JIL English Edition

The conference is a critical reflection of NU’s journey as a national umbrella organization. Several decades later now, NU as a cultural movement seems to have become separated from its tradition of thought. Such thought provides the spirit behind a cultural movement and it allows for the avoidance of pragmatism. The tradition of NU should always be interpreted and never be taken for granted. The young people of NU believe that there is a sense of disorientation within the movement. Practical politics has subordinated NU’s strengths.

For less than a year now, political parties which will compete in gaining constituents in the 2004 election have consolidated themselves. However more recently, several Islamic parties or parties based on Islamic constituents, have experienced a worrying fragmentation. Why are Islamic parties so susceptible to fragmentation when unity of ummat (community) has been such a vocal issue? What factors determine the marriages and divorces amongst politicians within Islamic parties?

Religion as a psychological symptom gives us a perspective about the necessity of religion for humanity.  Furthermore, when religion is unable to guide humanity’s future, we can be inspired to create new religions, or at least attempt new religious experiments as a solution to the problems we face.

Indonesia’s Liberal Islamic Network (Jaringan Islam Liberal, or JIL) is a group of modern Muslim intellectuals who contest what they call literalist” Islam. Although the movement is small, it is highly controversial among conservative Muslims. Who are the people of JIL, and why have its advocates been issued with a death fatwa?

The debate about the presence of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI) continues. Some people say that the claim about the presence of JI in Indonesia has been intentionally blown up to discredit the Muslim community. People believe that JI is not an organization but only a designation for the whole Muslim community.

The Quranic verses about war have been ingrained in the consciousness of fundamentalists, especially the verse quoted partially by Osama ben Laden (Ababil Press, 2001:42): “Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, smite them ...” (Muhammad 4). Other Quranic texts such as reliable (sahih) and the more credible hadits add to this discourse by explaining that the reward for martyrdom in war will be beautiful angels and jewels in heaven (Ahmad and al-Turmudzi). Although the Quranic war verses are universal, and were written in the context of the past (in illo tempore), all religious believers grasp the universal values and relevance of the term jihad.

The three mainstream of pesantren’s science , tauhid, fiqh dan tasawuf (unity of God, Islamic jurisprudence and mysticism), suggest the community to perform good deed, love, give in for the sake of others, make others happy, help and cooperate, and avoid conflict, confrontation, intrigue, and other destructive thing. At this point Islam would be accepted on the earth sympathically. Not by sword, bomb or gun which leave the impact of cruelty, harshness and barbaric. Wasn’t Rasulullah Saw has never use sword whenever there is other wiser way?

Islam has been “accused” as a religion which has produced these terrorists though the Muslim community has also criticized the terrorists as barbaric, atheistic and uncivilized. But the facts are that the terrorists claim that their action is based in the doctrinal legitimacy of Islam. They understand their actions to be the highest form of religious devotion and a form of revenge towards their cosmic enemies. Their actions are said to be noble, honorable, and admirable. What else is the highest glory within a religion besides an ‘infinite devotion’ to the religion itself?

However, the presence of this book should be positively appreciated, since besides bringing together several articles from diverse sources, it also contains several reports and interviews including one posting between Abdalla and one of the Muslim figures in Makassar.

Indeed, this battle of political and religious discourses provides fertile ground for the growth of interpretation of plural religious principles. Moreover, the definition of iman of Ahmad bin Hanbal which has been carved into the religious consciousness of the Muslim community is not a single interpretation. Long before the mihnah tragedy, Abu Hanifah provided a definition of iman which supported tolerance and provided the legal basis for human liberty.