Author: Rendi A. Witular
Publication: The Jakarta Post
Date: July 27, 2005
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)
will formulate several edicts to put an end to what it terms "deviant secular
and liberal Islamic thoughts" during its four-day national congress that
opened here on Tuesday.
According to the council's edict
committee, the edicts will represent the MUI's determination to win the
"war of ideas against liberal Islam".
"Secularism and liberalism, two
Western-influenced thoughts that have developed in Indonesia, have brought
chaos to the principles of Islamic teachings," the committee said.
During his opening speech, MUI chairman
Sahal Mahfudh said the council was being tested by the "emergence of creative
attitudes among a handful of worshipers".
"Although the MUI tries to position
itself in the middle of all Muslim groups in Indonesia, the council is
also required to take a firm stance in dealing with religious deviation,"
he said.
He was referring to certain groups
that he alleged deviated from Islamic teachings.
Some young Muslim scholars here
have used the momentum of the reform movement to campaign for a more liberal
interpretation of Islamic teachings, which they say have been monopolized
by certain institutions.
Some Muslim scholars recently criticized
an old edict issued by MUI banning Ahmadiyah. The MUI labeled the Muslim
congregation, which recognizes its founder Ghulam Mirza Ahmad as a prophet,
as heretical. Mainstream Muslims believe Muhammad is the last Prophet.
During the congress, the edict committee
will recommend that the MUI reaffirm the 1980 ban on Ahmadiyah's teachings.
The committee also has asked for
clarification on which forms of interfaith prayers are permissible under
Islam and for the reavowing of a 25-year-old ban on interfaith marriages.
In addition, committee members are
deliberating possible edicts on women leading prayers in mosques, intellectual
property rights, television shows that are heavy on mysticism, the appropriateness
of the death sentence and a recent government decree on the compulsory
sale of private land for public use.
Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono urged the MUI to intensify its campaign against acts of violence
that tarnished the image of Islam.
"There is no violence in Islamic
teachings. We are disappointed with voices that link violence and terrorism
with Islam. Therefore, I urged the MUI to campaign against such acts and
to prevent people from committing such acts," said Susilo in a speech during
the opening of the congress.
Susilo also called on the MUI to
issue edicts that would help the government implement difficult policies.
"The government needs support from
the MUI in peacefully settling the separatist violence in Aceh, as well
as help persuading the public to reduce fuel consumption during our problems
with the fuel supply and fuel subsidy," he said.
The government plans to sign a peace
deal with the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on Aug. 15 in a bid to end decades
of conflict in the province that has killed more than 15,000 people. But
some elements of the deal, particularly the plan to allow GAM members to
set up political parties as vehicles to contest local elections, have been
opposed by lawmakers.
Sahal acknowledged that ending violence
within the Muslim community and maintaining unity and friendship would
be a challenging task.
"The MUI should be able to act strictly
against any violence and actions that are against the law, as well as eliminating
poor attitudes and ethics within society that eventually could become the
root for corruption," he said.