A lesson of Islam and democracy from
Indonesia
(A study of sociology, history, law, and politics)
Based on a
survey of the Lembaga Survei Indonesia which was released in 2006[1],
titled Prospect Islam Politik, it can show us clearly to the beginning of a
clear big picture of Islam and Democracy in Indonesia. It showed us that from
82% of 1092 Muslims in Indonesia said they claimed democracy was the best
political system for Indonesia. How could Indonesian Muslim declare a firm
statement like that?
Indonesia with 209,120,000 million[2] Muslims population makes Indonesia to be the largest Muslim population in the world as 88%[3] of the entire Indonesia population declare them self as Muslim. Beside that, Indonesia is the fourth country with the highest population[4] and the third largest democracy in the world[5]. And not just because of population, Indonesia establish their strong economic growth in 6% average in last 10 years[6] while International economic having a deceleration. It’s undoubted that Indonesia has a significant role in the world and the world of Islam. What Indonesia can and choose to do seems make a big impact to the International policy. It doesn’t sound too much to said that Indonesia national policy has become international.
Indonesian Muslim, a study of harmonized
Islam in
Indonesia is a very unique one. It has a different characteristic between Islam
in Middle East, South East Asia, or even Africa. Introduced by Indonesia’s
largest Islamic organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and later be supported by
the Government, Islam in Indonesia defines them self as an Islam Nusantara which
is a tolerant form of Islam that upholds values of peace, modesty and cultural
respect.[7]
Even though it still has criticism space because of the political prejudice and
not blindly accepted by all the Indonesian Islam Organization, Islam in
Indonesia has given a step up away of thinking for Islam in the World.
Indonesia has 1331 tribes[8] which spread in 17.504 Island[9] makes a big impact for Indonesia of its diversity as well as Islam in Indonesia. Even though Sunni has a majority, but Ahmadiyya Lahore al-Qiyadah al-Islamiya, Darul Arqam, Jamaah Salamulla (Salamulla Congregation), members of the Indonesian Islamic Propagation Institute[10], Naqshbandiy ya Khalidiyya[11], and even Shia[12] have their generations have been staying in Indonesia. Pluralism or Indonesian People called it keBhinekaan[13] is all on the root of the people of Indonesia, even though Indonesian Government’s strongly expected to protect it from intolerant group of people.
Democracy an outstanding achievements of Indonesia
It said in UU
No 7 Tahun 1953[14] which
was a legal standing of the Indonesian first election in 1995 after its
Independence day in 1945, there’s none of its articles indicated the discrimination
or restriction for particular sex, religion, race, or class of people to
choose. We can compare this with the United States as a democracy vanguard.
Even though US has very old history of their democracy after its Independence in
1776, it seems like that the equality before the law had had through a strong
struggle. The abolition of the discrimination of race, color, or previous
condition of servitude to choose had its validation in 1870[15]
in Amendment XV (need 94 years) and for the political right for women (144
years) ratified in amendment XIX in 1920[16].
Indonesia also already had a women president[17]
which is very good precedent for Muslim and democracy in Indonesia. If you
compare this with Saudi Arabia which just have a political right for women in
2015[18],
it doesn’t sound exaggerate to say that Indonesia has a astonishing
achievements, although it had to through some polemic.[19]
The truly face of Islam
Indonesia can
show to the world what the face of Islam is. It’s like the only South Asian
member of Muslim council of elders, Quraish Shihab[20]
said the that truly face of Islam is the face of Muslim in Indonesia who
tolerant[21]. As
Indonesia, the world is plural too. There’s a lot of religion, ideology, race,
etc. We can’t judge one is better than the other, all we can do is respect,
even for the most radical or liberal one, because they have the right to live.
If the paradigm is not true, we don’t need to forbid people to have a thought.
