The Jakarta Post, July 10, 2007
Denials of religion violence
Ahmad Junaidi, Jakarta
A few weeks ago, spectators and jurors on the Pildacil young Islamic preacher
contest, aired on television station Lativi, nodded when a participant replied, "Mati
syahid" (die as a martyr), in response to a question about his desires.
"Die as a martyr" is the dream for many young Muslim men. An Islamic political party
even uses the quote as a tagline on party stickers.
This should not come as a surprise for Indonesian. Ulemas often tell their followers
that God will provide 40 angels for martyrs in heaven. These beautiful women will
remain virgins, although they will be married to the martyr eternally.
Every time a terrorist attack occurs or police arrest a jihadist, moderate Muslim
leaders urge the public not to associate Islam with violence. But radical ulema accuse
the U.S. and Israel of being behind the attacks, in an attempt to undermine Islam.
Many Muslim leaders, including kyai, insist Islam does not teach brutality, but rather
love and mercy. They blame poverty and social injustice for causing the violence.
However, deep in their hearts, the kyai remember that they were taught -- and then
taught their students -- to fight Islam's "enemies", the kafirin, or "infidels": Christians
and Jews.
They indoctrinate their followers in God's words that the Jews and Christians will never
be sincere until Muslims surrender to the infidels.
In pesantren, or Islamic boarding schools, and madrasah, students are presented with
blurred pictures of the so-called opponents of Islam, from the early period of the
religion to the current era.
So when asked what they want to be in the future, it is unsurprising many of the
pupils reply they want to die as a martyr.
Religion-rooted antipathy toward the "other" is easily found in the basic teachings of
Islam, but in Indonesia this hatred, especially against the Jews, really began to take
off in the 1950s.
Before that time, mainly during the Dutch colonial era in the 1900s, Jewish
communities lived in Jakarta and Surabaya peacefully.
According to Islamic expert Martin van Bruinessen, the animosity against Jews was
caused mainly by the Palestine problem. The hatred spread through translated books,
especially, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Egypt.
The book, which was written by anti-Jewish groups in Europe, has contributed
significantly to the growing anti-Semitism in the Islamic world, including Indonesia.
Judaism -- also Western culture (read: Christianity) -- with its rationalism, modernism
and secularism, is often viewed as a symbol of hatred against Islam. An inferiority
complex causes many Muslims to resort to violence in the face of this cultural defeat.
And this becomes all the easier because the religion provides them with ideological
bullets.
The "bullets" are used to justify their struggle against the "enemies". And the foes are
no longer just the Jews and Christians, but also Muslims who oppose their battle.
So, we see terrorists like Bali bomber Amrozi and the recently arrested Abu Dujana
smiling as they explain their brutal actions.
Using law enforcement against the terrorists is undoubtedly imperative. Police should
continue to do their job amid certain biased local media that condemn the arrests of
suspected terrorists as human rights violations and praise the criminals as heroes.
Islamic leaders needs to admit that their religious teachings often can be applied to
justify the use of violence. Simple denials of the existence of religious-based hatred
will no longer do.
A reinterpretation of Islamic teachings, based on sociological and historical contexts,
is necessary. Universal values, such as love, peace, tolerance and justice, which are
implied mainly in the earlier verses of the Koran (known as Mecca period verses)
should be promoted.
The misleading interpretations of the teachings -- which then formed fiqh (Islamic
laws) -- are not only manipulated for the justification of hatred, but also misused to
conduct violence against women, for instance.
Claims from gray-hair scholars that Indonesian Muslims are mostly moderate should
not cover up the growing elements of radicalism in society.
The war against terrorists must be pursued along with the war against the ideologies
of terror, hatred and violence. Extinguishing a fire is an emergency action, but
teaching people to prevent the flame is more substantial.
It would be a good idea to look at the books in our schools and get rid of any
elements of violence on them. The inclusion of multicultural studies from early grades
would also be helpful in spreading the seeds of peace and tolerance.
The writer is a journalist for The Jakarta Post.
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