Read on for more! - The WAHID Institute

The
WAHID
Report
on
Institute
Monthly
Editor’s Word
This edition of the Monthly Report is (still)
filled with tales of religious deviance, from Sukarno’s sect to Santriloka, Wahidiyah, Amaq
Bakrie and the Baha’i sect. Like each before
them, those accused of deviance were reported
to community figures or village authorities. The
response has varied, from the release of MUI
fatwa, police arrests or Bakorpakem’s disbanding of the deviant sect. Several cases end up in
court. The same formula is used over and over
and it always produces the same results.
Other incidents concern morality. Miyabi, an
adult film star of Canadian, French and Japanese
descent, arrived in Indonesia to public astonishment. Millions protested, including MUI. Controversy also arose over the launch of the Global
Ikhwan (Global Brotherhood) Polygamy Club in
Bandung. The club, established by former Darul
Arqam members from Malaysia, intends to promote ‘good and true’ polygamy in accordance
with Islamic law. Many demonstrated against
the club, including female activists and even
MUI, as it portrays polygamy as something to be
proud of, when in actual fact it harms women.
Unfortunately however, MUI did not go so far as
to urge that it be banned.
The issue of the caliphate is also given attention in this edition. As is public knowledge,
some time ago the Indonesian Muslim Students’
Congress discussed the implementation of an Islamic caliphate in Indonesia. This is by no means
the first time the proposal has been discussed.
Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), the organisation
most persistent in its promotion of an Islamic
caliphate, has held much larger gatherings at
the Bung Karno sports stadium. The concern
this time was that the event had the support, according to pamphlets, of the Ministry for Youth
and Sport and state universities such as the Bogor Agricultural Institute (IPB).
E
ti
di
Read on for more!.
24
No
v
em
be
0
r2
on Religious issues
Attorney General Investigates
the Baha’i Sect
Nurun Nisa’
S
lamet Riyadi from Ringinpitu villag
in Kedungwaru, Tulungagung was
summoned by the Tulungagung
public prosecutor’s office, simply because
the 50 year old man was a member of
the Baha’i sect. Along with other Baha’i
members, Slamet Riyadi worships in ac­
cordance with Baha’i beliefs, which differ
from those of other locals, the majority of
whom are Muslim. Baha’i members marry
according to the Baha’i method and issue
their own marriage certificates. They also
ask that on their national identity cards
their religion be stated as Baha’i.
Both these practices have sparked
controversy and unrest, with locals even­
tually reporting the case to community
figures and local authorities. Karjito, vil­
lage chief of Ringinpitu, confirmed that
locals were uneasy with the Baha’i mar­
riage certificates and their request to have
their identity cards read “Baha’i”. “Because
the certificates aren’t officially issued by
the government, the locals consider the
relationship as de facto, and not a legal
marriage,” he said (surya.co.id, 27/10/09).
A similar report was submitted to
Abu Sofyan Firojuddin, secretary of the
09
www.bahaiviews.net
Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) in Tu­
lung agung. The report, from a resident
of ­ Ringinpitu, stated that members of
the Baha’i sect were practicing religious
teachings not recognised by the govern­
ment. “We have indeed received input
from a member of the community asking
that Baha’i teachings be regulated,” Abu
said (KOMPAS.com, 26/10/09).
On the basis of one report in which
a member of the community claimed to
have been disturbed by Slamet Riyadi’s
practices, the Tulungagung prosecutor’s
office summoned Slamet Riyadi to court.
“A member of the community and the
village chief reported the incident,” ex­
plained Slamet SH, Chief of Intelligence of
the Tulungagung prosecutor’s office (okezone.com,26/10/09).
Slamet Riyadi, along with Said and a
girl from Sulur, were interviewed privately
for two hours in Slamet’s office. Slamet
Riyadi claimed that the teachings he had
been introduced to by the late Abu Yusuf
of Tawangsari village in Kedungwaru, Tu­
lungagung were aimed at finding truth
and honesty (Seputar Indonesia, 27/10/09).
