A Report of Campus Discussion at IAIN Wali Songo-Semarang

The emergence of renewal thought of Islamic ideas with new concepts such as secularism, liberalism, and pluralism in Indonesia is often controversial. Even, if these words are spoken without chain to other words, they will give negative connotation, what is more after the release of MUI fatwa in 2005, which forbids the three ideologies. Currently there are so many concepts of secularism, liberalism, and pluralism in the thoughts of Moslem scholars.

This is what needs to be explored according to Budhy Munawar Rahman. Research and mapping that he has done for three years was codified into a book with the title of “The Reorientation of Islamic Reform: Secularism, Liberalism, and Pluralism: New Paradigm of Islam Indonesia.

This thick book, which approximately has 800 pages, was discussed on October 29, 2010. LPM Justisia Faculty of Shari’ah Walisongo IAIN Semarang, as the organizers, was in corporate with some institutions such as the ELSA (Institute for Social Studies and Religion), JIL (Liberal Islam Network), and the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII) Rayon Shariah Commissariat Walisongo Semarang to succeed the event.

There are two other speakers namely M. Solek, a lecturer at the Faculty of Sharia IAIN Walisongo, who is an alumnus of Leiden University, and Abdullah, S.T., M.T., the chairman of the DPD I HTI Central Java. In his description, Budhy explained the background of writing this book. For him, the reorientation of Islamic rejuvenation is necessary because the Islamic growth in today’s world is very fast. The momentum was made by the collapse of the WTC on September 11, nine years ago, which put Islam as “the accused”.

Budhy said, “MUI fatwa about the illegitimate secularism, liberalism, and pluralism, in fact has it own “wisdom” for the development of these thoughts.” He affirmed that, the fatwa of haram just bring about a lot of new definitions or discussions that developed by the thinkers in Indonesia.

There are many concepts of secularism, liberalism, and pluralism which stated by Moslem thinkers. For secularism, Amin Rais distinguishes it into two types of sociological and philosophical secularism. He refuses secularism but accepts liberalism and pluralism. On the contrary to Amin Rais, Gus Dur totally supported these three concepts. “Mapping the colors of these concepts is what I’m trying to do,” said Budhy.

Budhy’s opinion about the idea of Islamic rejuvenation was criticized by the second speaker, Abdullah. The chairman of DPD of Hizbut Tahrir criticize the concepts of Islamic thought rejuvenation such as secularism, liberalism, and pluralism. “Liberal Islam failed to market its idea for a very hard collision with various Islamic groups, though in the group of NU and Muhammadiyah,” he said.

Abdullah also said that democracy as a system has bring about many gaps either in the field of economics or promiscuity. “Then, is the democracy and secularism really the right idea for Indonesia?” Said Abdullah at the end of his presentation.

The last speaker, M. Solek, M.Ag., elaborated his opinion argumentatively about the idea of Islamic reform. Referring to Koran verses and classical book references, Solek emphasized the importance of the reform ideas. “I totally support the efforts to reform Islamic thought,” he said. This man who was born in Cirebon emphatically said, “Secularism, liberalism, and pluralism are positive attitudes in the state life society for religious community and not negative.”

“Secularism is a good attitude to prevent religion politicized; liberalism is a right attitude to avoid sole interpretation of religion; and pluralism is a wise attitude to avoid religious judgment,” said Solek. However, he put in his explanation, secularism does not let the growth of anti-religious attitude; liberalism does not let the growth of disobedience attitude; and pluralism does not let the growth of disbelieving attitude in religion.

In order to develop positive attitudes and reduce or even eliminate the negative attitudes, the Moslems are needed to review the Koran. Solek added that reviewing the Quran should be done with the interrelated skills required, so its message will not be understood partially which may lead to misunderstanding. The misunderstanding of the messages of Quran is not only experienced by those non-Moslems but also by Moslems. Then how can we have dialogues with other faiths if we do not understand our religion well?

Solek closed his presentation by quoting Hassan Hanafi’s utterance: “Islam, however, is the only religion which admits all previous revelations such as Jewish and Christian revelations. Judaism stops short before Christ, denying the Christian and Islamic revelations. Christianity also stops short after Christ, denying the Islamic Revelation. Even natural religion, not stemming from Abrahamic revelations, are also part of the universal religion, since there is no society without revelation. Therefore, Islam is the only carrier of the universal revelation. Through Islam, the recognition of the past permits a mutual cooperation in the present and sharing a common future.”

* Board LPM Justicia Semarang