JIL English Edition

They are a silent majority, who only raise their voices during elections. Again, the facts talk for themselves. The election in 1999 involved the total defeat of Islamic parties. This means that those who shout the loudest about Islamic sharia are a vocal minority without deep roots within Indonesian society.

Alqur’an is a text which is rich in symbol and metaphor, and therefore it is open to multiple interpretation. The Alqur’an text with its 6660 verses and 144 sura has been interpreted into thousands of books of tafseer (interpretation). The number of mufassir (interpreters) who are engaged in using different methods and interpretations are similarly uncountable.

Manifesting brotherhood – in the religious terminology known as silat-u ‘l-rahm (inter-giving love and affection) - is an obligation of every religious community. Usually this term is used for family and group relations, however, it can be extended to a humanitarian framework. The basis for this silaturrrahmi is the notion of brotherhood (ukhuwwah) and it is generally used in the context of a single religious group (ukhuwwah islamiyyah); but it can also be expanded to include human brotherhood (ukhuwwah insaniyyah or ukhuwwah basyariyyah).

Democracy has limits in accommodating these antagonistic primordial aspirations. The limits of democracy must be realized by both democrats and by pro-sharia political groups who struggle for their political aspirations in democratic ways. Democracy cannot accommodate the power that will kill democracy itself.

Islam introduces the gender relation concept as part of the objective of shari’a (maqashid al-syari’ah): that is in manifesting the justice and righteousness (Q.S. al-Nahl, 16:90), security and peace (Q.S.Q.S.al-Nisa’, 4:58), and in the call to righteousness and the prevention of evil (Q.S.Ali ‘Imran, 3:104). These verses can be used as a framework for analyzing gender relations in the Qur’an.

Islam introduces the gender relation concept as part of the objective of shari’a (maqashid al-syari’ah): that is in manifesting the justice and righteousness (Q.S. al-Nahl, 16:90), security and peace (Q.S.Q.S.al-Nisa’, 4:58), and in the call to righteousness and the prevention of evil (Q.S.Ali ‘Imran, 3:104). These verses can be used as a framework for analyzing gender relations in the Qur’an.  Men and women have the equal rights and duties in performing the role as caliph and slave. Regarding the professional role of women, there are no Qur’anic verses or Hadits, which are forbiden for women. On the contrary, AlQur’an and Hadits mostly indicate that women are permited to be professionals.

Islam has been targeted to be the liberation religion, especially liberation upon the women. Could be imagine, how the misogynist Arab society which frequently killed the girls, suddenly is directed to hold ‘aqiqah (an event to express thanks to God) upon the girl’s birth, although it is merely a goat for a girl and two goats for a boy.