Religion, September 11, the “war on terror” and “clash of civilization”: the future of religious diversity in Indonesia;

Tri Harmaji
History of Religions in Indonesia Part II: from c. 1900 to the Present

Religion, September 11, the “war on terror” and “clash of civilization”: the future of religious diversity in Indonesia; Noorhaidi Hasan, September 11 and Islamic Militancy in Post-New Order Indonesia, Bernard Adeney-Risakotta, The Impact of September 11 on Islam in Southeast Asia.

‘The clash of civilization’, like describes in the reading is a rejected theory to explain ‘the war against terrorism’ campaign led by United Stated of America with the main targets are Islamic country Afghanistan and Iraq following the September 11 attack on the two American symbols of superiority World Trade Centre and Pentagon. This theory is very dangerous to this campaign because the theory will make all ‘really’ Islamic country will not just give any support to the campaign but also will together against the campaign. But this theory, I think, is also not just like children story in bad. It perhaps has strong argumentations and reasons.

If we clean Islam from every modern (western) influence from philosophical idea such as human right declaration, gender equality etc. to material advantage such as technology, perhaps we can clearly see Islam as a really different civilization other than western civilization. To do this job now is perhaps very difficult because western modernity has profoundly penetrated Islamic world to their blood and bone. This penetration has been going on for the first time the two civilizations encountered. So many Muslim students from Islamic countries has gone to study in the western countries, learn it philosophy, ideas and technology, and then bring it back to their home countries to be implemented. What we can see liberal Islam in Indonesia for example is a kind of Islam that has already influenced by western philosophy and ideas. So what is the pure Islam then?

It is right that the Islamic version of radical fundamentalist groups perhaps is not the true and pure Islamic civilization. And perhaps there is no what is called as pure Islamic civilization anymore because Islamic world has together developed with western influences. But what is emerging from the phenomenon of fundamentalist Islam recently, perhaps, is really a sign that what is called as Islamic civilization is really exist. And this civilization is definitely different from western civilization.

If what I guessed above is right, then the theory of clash civilization is so not impossible. The well known crusade event is perhaps the first clash happened between these civilizations. Centuries later this first clash was followed by subsequent victories of the west over Islamic countries in the east by the policy of colonialism. Both clashes are definitely bloody and the second clash was ended in the nineteenth century by then ending of colonialism era. From these two clashes Islamic world had severely injured and many Muslim started to acknowledge the western superiority and went there to study. This last process has responsible for the sunk of Islamic civilization amid the powerful western civilization. Under this policy the idea or consciousness of the great Islamic civilization became more and more weaken among the Islamic communities especially Islamic people in Indonesia.

What is significant about the war against terrorism campaign of America toward Islamic countries is a wake up call for Islamic people to remember what they have lost today: their own civilization. The consciousness of Islamic civilization attacked and destroyed by western civilization then growing rapidly like mushroom in the rainy season. What is the end of this scene will be? In my opinion what is propagated by radical Islam now in Indonesia is definitely this theory, and on the other hand what is promoted by liberal Islam is the counter theory of it. And what we call as the future of religious diversity in Indonesia, in my opinion, will be decided especially by who is the winner of this struggle.