Column
Islamic Reformation in Indonesia Christian’s Point of View
By Martin Lukito Sinaga
Briefly, religious struggle becomes the struggle of faith and society. It means that instead of becoming a political alternative for the common plural order, religion attempts to give spiritual insight for individual and community in the arrangement of plural life. Therefore, in daily life, religious organizing will lead to interfaith cooperation where benefit and quality of common life becomes the objective of those religious movements.
Interpreting Tajdid
By M. Najibur Rohman
In the western history, renaissance refers to the 17th-18th century when the “truth seekers” were deeply involved in science, ethic and esthetic based on rationality. Immanuel Kant (What Is Enlightenment, 1990), an important figure in the renaissance, defined enlightenment as man’s emergence from his self-imposed immaturity. Immaturity is the inability to use one’s reason without guidance from another.
Prophet, Soothsayer, and Poet
By Ulil Abshar-Abdalla
Prophet, Soothsayer, and Poet represent specific mental articulation in the history of human civilization. It is the expressive-performative articulation of civilization inherited by the Israel prophets (Islam is included in this category).
The Heavenly Voice
By Trisno S. Sutanto
To ignore the impossible tales and regard Lia as “heretic and mislead”, is in vain. Next time, in certain condition, there will be many other who claim to listen (again) the heavenly voices.
The Assimilation Problem of Australian Muslims
By Pradana Boy ZTF
On this point, assimilation becomes more difficult as there are different perceptions and attitudes among Australian communities. The problem increases due to the difficult assimilation on the cultural level, and also due to the unsupportive policy of the government.
Islam, Pluralism, and Freedom of Religion
By Ahmad Fuad Fanani
State has to guarantee that freedom of religion will not violate other people’s rights. State should not endorse one religion or group and oppress the others. The function of state is to guarantee freedom of everyone to profess and practice their own religion because there is an absolute relation between freedom of religion, institution, and policy that guarantee the freedom.
Humanist Fatwa or Violent Fatwa?
By Zuhairi Misrawi
Fatwa should involve all elements of society. In the tradition of bahtsul masa’il (problem research used to be held in pesantren) that discusses about current matters (masa’il waqi’iyyah) performed by Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) for instance, the ulema were aware of their incompetence in the contemporary issues, therefore they asked the opinion of the experts (expert in medical field, etc) in formulating a fatwa. Hence, they can comprehend the object of fatwa well and accurately.
Terror upon Ahmadiyya and Freedom of Religion
By M. Dawam Rahardjo
The source of terrorism can be found in the decree of MUI’s National Deliberative Council No. 05/Kep/Munas/MUI/1980, the fatwa that dismisses Ahmadiyya as a “non Islamic group, deviant and misled”. This decree led to violence upon Ahmadiyya, whose members believe in rukun Islam (pillars of Islam) and rukun Iman (pillars of Faith) just as any other Muslims.
Reformulating the Relationship between Islam and the West
By Abd. Malik Utsman
Islam and Western fear and anxiety toward each other stemmed from their ignorance of each other. As a result, the West observes Islam negatively. Montgomery Watt said that the West had been inheriting the past prejudices, where the negative images of Islam in the past has occupied Western consciousness and dominated Western thought.
Controversy of Bilingual Islamic Prayer
By Tedi Kholiludin
Shalat is a stipulation (qath’iy) from God, but the method of performing this ritual and the prayers to recite are a construction of the fuqaha (experts in Islamic canon law). That is why there are differences of opinion in this matter.