Reform and reformists

Reform and reformists

Muhammadiyah is no doubt the largest socio-educational
organization in Indonesia, running more than 13,000 schools and
dozens of hospitals, health clinics and orphanages. The 83-year-
old reformist group was established in 1912 to free Moslems from
widespread established traditions which were not in line with
Islamic teachings. The organization promoted a revival of
religious thought among Moslems and called for a return to the
basic truths of Islam.

It was quite a revolution in the Moslem way of thinking
when Muhammadiyah started building modern schools, many of which
used the Dutch language. And the organization grew well. It
provided jobs for nationalist activists who refused to work for
the Dutch administration and its schools became accepted
alternatives to the colonial educational institutions.

With Muhammadiyah opening its 43rd congress in Banda Aceh
today, many thinking Indonesians are discussing the position
which the organization enjoys in a time of rapid change, both in
Indonesia and globally. Muhammadiyah remains relevant today and
it will grow, provided it is able to anticipate future
challenges.

Many believe that, in facing a turbulent future which will be
marked by the growing influence of communications technology,
Muhammadiyah needs to look, not only far into the future, but
also back, to its long history.

For the past five decades, experts believe, Muhammadiyah has
been busy preserving the status quo. There have been no fresh
ideas about how best to prepare Moslems for the 21st century. The
organization has not produced any new ideas on ways of addressing
social crises, while its educational institutions have become
carbon copies of those of the government and are struggling with
problems of quality. More lamentable is the fact that the
organization has failed to distance itself from the
establishment.

Perhaps this has happened because the organization has grown
too big and lacks the funding needed to modernize its schools. Up
to the 1950s, Muhammadiyah activists were successful in economic
activities, such as running profitable batik factories. The
situation is different now, and not only for Muhammadiyah
traders.

Under the current capitalistic system small businesses have
had to move aside for the newly arisen giants. Large batik
factories owned by Muhammadiyah leaders have faded away one by
one. Some have tried to keep their heads above water with small
shops.

Another question, besides that of its financial and economic
constraints, is whether Muhammadiyah can respond to future
challenges. The mood during the preliminary meetings of the
current congress in Banda Aceh did not seem to point in that
direction.

The hustle and bustle surrounding the election of candidates
for the new executive board failed to define the characteristics
of the kind of leaders which Muhammadiyah needs.

This is no small problem because this nation is now witnessing
cultural contamination and a Westernization drive, both of which
are more serious than any tide of social pollution that has
washed into this country from the West since the 17th century.

Amid the globalization trend and under the current economic
system, this country is witnessing the birth of an economic
middle class whose members will produce a new generation of
children with a strongly westernized orientation. This, too, will
pose a new challenge for Muhammadiyah, as an organization which
focuses on the promotion of religious values.

We hope the Muhammadiyah congress will give more thought to
these problems.