Vocal Minority

Jurgensmeyer, in his magnum opus, Religious Nationalism versus Secular Nationalism, argues that secularism is the biggest reward for the Christian world. Of course, the Christianity referred to here is the Lutheran tradition –a tradition which Samuel P. Huntington writes is one that has the most potential to disseminate democratic seeds.

Historically Islamic experience with secularism has involved a battle between ideal doctrines and reality. For example. the Turkish experience indicates that Kemal Ataturk was far too “lustful” in transplanting secular ideas to society which had a high degree of cultural resistance to the idea. Indonesia, since then, has been enlightened by public debates focusing on this sensitive theme. Even before Cak Nur’s polemical conflicts with Mohammad Roem, and the likes of Prof. Rasyidi and Daud Rasyid our founding father Soekarno fiercely debated with M. Natsir over the notion in terms of the “fire vis-à-vis ashesof Islam.” Mohammad Hatta has even been labelled by fanatics as a “betrayer” since he removed the seven words from the Jakarta Charter.

If we look back in time, the Prophet Saw –who was the second traditional source after Al-Qur’an— had a contradictory perception of the history of Jesus. Jesus was seen as a liberatory figure—as an oppressed “shepherd” pursued by a despotic ruler. The Prophet Saw’s experience indicates two facts: a phase in Mecca where he had spiritual authority and a later phase in Medina where he had both spiritual and political authority.

That case is observed as the inter-connection of religion with the state (al-diin wa al-daulah), and therefore politicians like Yusril Ihza Mahendra have provided the analogy that separating Islam from politics is like separating sugar from its sweetness. For groups who believe in this argument, the state is observed as an instrument for enforcing Islamic sharia. Demonstrations by Front Pembela Islam, Laskar Mujahidin and Persaudaraan Pekerja Muslim Indonesia (PPMI) recently fomented this position.

Instead of thinking about Indonesian reality sui generis and as framed by religious background, cultural, racial and ethnical plurality, those groups deny plurality among the Muslims. Indonesian Muslims are not monolithic. Muslim here are overwhelmingly people who uphold plurality and honor local-traditional wisdom. This “type” of Muslim is not overly concerned with solving the problem of the “here and now” with a traditional Arabic perspective which tends to be anachronistic. 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. Wallahu a’lam!

(Translated by Lanny Octavia, edited by Jonathan Zilberg)