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.