Residents of Utan Kayu differ on JIL

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

There has been a new acronym added to East Jakarta's Utan Kayu residents' vocabulary: JIL, or the Liberal Islam Network.

Some only read it a few days ago from a copy of an article from the Islamic magazine Sabili posted on the bulletin board of a nearby mosque, some first heard it talked about in local Koran recitals, while others still had no idea at all what the group was about.

However, most know what they want, despite few of them meeting anyone from the network; they know that JIL must go.

On two separate occasions this week, local mosque leaders, saying they represented local residents, insisted the organization must leave the area because it was creating a public disturbance.

The group, which was established in 2001 as part of the Utan Kayu Community organization, has received increasing pressure from Muslim hard-liners for their attempt to open a discourse on interpretations of Islam.

In 2002, several Muslim scholars published books on the dangers of liberal Islam. It was followed by a demands from the Indonesian Muslim Forum (FUUI) that the authority close JIL because it had debased the name of God, the Prophet Muhammad and ulema.

Dadang, 62, a long-time resident of Utan Kayu, said that he did not know what JIL was. "Our family does not pay much attention to those things. It never bothers us anyway," he said.

His neighbor Rudi, meanwhile, expressed his concern over the issue. "From what I read and heard, JIL is a deviant group that allows their members to switch wives."

Rudi said the issue had come to a head in the community after rumors of a planned attack by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) failed to materialize early last month. "It was also because of MUI's (Indonesian Ulema Council) edict that banned liberalism," he said.

He admitted to have been curious to find out more about the group but "there was no dialog as JIL (members) were not allowed to attend Tuesday's meeting with mosque leaders and district officials."

According to Radio 68H staff Heru Hendratmoko, who attended Tuesday's meeting, JIL had not been invited by the Utan Kayu Muslim Forum to explain its activities.

However, for local religious activist Onah Ratna no dialog was necessary. "They differ from the true Islamic teachings and we do not want them to contaminate our society with their thinking. End of the story," the religion teacher said.

Onah based her opinion on the knowledge she had that the group taught secularism and pluralism, ideas that were banned by the MUI. She said she had never talked with people from JIL as "they do not interact with us."

The lack of interaction was probably one reason for resident's demands for the eviction of JIL, the group's founder said.

"We have to admit that we have yet to develop a close relationship with local residents," Nong Darol Mahmada said.

Too little knowledge led to misunderstandings, especially when a powerful third party came into play.

The Utan Kayu Community group, meanwhile, said pressure exerted on JIL was "an attack on the freedom of thought and expression."