MUSLIM POLITICS AND DEMOCRACY
The Case of Indonesia
Olle Törnquist
The University of Oslo, Norway
Abstract: This article tries to scrutinize the complexity of dealing with the attempts at crafting democracy in In¬donesia. It relates the issue of deploying religion among Muslim actors with the issue of state-market power-relations. With regard to the failing attempts of democra¬tization, the writer argues that the problem does not lie with religion and Islam as such, but with demo¬cratisation that has run aground for a number of reasons. The real challenge is to develop more independent means of political representation. In his opinion, quoting Demos’ survey, the major task in the country at large is to build popularly rooted and representative civic-political orga¬nisations. He goes on to argue that while Muslim po¬litics may promote measures against corruption, and neo-liberal actors may foster the rule of the laws they have shaped, both tendencies neglect independent popular repre¬sen¬tation to promote politically equal control of public affairs.
Keywords: Democracy, civil society, equal citizenship, public sphere, Muslim democrats.
A REAL THREAT FROM WITHIN
Muhammadiyah’s Identity Metamorphosis and the Dilemma of Democracy
Suaidi Asyari
IAIN Sulthan Thaha Saifuddin – Jambi
Abstract: This paper will look at Muhammadiyah as a constantly metamorphosing organism from which have grown modernist-refor¬mist, liberalist progressive, political pragmatist and poten¬tially violent fundamentalist-radical Muslims. It will argue that the trajectory passed by and the victory of the radical-puritan element in the National Congress 2005 can potentially become an obstacle for Muhammadiyah’s involvement in the process of implementing democratic values in Indonesia in the future. To keep watching Muhammadiyah’s trajectory is crucially important due to the fact that this organization is one of the powerful forces in the world toward the democratization process. In order to be on the right track of democracy, Muhammadiyah has to be able to cope with its internal disputes over democratic values. Only by means of coping with these internal disputes can this organization ensure its role in propagating and disseminating democratic ideas as well as practices in Indonesia.
Keywords: Muhammadiyah, metamorphoses, identity, democracy
MUSLIMS’ APPROACHES TO DEMOCRACY
Islam and Democracy in Contemporary Indonesia
Masdar Hilmy
IAIN Sunan Ampel – Surabaya
Abstract: This article seeks to provide a theoretical account of how Indonesian Muslims have approached Islam and democracy. Historical analysis, combined with literary overview, is deployed to trace the empirical passage of Indonesian Muslims in developing discourses on democracy. This article argues that a widely-religion-based democracy is on the way of making. Following this process, discourses and counter-discourses on democracy are simply inevitable. The point of departure on which Muslims frequently disagree with each other is whether or not the type of Indonesian democracy should follow the path of Western secular democracy. Accordingly, three approaches following these lively discourses on democracy came into existence: First, the Huwaydian approach that claims the compatibility of Islam and democracy. Second, the Mawdudian approach that stands in an ambiguous position between rejecting and accepting democracy. Third, the Qutbian approach which argues that democracy is inimical to Islam by definition. Despite the risk of oversimplification and conceptual discrepancy, the three terms are utilized merely for the purpose of sociological categorization.
Keywords: Mawdudian, Qutbian, Huwaydian, Islamism, democracy.
CAN THE MUSLIM WORLD BORROW FROM INDONESIAN CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM?
A Comparative Constitutional Approach
Nadirsyah Hosen
Faculty of Law, University of Wollongong, NSW-Australia
Abstract: This paper attempts to analytically examine the possibility of constitutional borrowing for the Muslim world regardless the differences in history, system, culture, language, and cha¬racteristics. It discusses this issue by looking at the arguments put forth by the oppo¬nents of comparative cons-titutional interpre¬tation and their counter arguments. It will consider materials from Canada, USA, South Africa, Singapore, Malaysia, and Hungary, taking the position that constitutional borrowing can be justified. The paper argues that the 1999-2002 Indonesian constitutional reform should be taken into account by other Muslim countries in undertaking their constitutional reform. The substantive approach of the Shari>‘ah that has been used in Indonesia has shown that Muslim world can reform its constitutions without the “assistance” of Western foreign policy. Indo-nesian constitutional reform has demonstrated that Islamic constitutionalism comes from within Islamic teaching and the Islamic community itself; it is a home grown product.
Keywords: Constitutional reform, constitutional borrowing comparative law, Shari>‘ah.
