Interview

Religious socialization at the simplest level always emphasizes ethics of fear rather than ethics of hope. Submission is built upon the foundation of human’s fear of God, as if God’s greatness is determined by the human’s frailties and the horror of the metaphysics associated with god. Here is Eep Saefulloh Fatah‘s Islamic reflection, a political observer from University of Indonesia studying at Ohio State University (OSU), Columbus.

The 11^th September tragedy does not always have to be see as a total disaster for humanity. Even though the American Muslim community has suffered from discrimination since the tragedy, a domino effect is currently appearing across all levels of American society in which people are being impelled to satisfy their curiosity regarding Islam. At the moment, in the wake of that heart breaking tragedy, Islam has become a best selling “spiritual commodity” in America.

The crucial problems of interfaith marriage involve one’s private right to choose one’s spouse and the stigmas associated with interfaith marriage prohibition as well as bureaucratic resistance. Nuryamin Aini, an alumnus of Flinders University in Australia, shows that the consequences are that sometimes that couples of different religions often resort to manipulating the law (hilah) and become ambivalent and hypocritical in order to slip out of the trap of the marriage registration bureaucracy.

The controversy started with the marriage of 27 year old Nurcholish with 24 year old Mei two weeks ago. That marriage was conducted in two ways. First there was the Ijab Kabul in which consent was given by the bride’s family at a wedding ceremony according to Islamic tradition. The dowry of 8,8 grams of gold was accepted at the Islamic Study Centre Paramadina in Jakarta. Dr. Kautsar Azhari Noer acted in the capacity of Mei’s wali (male relative legally responsible for a bride) while Ulil Abshar-Abdalla acted in the capacity of the Islamic witness. Meanwhile, the Confucian blessing was performed at lithan room of Matakin Secretariat at Sunter in North Jakarta.

The historical record of Islamic jurisprudence has actually lacked the argument believed by the pro polygamy circle that “polygamy is the prophet’s sunnah (optional, but meritorious if performed).” The struggle to search for the theological justification of polygamy is often enforced, even though Q.S. An-Nisa: 3 indicates clearly the impossibility of justice in polygamy. Nevertheless, the pro polygamy circle still believes in polygamy.

The US invasion of Iraq last week eradicated America’s most valuable assets: democracy and human rights. America lost its legitimacy as the champion of democracy. The democratic principles pioneered by the American founding fathers such as Thomas Jefferson evaporated in the hands of the current “unsophisticated” American leader.

George W. Bush’s rhetoric on invasion upon Iraq is to liberate Iraqi people from the Saddam Hussein’s tyranny. American aggression upon that one thousand and one night country is called as “Operation Iraqi Freedom.” But why Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Arab Emirate Union and their allies in the Middle East, which were authoritarian, tyrant and despotic are not touched by America? What is Bush’s main problem in persisting to attack Iraq?

Known as a woman activist, Dr. Musdah Mulia who leads the Institute of Religious and Woman Studies has a strong opinion about various matters, not only regarding woman, but also other social matters. She criticized several regional regulations made without the involvement of women. She argues that regional regulation is very discriminative towards women and “not sensitive toward woman’s aspiration.”