The attorney confiscated two Baha’i texts,
Publisher: The Wahid Institute | Directors: Yenny Zannuba Wahid, Ahmad Suaedy | Chief Editor: Rumadi | Executive Editor: Alamsyah M. Dja’far | Board of
Editors: Ahmad Suaedy, Gamal Ferdhi, Alamsyah M. Dja’far | Editorial Staff: M. Subhi Azhari, Nurun Nisa’, Badrus Samsul Fata | Translator: Rebecca Lunon
| Cover & Lay out: Ulum Zulvaton | Contributors: Noor Rahman (Jakarta), Dindin A. Ghazali, Suhendy (West Java), Nur Khalik Ridwan (Central Java and
Yogyakarta), Tedi Kholiludin (Central Java), Zainul Hamdi (East Java), Syamsul Rijal Adhan (Makassar), Yusuf Tantowi, Akhdiansyah (NTB) | Address: The Wahid
Institute , Jln Taman Amir Hamzah 8, Jakarta - 10320 | Phone +62 21 3928 233, 3145 671 I Fax. +62 21 3928 250 Email: [email protected] Website: www.
wahidinstitute.org. Published by The Wahid Institute in cooperation with TIFA Foundation.
■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
In reference to the Indonesian
Presidential Decree
No. 69/2000, the Baha’i
organisation was granted
permission to exist in Indonesia
the Kitab Baha’ullah (Book of Baha’i) and
the Kalimat Tersembunyi (Secret Scrip­
tures), which contained God’s conversa­
tions with His people. Both books were
published by Lembaga Majelis Rokhani
Baha’i Indonesia (The Indonesian Spi­
ritual Council of Baha’i), Jakarta.
Slamet explained that if the inves­
tigation was intended to obtain a di­
rect explanation about the Baha’i sect,
then it could be said the sect was an
­independent religion with no connec­
tion whatsoever with the six religions
formally recognised by the government.
“Whether it is deviant or not is up to MUI
and the Department of Religious Affairs
to decide. We don’t have authority for
that,” Slamet said evasively. Slamet Riyadi,
who is also head of a neighbourhood as­
sociation unit in Ringin Putih, declined to
comment. “Respect my right not to com­
ment,” he said (okezone.com, 26/10/09).
Abu Sufyan Firojuddin, secretary of
Tulungagung MUI, denied having au­
thority to make a decision. “We’re cau­
tious in handling this matter, especially
the demand that the Baha’i sect be dis­
banded. Because the sect has no con­
nection with the six religions recognised
by the government we are leaving the
decision to the state,” he said (KOMPAS.
com, 26/10/09).
This stance seems to have been
based on an MUI interview with Slamet
to determine what his religious practices
were. Slamet explained that the Baha’i
religion had a unique way of worshiping
that could be divided into short, medium
or long worship.
Baha’i members have freedom to
choose which to follow. They may choose
short or medium worship which begins
when the sun rises and ends when it sets.
“Or long worship lasts 24 hours,” Slamet
explained. Baha’i members pray once a
day and celebrate Lebaran after a 17 day
fast.
Central MUI begged to differ from
Tulungagung MUI. “If they are teaching
people to pray only once a day, then
that is deviant in itself,” said MUI direc­
tor Cholil Ridwan, when asked about
the emergence of the Baha’i sect in
Tulungagung (okezone.com, Monday
26/10/2009). According to Cholil, regard­
less of what name a religion may go by, if
it claims to have a different prophet from
any acknowledged in the six recognised
religions then it is deviant and must be
disbanded, even though it does not
claim to be one of those religions. As for
the Baha’i religion, not only does it have
its own Kitab Akhdas (Holy Book), it also
reveres the prophet Muhammad Husein
Ali and directs prayers towards Mount
Carmel in Israel. Slamet Riyadi did not,
however, publically confirm this.
The East Java MUI director, ­ Ab­du­shomad Buchori, expressed a ­nearly iden­
tical attitude, arguing that Baha’i doctrine
was proof of religious ­defamation because
only six religions were ­acknowledged in
Indonesia. ­Further investigation was nec­
essary if the Baha’i religion was to be rec­
ognised as a religion, but, Abdushomad
said, MUI did not have authority for this.
Did the Department of Religious Af­
fairs have such authority? The director
of Islamic Affairs of the Department of
Religious Affairs in Tulungagung, Kusnan
Thohari (otherwise known as Akhsan
Tohari), stated that his department and
MUI had taken steps to ensure that Baha’i
followers did not violate the law. Baha’i
­Islam has existed in Indonesia since 1967,
making Kusnan respond cautiously to
the matter in order not to disturb inter­
faith stability and harmony.
“As an institution, the Department of
Religious Affairs respects the adherents
of any faith or sect, so long as they do
not violate the law. Baha’i is not a reli­
gion, but is a sect. The government only
­acknowledges six religions,” Kusnan told
KOMPAS.com (26/10/09).
