corruption must begin with every citizen, from children to the elderly. This noble task should not rest solely on the shoulders of religious leaders; scholars too must step forward and take part in galvanising the jihad against corruption in the public sphere, thereby building collective awareness on this issue.
Treating Greed
Ramadan is a catalyst for reform and self-reflection for corrupt behaviour. Ramadan invites the actors of corruption to think, to constantly calculate the negative impact of their actions, and to immediately recognise that the greed they embrace so tightly needs urgent treatment. Let the cunning ways of the past remain in the past. Begin rebuilding oneself with firm resolve.
Ramadan applies the brakes on worldly greed. For worldly greed will plunge one into ruin. As Al-Ghazali explained, a servant will attain truth and achieve the rank of ma’rifatullah when they free themselves from the shackles of fanaticism and worldly deceit (Al-Ghazali, Forging the Path to Truth, 2003).
Through the treatment of greed, they regain their senses and promptly return to the righteous path, putting an end to their foul conduct. Therefore, the jihad against corruption in the public sphere must never be extinguished; there is no statute of limitations, and it must be supported, for corrupt behaviour is a crime against humanity that perpetually haunts this nation.
Teaching Honesty
Corruption occurring in dark corners can have its risks managed if we shine a light on those dark areas. Old methods, outdated understandings, and 20th-century doctrines need not be clung to tightly if risks keep recurring. We must learn from every instance of risk if we wish to survive.
Twentieth-century weapons are no longer relevant for combating the increasingly sophisticated corruption patterns of the 21st century. Ramadan teaches us to always be adept at reading context. Corruption patterns that change constantly must be responded to swiftly so they can be controlled effectively.
The problem is that bureaucratic circles always have a surplus of words but a deficit of action. Therefore, bureaucratic elites should take action rather than merely issue condemnations. Concrete action is far more effective in teaching them where they must return to.
Auditing Relationships
One of the most influential aspects affecting the reprehensible behaviour of bureaucrats is their circle of friends and lifestyle. Good friends will lead one towards goodness, and vice versa. The more friends one has, the more interests arise, and the more interests there are, the greater the potential for corruption.
Corruption is not committed individually but collectively. If one corrupt official is caught, there are indications of the involvement of other parties. This is what is known as a risk tree, where different work units are interconnected.
Restricting relationships for bureaucratic elites is a sine qua non in the effort to mitigate corruption cases that entangle circles of friendship. Ideally, the higher a person’s position, the more isolated and detached they should become, thus avoiding various proposals driven by vested interests.
Monitoring the environment and friendships of bureaucratic elites is an absolute necessity at present. They must become increasingly isolated from their social environment and interpersonal connections to close off avenues for tempting offers.
The Duty of Civil Society
Ramadan is a milestone for collective improvement among both bureaucrats and civil society. Bureaucrats should not be greedy in requesting and receiving, whilst civil society should not be forward in offering and tempting.
This momentum encourages civil society to report (as whistleblowers), to expose or reveal the “foul odour” emanating from white-collar bureaucrats. In the context of bureaucratic reform, having the courage to report wrongdoing is a genuinely lawful obligation that is mandatory in nature.
The public who sit idly by, reluctant to report white-collar wrongdoing, will see an impact on the percentage of spiritual reward from their worship, particularly during Ramadan. For remaining silent in the face of wrongdoing is itself a transgression.
Law enforcement officials must also not be sluggish in uncovering corruption networks. Indeed, this momentum should serve as an arena to demonstrate the courage to strike down the corrupt rats still lurking behind their office desks.
The public too must not remain idle; they must take part in the battle against corruption. Even if the whistle has not yet been blown, the public can make a start.
Thus, Ramadan is not a reason to cover up the stench of corruption; rather, it heightens the spirit to expose major cases as a form of devotion to the Creator and service to the nation.
The author, Ahmad Syahrus Sikti, is a Justicial Judge at the Supreme Court Supervisory Body and a lecturer at Universitas Terbuka.