Because if some paradigm isn’t right, people will reject it. That’s way
education is very important. We knowledge can improve human life, but we still
need religion to improve our humanity for the universe. That’s Islam as rahatan
lil alamin and Indonesia has the obligation to promote this to the world
[1] Lembaga Survei Indonesia, Prospek Islam Politik, Jakarta, Oktober 2007, page 11. Download from www.lsi.or.id/file_download/22 , 9/06/2016, 10.57 AM.
[2] Maps Of World, Top Ten Countries with Largest Muslim
Population. Accessed from http://www.mapsofworld.com/world-top-ten/world-top-ten-countries-with-largest-muslim-populations-map.html , 10/06/2016, 9.52
AM
[3] Ibid
[4] World Meters, Countries in the world by population
(2016). Accessed from http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/ , 10/06/2016, 10.11 AM
[5] The United States-Indonesia Society, About Indonesia. Accessed
from http://www.usindo.org/country-info/about-indonesia/ , 10/06/2016, 10.16 Am
[6] Ekonomi RI Peringkat Tiga Besar di G20. Accessed from http://finance.detik.com/read/2015/08/27/113636/3002715/5/ekonomi-ri-peringkat-tiga-besar-di-g20
, 10/06/2016, 10.45 AM
[7] The Jakarta Post, Moderate Muslims interested in Islam
Nusantara. Accessed from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2016/05/12/moderate-muslims-interested-in-islam-nusantara.html , 10/06/2016
11.03 AM
[10] International Religious
Freedom Report 2008. Accessed from http://www.state.gov/j/drl/rls/irf/2008/108407.htm , 30/05/2016 13.56 AM
[11] Luis Lugo et all, The World’s Muslims: Unity and
Diversity, Pew Research Center, The Pew Forum On Religion & Public Life, 5
August 2012, page 129. download from http://www.pewforum.org/2011/01/27/future-of-the-global-muslim-population-sunni-and-shia/ , 29/05/2016, 9.15
AM.
[12] The Jakarta Post, Endless Sunni-Shia sectarianism in
Indonesia. Accessed from http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2015/03/11/endless-sunni-shia-sectarianism-indonesia.html , 10/06/2016 11.59 AM
[13] UUD NRI 1945 pasal 36 A. Bhineka Tunggal Ika was taken
from Kakawin Sutasoma written by Mpu Tantular, during the Majapahit reign in
the 14th century. Bhineka Tunggal Ika is translated as “Unity in Diversity”
[14] Undang-Undang 7 tahun 1953 Tentang Pemilihan Anggota
Konstituante dan Anggota Dewan Perwakilan Rakyat, Jakarta, h. 1. download from http://hukum.unsrat.ac.id/uu/uu_7_1953.htm , 9/06/2016 11.13 AM.
[15] Constitution of the United States Amendments 11-27,
Uited States. Accessed from http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_amendments_11-27.html , 9/06/2016 11.59 AM
[16] Ibid
[17] Accessed from http://kepustakaan-presiden.perpusnas.go.id/biography/?box=detail&presiden_id=5&presiden=megawati
2/06/2016 11.59 AM
[18] Perempuan
Arab Saudi akan gunakan hak pilih untuk pertama kalinya. Accessed from http://www.bbc.com/indonesia/dunia/2015/12/151210_dunia_saudi
10/06/2016 12.37 AM
[19] Bernbard Platzdasch, Reaksi Islam Terhadap Presiden Wanita, dalam Chris Manning
& Peter van Diermen (ed.), Indonesia in Transition, Social Aspects of Reformasi and Crisis, Institute of Shouteast Asian Studies, Singapore, 2000, terjemahan
Landung Simatupang et al., Indonesia di Tengah Transisi,
Aspek-Aspek Sosial dan Krisis, LKiS, Yogyakarta, 2000,
page 403-418.
[21] Accessed from http://video.metrotvnews.com/360/nbwJmxJN-tokoh-islam-tingkat-dunia-berbagi-pemikiran-dengan-indonesia , 27/05/2016 14:30
