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.