Islam Encountering Enlightenment: Clash or Symbiosis? A Comparative Analysis of the Dutch and Indonesian Discourse on Liberal Islam

Preface

Last summer I have been given the privilege of being part of an exciting and inspiring group of Muslim intellectuals in Jakarta, Indonesia. Their struggle for the development and dissemination of a liberal form of Islam encouraged me to think deeper and more critical about the way I practice and view my own religion, while at the same time it showed me a societal engagement I very much miss in the Netherlands. 

The three months I spent at Jaringan Islam Liberal (JIL), the Liberal Islam Network, were, in principal, just part of my minor studies, “As the World Turns; Sustainable Development in a North South Perspective”. It resulted, however, in a far better understanding of my own religion, a greater appreciation of the well-established liberal values in the Netherlands and a total acceptance of pluralism as a given fact of life.

The latter, especially, meant, using Kuhnian terminology, a major paradigm shift in my own way of thinking for which I am incredibly grateful. As an Applied Physics student the risk of pretending to be omniscient and thereby to neglect the diversity in humanity and human thought is huge. Indonesia and the subject I studied convinced me, however, that one has to recognize there is not a certain superior system of thinking and that even when one has a total difference of opinion one has to respect the other for coming to another conclusion, while using his or her own intellect. This still, of course, does not imply I will agree with, for example, fundamentalist Muslims on how to be a Muslim or with libertarians on how to build a fair society, yet I have to try to understand them and, in the end, respect them for having another intellectual viewpoint.

Such kind of pluralism does not automatically result in culture or religious relativism, nor does it dismiss the terrible physical consequences some ideologies or thoughts can lead to and it should definitely not be an excuse for giving up the fight for equal rights, freedom or justice. Rather, I think such a pluralistic attitude is able to create an intellectual environment in which any missionary character disappears and more thorough discussions can take place. Hence, a far better climate for developing new thoughts, introspection and mutual understanding will then come into existence. Arrogance and the feeling of superiority, on the other hand, will only result in convincing oneself of one’s right, which will satisfy the debaters involved, but will damage humanity as a whole. This realisation process, which is not the subject of this report, has, undoubtedly, been my most important learning experience in Indonesia; therefore, I believe my period in Jakarta has become an indispensable part of my undergraduate academic career.

I imagine there could have been no better place to force the previous described paradigm shift than Komunitas Utan Kayu, the complex where JIL has been situated since its birth in 2001. Here, I found the intellectually stimulating environment my mind was asking for, after studying physics at a technical university for three years. Here, questions were more important than answers. Here, I felt truly free. Moreover, it was a great place for coming into contact with Indonesian arts, culture and, of course, cuisine.

Therefore, I would like to thank Ulil Abshar-Abdalla, who immediately responded very enthusiastically to my research proposal and invited me to come to Jakarta. Thank you so much. The first JIL members I met, Lanny Octavia and Novriantoni, were to become dear friends and were greatly encouraging me with my research, they are responsible for a large part of my personal development. My gratitude for both of you cannot be put into words. Burhanuddin and Saiful Mujani were always helpful in providing me with new insights and in showing the essences of liberal Islam in Indonesia. Burhan and Saiful showed a tremendous interest in my research, probably they asked me as many questions as I asked them. I should also thank all other persons involved with JIL though, since all of them created a warm and open environment, despite the external pressure on JIL and the tensions arsing from those threats. Ade, Anick, Guntur, Hamid, Moqsith, Nong and Umdah. my dear friends, it has been a blessing working, talking and having fun with you for three months. I wish you all the very best.

At last, I want to thank my Dutch supervisor Prof. Dr. Nico Schulte Nordholt for his help with my preparations, his incredible amount of anecdotes and analyses on Indonesia and his general study advices after my return to the Netherlands. 

I hope this report succeeds a little bit in showing what I have seen and experienced in Indonesia and that it will be an informative read for those interested. I have tried my best to include what I believe was necessary. Listening and looking back to the performed work though, I think my focus and questions would have been slightly different. I assume that kind of realisations just form an essential part of studying and the process of becoming an academic. The more, the better. 

Download the report on PDF:
El Dardiry (376KB)