Significance of being a moderate and progressive Muslim

Significance of being a moderate and progressive Muslim

Mohamad Abdun Nasir
Mataram

Religious radicalism and extremism have proven to be a danger
to social stability and order. While liberalism and secularism
often trigger fear among Muslims that they are being secularized
and cut off from Islamic doctrines that govern the daily lives of
Muslims.

While radicalism and extremism obviously fail to create a
harmonious inner religious life, liberalism and secularism are
seen as going beyond the limits of the normative traditions of
the Muslim majority. In this regard, a new perspective is badly
needed to encourage and mold Muslim identity.

Islam has in recent years been associated almost solely with
the violence and terrorism that have occurred and spread
throughout the world, from the U.S. and Europe in the West to
Iraq and Palestine in the Middle East, up to Indonesia, the
Philippines and southern Thailand in Southeast Asia. This
simplification and stereotyping occur because some terrorists
represent themselves as devout Muslims.

In the Indonesian context, groups of fundamentalist and hard-
line Muslims have failed to attract huge numbers of followers.
The issues they deal with and strategies of the movements they
represent do not satisfy the majority of Muslims here. Take for
example the plea for the application of sharia and the idea of an
Islamic state and government (khilafa).

These ideas are met with little enthusiasm by Indonesian
Muslims. This shows the majority of Muslims here prefer not to
politicize Islam, to change the state ideology or to apply
sharia. One salient critical remark for these groups is why do
they not advocate, for example, law empowerment and the
eradication of corruption.

Do these sound like un-Islamic themes? The answer is of course
no. If they persist in politicizing Islam, neglecting important
national issues and social problems, their struggle and movement
will remain exclusive and will become trapped in the formalism
and symbolism of religion.

If fundamentalist Muslims approach the sources of Islam
literally, regardless of the sociohistorical context of their
revelation, liberal-secular Muslims tend to interpret these
sources liberally. They rise up to the surface as a synthesis for
religious discourse of the fundamentalists. This new wave of
Islamic liberalism only touches a small percent of its intended
audiences and gains few members.

The emergence of Jaringan Islam Liberal (JIL) and Jaringan
Intelektual Muda Muhammadiyah (JIMM), for example, is not
regarded as a viable alternative Islamic movement. Presided over
by young intellectuals and inspired by Western-oriented thoughts,
these liberal factions often issue controversial Islamic
statements and thoughts.

As a result, they have in the past become engaged in polemic
with top figures from the country's two largest Islamic social
organizations, NU and Muhammadiyah. Some figures maintain these
liberal organizations must be cleansed of liberal activists and
their influences, who are accused of being agents of
westernization and secularization. Their religious thoughts are
therefore exclusive and appear controversial to many.

The facts suggest that new ideas cannot be disseminated by
controversial methods. Liberalism thus seems to run very slowly.
This is an urban, elite phenomenon that cannot effectively reach
grassroots Muslims, most of whom live in rural areas.

Between these two poles, what position should Muslims take and
what ideal identity should be constructed by them? Muslims should
take a middle position. They have to confirm their moderate and
progressive identity. This must be done in order to repair the
image of Islam in the wake of the string of terrorist attacks
that have been erroneously and thoughtlessly attributed to Islam.

Religious moderation is seen as a panacea to the rise of
radicalism and extremism. Moderate Muslims will provide the space
for dialog and the sharing of ideas among people connected by a
collective interest.

Indonesia has been "destined" to be a multireligious, cultural
and ethnic state. This is a fact that must be instilled in our
minds.

And it is in this context that the jargon of Islam as a
rahmatan lil alamin (blessing for the universe) finds its most
actual and clearest manifestation. Islam should not only be a
blessing for its followers, but also spread love, peace and mercy
for all people.

The writer is a lecturer and researcher in the Mediation
Center at the State Institute for Islamic Studies (IAIN) in
Mataram, West Nusa Tenggara. He can be reached at
sier1975@yahoo.com.