What Kusnan refers to when he men­
tions violating the law is the issuing of
unofficial marriage certificates, which
violates Law No. 1/1974 on marriage. Ac­
cording to this regulation, for Muslims a
marriage must be registered at an Office
of Religious Affairs, and for non-Muslims
it must be registered at a civil registry of­
fice. Should a violation occur police are
responsible for investigating the offence.
Before Slamet Riyadi was summoned
by the prosecutor’s office, Rudi Kristiya­
nto, Chief of Tulungagung Police, con­
firmed that he had already known about
the existence of the Baha’i sect. However,
he argued that police could not just dis­
band the sect to prevent possible social
unrest, all they could do was to monitor
the sect. “Because faith concerns human
rights,” said Police Chief Commissioner
Rudi Kristantyo (okezone.com, 25/10/09).
He claimed police had invited MUI, the
Department of Religious Affairs, and the
Tulungagung government to take fur­
ther steps.
The following day his attitude had
hardened. “We have made recommenda­
tions to MUI and the Department of Reli­
gious Affairs that Baha’i activities be tem­
porarily halted because their rituals are
unusual and are causing unrest,” he said
on Monday (okezone.com, 26/10/2009).
On the issue of the marriage certificates
he said police would coordinate with
MUI and Bakorpakem, which would nec­
essarily involve representatives from the
prosecutor’s office.
The Baha’i sect was established by
Bahaullah (1817-1892), who is believed
by followers to be God’s reforming
­messenger, sent after Abraham, Moses,
Buddha, Krishna, Zoroaster, Jesus, and
Muhammad (okezone.com, 26/10/09).
The primary message of the Baha’i sect is
unity of humankind. It was sent to earth
to break down the divisive walls such as
ethnicity, caste and religion between hu­
mans and to establish a foundation for
unification of the entire world.
In reference to the Indonesian Presi­
dential Decree No. 69/2000, the Baha’i
organisation was granted permission to
exist in Indonesia before being banned
by President Soekarno via Presidential
Decree No. 265/1962. M
Muslim Students Pledge to Establish Caliphate
Nurun Nisa’
N
o fewer than 5000 Muslim stu­
dents from all over the archipe­
lago gathered to attend the Indo­
nesian Muslim Students’ Congress (KMII)
facilitated by the Campus Propagation
Institute’s Coordination Body (BKLDK) on
y(18/10).
Erwin Permana, coordinator of the
BKLDK National Executive Body, told Media Umat during the congress that the
KMII completely overhauled the Youth
Oath (Sumpah Pemuda) pledged on Oc­
The WAHID Institute
n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
tober 28, 1928.
The KMII was one opportunity in
which students could shape history. “We
can learn from the 1928 Youth Oath, it
“With all our soul, we will
continue to struggle tirelessly
to implement Islamic syari’ah
under an Islamic Caliphate as
a comprehensive solution to
the problems in Indonesian
society and other Muslim
states.”
changed the youth movement allowing
it to be independent of the occupation
back then,” a postgraduate student from
UI said (mediaumat.net, 19/10/09). The
Youth Oath changed youths’ perceptions,
making them aware of the occupation
and motivating them to collectively rise
up against and expel the occupational
force. Unfortunately they only succeed­
ed in defeating physical or military occu­
pation. More subtle occupation in other
areas such as politics, economy, culture,
and education continue even today.
Thus as an alternative to such occupa­
tion, Muslim youths have now declared
the Student Oath. This oath declares that
Muslim students must struggle to over­
come all forms of non-physical occupa­
tion. If Indonesia was controlled by the
Japanese and Dutch before independ­
ence, today these occupational forces
have been replaced by the secular sys­
tem, which continues to torment society
and cause the nation to live in crisis after
crisis. Under the system, abundant natu­
ral resources and mineral wealth have
corrupted people, making them ­ unable
to live good lives. This is ­ considered
­dangerous for Indonesia and other Mus­
lim countries, and thus students argued
that the system must be replaced, and
must be replaced by a caliphate. The
idea resembles the objectives of Syeikh
Taqiyuddin an-Nabhani’s transnational
organisation, Hizbut Tahrir.
The third point of the oath describes
the students’ commitment to erecting
a caliphate, “With all our soul, we will
continue to struggle tirelessly to imple­
ment Islamic syari’ah under an Islamic
Caliphate as a comprehensive solution to
the problems in Indonesian society and
other Muslim states.”
