Religious revival becomes a trend among local Moslems

Religious revival becomes a trend among local Moslems

By Abu Ibrahim, Tedy Novan and Sumanto

YOGYAKARTA (JP): A religious revival has become a trend among
many Moslems. Recitation sessions are no longer dominated by the
santri (strict followers of Islam) only. All kinds of people --
from government officials to cabinet ministers, businesspeople,
artists and professionals -- now come.

The groups have varied names -- Tadarus, Sema'an Al-Quran,
Istiqhatsah, Mujahadah Akbar, Manakib, etc.

Unlike previous decades, prominent people show no hesitation
in declaring themselves to santri. Minister of Information
Hartono, for example, is one of them.

Businessman Setiawan Djodi, together with poet W.S. Rendra and
famous preacher Zainuddin MZ, have established the Hira
Foundation, which coordinates religious gatherings, with
Coordination Minister for People's Welfare Azwar Anas as its
patron.

Many actors, actresses and singers, formerly known for their
frivolity, are now involved in recitation sessions. Among them
are Nia Daniati, Rano Karno, Bangun Sugito and Hari Mukti.

Rock singer Hari Mukti even gives sermonizes and proselytizes
via da'wah in elite circles, like the one held in Yogyakarta in
June.

Recitation sessions have flourished in many other cities
besides Jakarta. In Yogyakarta, for instance, prince Joyokusumo
of the Yogyakarta palace organizes a routine sema'an Al-Quran
(gathering for the reading of the whole Koran) with participants
from different towns. Yani Sapto Hudoyo, wife of prominent artist
Sapto Hudoyo, is among those who offer their houses as venues for
such recitation sessions.

Since 1989, the central mosque in Klaten, Central Java, has
held recitation sessions every Sunday of over 700 participants,
including the Klaten regent, businessmen and leaders of major
organizations.

"These recitation sessions are a forum for the consolidation
of Moslems in Klaten," said Bambang Setiawan, 60, a local
businessman who coordinates the sessions.

Moslem Indonesians of Chinese descent are also active in their
search for religious knowledge. Under the organization of
Persatuan Iman Tauhid Indonesia (PITI) they hold special in-depth
recitation sessions on a small scale. "That way we can study
Islam in a more intensive way," said Haryana, secretary of PITI's
Yogyakarta branch.

The 1990s have seen presentations with a theatrical shade. One
of them is the Padang Bulan (Full Moon), held each night of the
full moon at the house of poet Emha Ainun Nadjib in Menturo
Sunambito village, Jombang, East Java. Tens of thousands of
people from Jombang and other towns attend. The atmosphere at the
event resembles that of a pasar malam evening fair. Music, wayang
(puppet show) and other traditional art performances attract huge
crowds, as do poetry readings from host Emha Ainun Nadjib and his
brother Fuad. Well-known and popular singers such as Tri Utami,
Neno Warisman, Novia Kolopaking, Franky Sahilatua become
attractions for the people. The recitation sessions are also a
meeting place for officials, prominent community figures and
businesspeople.

"They come of their own will," Ainun Nadjib told The Jakarta
Post.

Political interest

The resurgence in recitation sessions and study of Islam,
according to Abdul Munir Mulkan, a sociologist at the Institute
for Islamic Studies (IAIN) Sunan Kalijaga in Yogyakarta, is not
always driven by pure motives. It sometimes has political
reasons.

The "fresh air" generated by the Indonesian government in the
past few years has made a religious revival possible. It was
emphasized by the establishment of the Association of Indonesian
Moslem Intellectuals (ICMI) in December 1990 and President
Soeharto's pilgrimage to Mecca in 1991.

Abdul Munir Mulkhan, an executive of Muhammadiyah, a major
Moslem organization, said the upsurge in Islamic recitations has
been encouraged by the government elite.

"The world of recitations is still free. Thus, people go
there," said Mulkhan.

Meanwhile, people of different socioeconomic classes have
different reasons for attending the prayer sessions.

According to Mulkhan, higher income people go to the sessions
to access a spiritual world because they already have the keys to
a material one -- that is -- wealth, power and status. This group
is neo-syncritistic.

"Such people only come to the sessions for spiritual
legitimation" said Mulkhan.

In comparison, he said, poorer Moslems attend recitation
sessions because they need a protective figure. It is, therefore,
not surprising that when proselytizers like Zainuddin MZ appeared
with simplistic moral explanations people flock to their
sessions.

Pride

The "back to religion" movement bestows a sense of pride on
many Moslems. For example, their pride is expressed through
placing "We are Moslems" stickers on their cars, although they
are not diligent in either prayers or fasting.

"Their pride is closely linked with the emotions of the
religious community," said Mulkhan, who is preparing his PhD in
sociology at Gadjah Mada University.

At a poorer socioeconomic level the recitation sessions may
create a collective political awareness. Poorer people may be
educated about their political rights with the guidance of the
Islamic teachings which uphold freedom and independence.

Actually, formal Moslem figures do not understand the
situation. History will always spawn movements such as the
uprising of farmers in Banten, West Java, in the 19th century,
when no Islamic leaders directed them. Radicalism was the result.

The recent riots among Moslems in Indonesia constituted a form
of working-class radicalism, which drew an inappropriate response
from the ruling government elite. Meanwhile, the Council of
Indonesian Ulemas (MUI) as well as the Ministry of Religious
Affairs have not tried to communicate with lower-income groups in
the community.

Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher said the blood of
rioters was halal -- that it could be shed.

"If the stance of the government elite and the Moslem elite is
wrong, the lower-class community will become increasingly
radical," said Mulkhan.

According to Mulkhan, the religious revival may be subject to
fluctuations. In Islamic republics such as Iran, politicians who
control these trends, even in the wake of events such as the
death of figureheads like Ayatollah Khomeini. If the trend is
upward, they claim to channel it in positive directions. If the
trend is downward, they may attempt to limit it.

This is different from Indonesia. There are no longer ulemas
of the class of Hamka and M. Natsir, who are capable of
safeguarding the emotions of the community who are proud to be
Moslem.

Emha Ainun Nadjib said his Padang Bulan recitation sessions
have become, realizing it, a laboratory for empowering the
community. During the sessions the members are asked to find a
connection between the contents of the Koran and their own lives.

Moreover, social and economic issues are addressed. At
recitation sessions funds have been donated to build village
roads, establish Islamic credit banks, to organize mass
circumcision, etc. All these have been at the initiative of the
community itself, he said.

Bambang Setiawan, said funds have also been donated for the
construction of a kindergarten, a Koranic school, a free clinic
for the poor, and an orphanage.

It is perhaps too early to expect changes in sociopolitical
conditions through recitation sessions. A number of preconditions
for the guarantee of sociopolitical changes are not yet there in
most of the recitation sessions in Indonesia.