What religion means to Indonesia politics

What religion means to Indonesia politics

JAKARTA (JP): A quarter of a century ago the political
scientist and Indonesia specialist Benedict Anderson suggested
that to understand Indonesian politics one must attempt to view
events from the perspective of Javanese religious assumptions
about the nature of power and authority.

But much has changed in Indonesia since Anderson penned his
seminal The Idea of Power in Javanese Culture, although those who
wish to understand today's events would do well to read it.

In Indonesia it is generally believed that Allah, to say
nothing of a host of angel spirits and disembodied spiritual
forces, plays a major role in the course of human and natural
events.

Most Indonesians are Sunni Moslems. One of the most
fundamental doctrines of Sunni Islam, and one which has
penetrated very deeply into Indonesian culture, is takdir Allah
or God's determination of events. Natural disasters and social,
political and economic unrest are believed to be signs of Allah's
displeasure with a society and/or its leaders.

It is also believed that leaders are chosen by Allah and that
they serve at his pleasure. People have a responsibility to
accept authoritarian rule so long as the ruler governs with the
consent and as the agent of Allah.

In traditional Javanese thought this relationship is described
as the "union of servant and lord." Thus, it is not strange that
President Soeharto has often appeared lately in white cap and
white sarong, giving the appearance of a Moslem teacher.

The Javanese theory of kingship is rooted in the theory of
wahyu, or revelation. It is the means through which Allah
communicates with his prophets and, according to some sufi
traditions, with saints.

Javanese understand wahyu as a flash or beam of light which
conveys a divine appointment on an individual. A king who has
wahyu glows with an inner light. He cannot be defeated nor is he
subject to sin or error.

Many Javanese believe that such a king is the tool and earthly
representative of Allah. Consequently, his kingdom is tranquil
and prosperous and one in which individuals may make progress
along the path leading to knowledge of and union with Allah.

It is significant that in recent days many critics of the
Indonesian political system have referred to its "monarchical"
structure. For some critics the question is: "Should the system
be changed?" For others it is a question of: "Should the
president be changed?"

Wahyu is closely associated with mystical union with Allah.
Javanese political and mystical teachings hold that the ability
of a ruler to attain such mystical union is among the major
sources of the welfare of the state.

In general it is believed that a person who has attained
mystical union acquires complete understanding of the spiritual
as well as material aspects of life and works for the salvation
and worldly good of others.

Because of these religious qualities a ruler is often
described as the state's chief teacher or mystical guide. It is
thought that subjects should submit to his will in the same sense
that he submits to that of Allah. They should be, like his
children, loving and obedient.

Rulers should also have specific characteristics which point
to both power and legitimacy. One common list is based on a
mystical or symbolic understanding of the royal regalia of the
sultans of Yogyakarta.

These are a goose, representing holiness, purity and
watchfulness; a deer, representing quickness of mind and body; a
fighting cock, representing bravery; a peacock, representing
pride and dignity; a naga (mythical snake) representing
authority, accountability and responsibility; a tissue box,
representing the ruler's duty to cleanse the souls of his
subjects as well as to cleanse society and government of sin and
unethical conduct; a powder box, representing kindness and
generosity; and a lantern, representing the ruler's duty to give
light to his people in times of darkness.

These are abstract concepts, and for many westerners,
difficult to understand. They do, however, continue to exert a
powerful influence on Javanese political and religious thought
and behavior. They also have such an influence on Indonesian
political culture that even those who are critical of what they
consider to be a patriarchal, feudal system take note of them.

One recent critic of the government said that in times such as
these leaders should not think of themselves as having been
appointed by God. In terms of practical politics this theory of
leadership encourages and motivates a system of ruling and
government very much like that laid out in Indonesia's 1945
Constitution and put into practice by President Soeharto.

If things go well, a ruler can easily claim that it is because
of his personal characteristics and (implied) close relationship
with Allah. At the same time, if things go badly it is easy for
people to blame complex social, economic and political problems
on the leaders' moral lapses.

It is significant that Javanese religious/political texts also
mention an economy in which "goods are plentiful and cheap," as a
sign of divine favor. Selflessness and simple living are also
among the central values of Islam and Indonesian cultures.

Many Indonesians believe that things have not been going well
for the past few years. The Jakarta riots of 1996, drought,
fires, plane crashes and other disasters have all been touted as
indicators of the decline or absence of the national leadership's
moral qualities (at least by government opponents).

One widely publicized example of this type of thinking is a
series of statements by the Muhammadiyah leader Amien Rais at a
recent meeting of the Indonesian Committee for World Moslem
Solidarity.

Rais is reported to have said: "We are calling on the
government to remember that power is a mandate from Allah that
has to be accounted for now and in the hereafter. No matter how
great or strong a power is, Allah will someday take it back.

"The biggest disaster, however, is in the fact that some of
the leaders of this nation, along with some of the people, have
become immune to those various disasters. We no longer feel the
shock over anything. When we hear about a riot that kills people,
we're no longer taken aback. We are fast becoming a cold-blooded
nation."

He cited that after a riot last May in South Kalimantan's
capital Banjarmasin that left 120 people dead, no high-ranking
officials went to the city to offer condolences to the victim's
relatives and to soothe public anxiety.

Amien said: "There's an extraordinary complacency on the part
of some people, be they the common people, the rich, or
officials. These disasters are signs that people have behaved
very badly. This is the time for the leaders of the nation, and
society as a whole, to start contemplating and formulating ideas
as to what kind of a future we're going to have after these
disasters."

Given this assumption of God's role in the course of human and
natural events, it is not at all surprising that the current
economic crisis is regarded by many as being, in a very profound
sense, a religious as well as a political problem.

It is in this respect significant that government critics,
ranging from Amien Rais to Megawati Soekarnoputri, have referred
to the current situation as a 'krisis kepercayaan'. This phrase is
usually translated as "crisis of confidence," but in Indonesian
it means more than that.

'Kepercayaan' means belief, but in the sense of a deeply held
spiritual or mystical belief. It is commonly used to refer to
mystical sects ('aliran kepercayaan'). Simply put, a substantial
number of Indonesians believe that the roots of the country's
current problems must be the result of the fact that Allah no
longer approves of the government and that the problems can be
solved only by a government which meets with his approval.

At the same time many people, especially members of the elite,
believe this does not mean that the current Indonesian government
cannot recover from this 'krisis kepercayaan'. It has experienced
similar, if less serious, problems in the past and as situations
have improved or stabilized, it has regained the confidence of
all but its most determined critics. Takdir, Allah's
determination of events, is absolute only in the sense that
humans cannot overcome it.

However, many among the elite maintain that Allah may change
His mind. They believe that Soeharto will overcome the crisis,
referring to the President's speech before the General Assembly
of the People's Consultative Assembly titled "The storm must be
passing away".

What this means is that there is a chance the government can
regain its legitimacy and public confidence if there are signs of
Allah's favor and economic stabilization in the weeks and months
to come.