Ramadhan a blessing for Indonesian politics

Ramadhan a blessing for Indonesian politics

Muhamad Ali, Jakarta

The month of Ramadhan has just started and all devout Muslims
have begun fasting and taking part in other rituals and
activities. This Ramadhan, Indonesians will see the inauguration
of the new president, vice-president and Cabinet.

Indonesians have just experienced the first direct
presidential elections, which many at home and abroad have viewed
as fair, democratic and peaceful. These are perhaps the first
blessings that Indonesians have received. As many have suggested,
a blessing for Muslims in Indonesia means a blessing for all
Indonesians.

Indonesia is not officially an Islamic state, nor is it a
purely secular state. However, not unlike the United States,
Britain and France, in Indonesia religious belief plays an
important role in society, albeit in varying degrees and in a
changing way.

The role of religion in the public sphere has been
acknowledged by many scholars, such as Jose Casanova in his book
Public Religion in the Modern World (1994) Robert W. Hefner in
his book Civil Islam (2000), and Samuel Huntington in his Who are
We? (2004) among others. The theory that holds religion declines
as the world becomes modernized has been increasingly challenged.
But the issue remains: How religion can be a positive,
constructive factor in political life.

Protestantism has been said to play a role in bringing about a
capitalist mode of production, which is the engine of
modernization. Islam has also been regarded, not as an obstacle
to, but a facilitator of modernization. The positive connection
between religions and economic development is increasingly
recognized. But the potential and actual links between religion
and politics are still debated.

The debates will not end because scholars and people have
different assumptions and agendas regarding this complex matter.
But despite the theoretical debates about the relationship
between religion and politics in Indonesia, what matters most is
what the politicians themselves actually believe and practice.

Let's take some examples. The leader of the Prosperous and
Justice Party (PKS), Hidayat Nur Wahid, once elected as the
chairman of the House of Representatives (MPR), resigned from his
position as head of the PKS. He wanted to show that holding dual
roles, such as the role of president of a party and that of head
of a public office, is not appropriate political behavior because
it can lead to conflicts of interest. Leaders of public office
should not hold particular positions in political parties,
Hidayat argued.

More recently, Hidayat and the deputy leaders of the MPR also
refused to use the Volvo limousines they were entitled to because
they regarded these cars as luxury items and a waste of the
national budget. They also argued that to cut the budget on
official expenditure would significantly reduce the high cost of
governance. They hoped other politicians would wish to follow
their example. These small moves mean great things to them and
certainly, with these acts, they can make difference.

In most -- if not all -- countries, ethics was, and still is,
absent in politics. When a politician wants to be good, sincere
and just, he or she is often mocked as a utopian, or at least an
idealist. Many believe that to be politician is to be dirty and
corrupt. They have excuses or explanations for the dangers of
power: Power corrupts. This may be the reality for many but it is
does not have to be generally so, because many politicians have
demonstrated good ethics or have begun to pay attention to
ethical values when practicing politics. The examples of Hidayat
and the deputies are just a few.

At this point in history, ethics have become even more crucial
if Indonesians are to enthusiastically unite to further reform
all aspects of public life. The people have elected their new
national leaders primarily based on hopes and promises of change.
However, it seems likely now that the structure of the next
Cabinet is not going to be significantly changed by the new
president. Some old faces may still remain. Therefore, with the
lack of structural change, it is primarily the mentality of those
in power -- their ethics -- that must be changed.

Change in attitudes will come only from change in outlook. If
our new government is willing to pursue change, it must first of
all change its mindset and political behavior from the bad,
unjust, and insincere to the good, just, and sincere. This may
sound too normative, but change is above all about subscribing to
a new norm; a commitment to what should be.

In politics, Indonesians have become more mature than before.
But they are waiting for their leaders to act and speak according
to what they have promised. They are still waiting for examples
from their leaders of how to be good, strong and wise. They are
watching to see whether their leaders do what they say.

Despite abstinence from food, drink, and sex during day time,
the month of Ramadhan has been always full of hard work and
success. It should not be the month of laziness, passivity, and
ignorance. It is the month of everything that can foster Muslims'
faith, a time for good deeds, of sacrifice for the benefit of
self and others, while respecting the rights of non-Muslims and
non-fasting Muslims.

For our new national leaders, this Ramadhan will be their
first month to work as the people's trustees. Trust from the
people is an excellent basis for commitment and success. So may
the blessings of Ramadhan be on our leaders and may Indonesian
politics be much better and more ethical than ever before.

The writer is a lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic
University (UIN); he is now pursuing his Ph.D in History in
Hawaii and is an East-West Center fellow. He can be reached at
muhali74@hotmail.com