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Indonesians issue "true jihad" fatwa
The fatwa or religious edict issued by Indonesia's Islamic organisations on Thursday, to disseminate the teachings of "true jihad" among Muslims across Indonesia and impart how it differs from the sin of terrorism, is a step in the right direction towards combatting the deadly phenomenon, according to religious commentators interviewed by Adnkronos International (AKI)."I think it will have an effect. The fatwa says that terrorism is anti-Islamic and this might make those who associate with Jihad think about it," said Ahmad Najib Burhani, a lecturer in theology and philosophy at the Syarif Hidayatullah State University (UIN). Indonesia's Ulema Council (MUI)'s decision to issue a fatwa agaist terrorism was reached during a meeting in Jakarta on Tuesday and confirmed during an encounter between representatives of the MUI and Indonesian vice-president Joseph Kalla in Jakarta on Thursday. The two largest Muslim organisations in Indonesia - the Nahdatul Ulama (NU) and the Muhammadiya organisation - indicated support for the fatwa, which is non-binding on Muslims. The MUI will also approach other Islamic groups previously sidelined for their alleged linkes to radical Islam, such as the al-Mukmin Islamic boarding school in Ngruki, Central Java - founded by Islamist terror network Jemaah Islamiyah's alleged spiritual leader, the cleric Abu Bakar Bahshir, currently serving a jail sentence for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombings that killed over 200 people. "The MUI is only one of the religious authorities in the country. It needs the others' support," said Burani. "I think Muhammadiyah will support it, but they will need to add that terrorism is not just born out of a distorted ideology but is also a consequence of the American behaviour in Iraq and Afghanistan and the treatment of the Palestinians," he added. Burhaini is also a member of Permudea Muhammadiyah, the organisation's youth wing. Masdar Farid Massudi, a member of the NU's board of directors, share Burani's view. "I hope and believe that will help but we must work together. We must talk and convince the ulema they are the ones who talk to the people," he said. "If a boy thinks his life is worthless and his death is worth more, and then blows himself up, the problem is one of deprivation and ignorance, and not only a religious issue. The problem is not limited to the Muslim community. It is also a social problem for society at large," he added. The NU has instructed all of its boarding schools (pesantren) and preachers, as well as its affiliated groups, to explain to the public that terrorism is not a legitimate form of Jihad, because "the enemy and the victims are too random," the Indonesian English-language daily Jakarta Post quoted one of the leaders, Ahmad Bagja as saying on Friday. Posted by: Dan Darling 2005-11-18 |
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