ISLAMIC STATE ACCORDING TO INDONESIAN MUSLIM LEADERS

At present there are two prominent muslim leaders in Indonesia - Amin Rais and Gus Dur. Gus Dur is the former chief of Nahdlatul Ulama, the biggest muslim organization in Indonesia, which has millions of followers. He is also the fourth President of Indonesia and the former chief of PKB (National Awakening Party), the third biggest party in Indonesia. Today although he is no longer the chief of NU and PKB, he is still a key figure in Indonesian politics.

Amin Rais is the former chief of MPR (People’s Consultative Assembly), a lecturer of political science in Gadjah Mada University and the former chief of PAN (National Mandate Party). He is also the former chief of Muhammadiyya, the second biggest muslim organization in Indonesia. In 2004 he ran for presidency but he failed.

Members of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyya form the majority of Indonesian muslim. Their members and followers are key elements of Indonesian Islamic parties. PKB and PPP are parties for NU members while Muhammadiyya’s members and followers prefer PAN and PKS (Social Justice party). In today’s cabinet they hold several key department like department of education, transportation, and religious affairs. In the parliament they are majority. So Amin Rais and Gus Dur are the most important muslim politicians in Indonesian politics today. They can make or break any political leaders. Amin Rais for example, could bring Suharto down from his office, make Gus Dur as president in 1999 and then overthrew him in 2001. No wonder that people consider him as a ‘king maker’. Since Idonesia is the biggest muslim country in the world, their muslim leaders have significant influence in the muslim world.

Bearing in mind their strategic value, it is interesting to know their views on politics especially on Islamic state. How do they view Islamic state ?

According to Gus Dur, there is no such thing as Islamic state. He believes that in the Holy Koran there is no order from God to establish an Islamic state. In the muslim tradition there is no such idea either. Even the prophet did not leave any Islamic state. In the Indonesian case he believes that the state ideology Panca Sila or five principles is final. The substance of Panca sila is democracy, social justice and pluralism. It is not theocracy.

Amin Rais has similar idea. He also believes that there is no clear order in the Holy Koran for muslim to build an Islamic state. He believes that the most important thing is not the structure or the label but the substance. The most important substance is justice. There is an order to create just society. He is sure that muslim must rebuild the social system that creates injustices. They must restructure the economic and political structures. This struggle will collide with political interests. Political and economic elite will surely try to preserve status quo. The Holy Koran gives example from history in the case of Moses and the Pharaoh. Moses rebuilt the unjust and oppressive society of ancient Egypt. Consequently he collided with the interests of Pharaoh.

Islam is not only about rituals and spiritual things like praying, fasting, and alms giving. It is also about justice. The central idea of Islam is monotheism. Islam is the true monotheistic religion. Muslim must worship god only. It is stricly forbidden to worship god’s creation. Islam promote egalitarianism. It is forbidden to worship any leader. Consequently Islam rejects cult, bondage, slavery, authoritarianism, dictatorship and any discrimination.

Any political system which lacks justice are not Islamic eventhough its label is Islam. Thus Islamic kingdom, sultanate, or empire are not Islamic if they are oppressive and unjust. Therefore Amin accepts democracy because it is not contrary to Islamic values.

Islam offers social justice and freedom from misleading belief, freedom of expression, freedom from bondage and slavery, feeedom from oppression, freedom from tyranny. Islamic society is a democratic, free and egalitarian society.

But Amin also admits that historic Islam is different from original or ideal Islam. Islam in reality is different from Islam in theory. There are problems in its implementation. Even there are deviation. For example worshipping saints and certain tombs. There are kingdoms, sultanate and empire which label is Islam but there is no justice. They are oppressive and nepotistic instead.

It means degeneration of belief (aqidah) that will obstruct dynamics and creativity. Furthermore there will be socio-political degeneration. Muslim will tolerate explotative, tyrannic, absolute powers. Therefore unjustices are common in muslim societies while Islam strive for justice. Islam after the Prophet died fell into such practices. Sultanate and kingdoms were unjust, nepotistic and oppressive. Socio-political situation at that time was contrary to the principles of equality and justice in Islam. That’s why it is urgent to renew Islamic thinking continously.

For Amin Rais muslim must implement social justice to eliminate imbalances in the society like conglomeration, monopoly, oligopoly etc. Eliminating takhayul and khurafat (believe on superstition), and bid’ah (misleading belief) is not enough.

In Indonesian case Amin accept the state ideology Panca sila (the five principles) because it is not contrary to Islam.

In short, for both leaders Islam never orders its followers to build Islamic state. Islam is values. Its core values are monotheism, justice and equality which can be applied to political activities. So they focus instead on the creation of Islamic society in which justice and equality exist. As for form or label of a state is not important. It may be in any form or label.