Limited Space: Religion and Politics in the New Order Era

By Roma Ulinnuha

In the strong patronage of authoritarian power, many people say that Indonesia under the New Order era is seen as both bless and dismay. In the massive developmental jargon, the regime seemed quite reluctant promoting the religious realm in its truest sense. People were carefully alert to the religious discussion since it related to SARA (ethnic groups, religion, race and inter-groups) issue. In the process of the era, government tended to establish the artificial stability which was actually kept the waves of inconvenience among the citizen. The evidence is the end of the regime due to economic and political instability.
Aragon (2000) questioned the model of policy why Indonesian government did not necessarily relate the Christianity and ‘world religion’ to define modernity and national development (p.39). The response is surely easy to say in the common view of the wide Indonesian region, but it does not mean ‘people who do not yet have a religion’ has been taken seriously into consideration during the era. This segment, I think, occurred as the regime wanted to control the stability. One of the ways to carry out is to make religion as a reductive religious teachings and symbol. In political realm, government merged the aspiration of many religious facets into PPP which was not really satisfied the common people. Even a lot of religious moments were colored with the interest of the mono-loyalty to the government issues and policies.
As powerful regime but tended to dictatorship, Leo Suryadinata (1995) argues that Indonesia under Soeharto wanted to play role in the world affair. In approaching the issue of Palestine-Israel, many moments were engineering the Non Alignment Movements. In this case, Suryadinata argued that religion was not a major consideration for Indonesian Foreign Policy (p.295). I do agree with Suryadinata’s notion that religion is not significant factor in directing Indonesia’s policy at the time. The intensive notion I believe is the political interest to play role in international affair despite the fact that the regime was too far violating the national affairs—of freedom of religion, speech and expression.
Readings:
Lorraine V. Aragon, Fields of Lord: Animism, Christian Minorities, and State development in Indonesia (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 2000);
Leo Suryadinata, Islam and Suharto’s Foreign Policy: Indonesia, Middle East and Bosnia, Asian Survey, March 1995

THE INCLUSIVE NOTION FOR HUMANITY by Roma Ulinnuha

Islam and Java have been always an interesting notion to discuss not only on the relation between the Islamic faith and the Javanese cosmogony, but also the essence of tolerance and inclusiveness in Indonesia legacy. The close relation of the Islamic sphere on the one side and the Javanese culture on the other—as noted by Ricklefs (2007: 31) is manifest but it is also significant to note the virtues legacy of the institution.
The founding father of the Nahdlatul Ulama, K.H. Hasyim Asy’ari during his intellectual work had been studying almost all disciplines particularly on hadits (2005: xiii). In Tibyan, Asy’ari emphasizes the implementation of how a Mu’min should act to the other individuals so that the social disharmony is avoided. This is a central factor, I think, that is sometimes forgotten now by both internal and external relationships of the religious entity. In relation to sufism, mysticism and tradition, they are inherent in the institution, but I think, the idea should be more pointed on a refreshing initiative to widen a problem-solving of the civilization. If Muslims could grasp the contextual aspect of those traditions, I believe, the inclusive and tolerance stances could be succinctly accomplished, not the separation and extremity.
Furthermore Islam had been introduced by Sufi particularly in Java (2003: 3). The Walisongo has initiated the Pesantren, as the majority of Ulama believed, to maintain the spiritual development. In its later development, the Javanese Sufism focuses more on its mysticism aspect. In the midst of XIX and the beginning of XX, there was ‘Islamic Revivalism’ in Java (2003: 15). One of the evidence of the revivals is the massive Islamic teaching. It is interesting that some teaching of Tarekat affected the Javanese Literature of Serat Centini and Wirid Hidayat Jati.
In this sense, I would like to reiterate that the inclusive notion has been indorsed in its fullest point in seeing this particular tradition. The traits are respectfulness, tolerance, open-minded, and mediation to fight against ignorance, intolerance, narrow-minded and extremity. History, I believe, does not only provide us with the bulk of historical records, but does support us on what humans can achieve for the betterment of humanity, instead of fulfilling the interest of individuals or groups. The hope of inclusive mode is the designated projection that becomes the challenge for the Indonesian Muslim in particular and the Indonesian citizen in general in the present and in the following mirroring the past legacy of virtues.

MC, Ricklefs, Polarizing Javanese Society: Islamic and other Vision-1830-1930, Singapore: NUS, 2007; Asy’ari, Hasyim, The Kyai: On Islam and Society, Yogyakarta: Qirtas, 2005; Zulkifli, Sufi-Java: Tasawuf-Pesantren Relation, Yogyakarta: Pustaka Sufi, 2003