ISSUES OF COMPATIBILITY OF HUMAN RIGHTS AND ISLAM
The experience of Egypt and Indonesia
Sus Eko Ernada
Universitas Jember – Indonesia
Abstract: This paper describes the plurality of Muslim responses to the modern conce¬p¬tion of human rights, drawing in particular on Muslim interpretations of key human rights issues in the dis¬cour¬se of human rights and Islam women’s rights, reli¬gious free¬dom and minority rights, and corporal punishment in Egypt and Indonesia. The case stu-dies of Egypt and Indonesia point to wide range of responses among Muslims to these issues, but also suggest that Islam is not incompatible with the modern conception of human rights. This paper argues that on the issues of human rights, Muslims do not share a single, monolithic stance. Instead, there is a variety of arguments based on various Islamic schools of thought and Islamic reli¬gious groups. As a result, the issues of human rights and their implementation have elicited a wide range of responses among Muslims.
Keywords: Human rights, Indonesia, Egypt, Shari>‘ah, ijtiha>d.
THE APPLICATION OF ISLAMIC LAW IN INDONESIA:
The Case Study of Aceh
Kamaruzzaman Bustamam-Ahmad
La Trobe University – Australia
Abstract: This article provides an historical account of the implementation of Islamic law in Aceh and how the issue of Islamic law has been debated. The study will give more emphasis on the dynamics of the implementation of Islamic law, its historical development, typologies of Islamic law, leaders’ opinions regarding this issue, and the governments’ responses. This study argues that Islamic law in Aceh has been misinterpreted merely as h{udu>d law. In addition, it argues that the provincial government tends to put heavy emphasis on symbolic religious issues (such as the Islamic dress code and the usage of Arabic signs and letterheads), rather than the substance of Islamic law such as justice and prosperity for all. Finally, the study has made evident that implementing Islamic law is never a good method of attempting to resolve conflict. There is no need to establish Islamic law formally through the political process because, when politics enters in religious arena, it carries with it many interests.
Keywords: Aceh, Shari>‘ah, Qanun, Adat, H{udu>d.
Jadaliyyah al-’Ana> wa al-A<khar fi> al-Khit}a>b al-Di>ni> al-Indu>ni>si>
Abdul Kadir Riyadi
IAIN Sunan Ampel
Abstract: The debates on religious issues that have been somewhat heated in Indonesia in recent times indicate that the country is now entering a new and interesting phase. One of the many issues that have attracted the younger Muslim scholars is the idea of what I call religious I-ness and otherness. It seems that within this issue one may find the explanation of how religious dogma should be interpreted within the context of Indonesian life on the one hand, and –on the other- how this explanation may in turn provide some type of answer for many problems that this country faces. This paper provides a discursive description of the current intellectual debate in Indonesia around the problem of religious I-ness and otherness that the diverse religious discourse in the country have tried to explore.
Keywords: Discourse, the Self, the Other, Islamism.
Lajnah Bah}th al-Masa>’il al-Di>niyyah li Jam‘iyyah Nahd}ah al-‘Ulama>’ bi Indu>ni>siya: Dira>sah Naqdiyyah ‘ala> al-Muqarrara>t al-Fiqhiyyah
Ahmad Zahro Hasani
IAIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya
Abstract: This article seeks to shed light on the decrees released by Lajnah Bah}th al-Masa>’il Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) on matters pertaining to religious disputes (masa>’il al-fiqhiyyah). It focuses on two main themes; (1) the definition of what books are categorized as “al-Kutub al-Mu‘tabarah” and (2) the methodological approach used by the Lajnah in the process of deliberation. The assumption developed within this article is that what makes the books fall into the category of “al-Kutub al-Mu‘tabarah” are only those books that employ one of the four school of thought in fiqh. In addition, the methodological approach used in the Lajnah follows the following three patterns: (1) al-T{ari>qah al-qawliyyah (direct reference to those mu‘tabarah books), (2) al-T{ari>qah al-ilh}a>qiyyah (analogy between old and new problems as mentioned within those mu‘tabarah books), (3) al-T{ari>qah al-manhajiyyah (following the methods of four madhhab imams).
Keywords: Nahdlatul Ulama, Lajnah Bah}th al-Masa>’il, al-Kutub al-Mu‘tabarah, Madhhab.
A FERTILE SOIL?
Indonesia and Islamic Fundamentalism
Abdul Gaffar Karim
Gadjah Mada University
Book Review
Book title:
Joining the caravan? The Middle east, Islamism and Indonesia
Author:
Anthony Bubalo and Greg Fealy
No. of Pages:
xxii + 128
Year:
2005
Publisher:
Lowy Institute for International Policy, Sydney
Website:
http://www.lowyinstitute.org/PublicationGet.asp?i=229