The oath was to be read out in the
Basket Hall, Senayan, Jakarta. However,
lacking police authorisation, it was even­
tually moved outside. Apparently, ac­
cording to the organising committee,
the Ministry for Youth and Sport had lob­
bied Jakarta Police to obtain permission
for the event, which had the complete
support of the Minister for Youth and
Sport, Adyaksa Dault. In addition to be­
ing sponsored by this Ministry, the event,
as noted in its pamphlet, was also spon­
sored by the state Bogor Agricultural In­
stitute (IPB).
The Campus Propagation Institute
(LDK) is a tarbiyah movement, similar to
Ikhwanul Muslimin (the Muslim Brother­
hood) established by Hasan al-Bana in
Egypt in April of 1928. The movement
does not use the term Islamic Caliphate,
but rather Islamic state as a state has ter­
ritorial boundaries whereas a caliphate
does not. Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI),
established by Taqiyuddin an-Nabhani,
does indeed have a large presence at IPB.
The group, to quote Imdadun Rahmat
(2005), first emerged in Indonesia at the
IPB campus after being brought to the
country by M Musthofa and Abdurrah­
man al-Bahgdadi. Did IPB support the
event for this reason? M
MUI Opposes Miyabi’s Arrival
Nurun Nisa’
M
UI opposed the intended ar­
rival of Miyabi aka Maria Ozawa,
who was to star in a Maxima
Pictures production in Indonesian. The
reason they offered was that Miyabi is
considered to symbolise the porn world
and her arrival would damage the image
of the Indonesian religious community.
Thus, although she would come dressed
in neat clothes that covered her whole
body, KH Ma’ruf Amin, director of the MUI
Fatwa Commission said that MUI would
still oppose her visit to Indonesia..
“We are still opposed even
though she is not dressed
indecently. Miyabi is the face of
porn. There’s no hiding that”
KH. Ma’ruf Amin , MUI Fatwa
Comission
“We are still opposed even though
she is not dressed indecently. Miyabi
is the face of porn. There’s no hiding
that,” he said (Kompas.com, 13/10/09).
The WAHID Institute
Although the film was to be purely a
­comedy, Ma’ruf Amin’s opinion would
remain unchanged unless star Miyabi re­
tired from the world of porn. In addition,
he argued that Miyabi’s presence in Indo­
nesia would damage Indonesia’s image.
“And don’t we have enough Indonesian
actors to need to go importing others?”
(detik.com, 18/10/09).
Meutia Hatta, Minister for Empower­
ment of Women, agreed with MUI, ar­
guing that Miyabi’s presence would be
more harmful than anything else. “What’s
more, we’ve got the Anti-Pornography
Law,” she said (Liputan6.com, 13/10/09).
Meutia Hatta suggested that Miyabi be
filmed outside the country. If it were Julia
Roberts, Meutia would have no objec­
tions as her films tell of beautiful spiritual
journeys and not pure physical desire.
Miyabi’s planned arrival has raised
much controversy. Ulama have opposed
it because they see her as an icon of por­
nography that would destroy the nation.
“If it’s only going to cause damage in our
country, why was she invited here,” Rid­
wan Lubis from the NU executive branch
asked (Republika, Monday 12/10/09).
Ichwan Syam from MUI said that it was
out of place that she should be invited to
Indonesia at a time when the nation was
fighting hard against pornography.
FPI even planned to storm the Maxi­
ma Pictures office in Mangga Dua. They
were met by Maxima management but
no agreement was reached, and FPI even­
tually threatened to blockade Soekarno
Hatta airport if Miyabi came (Liputan6.
com, 10/10/09). Similarly, members of
Kudus IPPNU demonstrated, burning
items displaying criticism of Maria Ozawa
and pornography, and further critici­
sing her in speeches (Metrotvnews.com,
11/10/09). A number of Kudus STAIN
students and local parliament members
held similar demonstrations.
However PMII activists of Makassar Is­
lamic University found this inappropriate.
Instead, they demonstrated with posters
expressing their support of Miyabi’s ar­
rival, such as “Regulate Your Morality and
Character, No Need to Regulate Miyabi”.
■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
Ubaidi, action coordinator of the event,
said that they did not agree with the op­
position to Miyabi, which was, for them,
equivalent to rejecting Indonesia’s equal­
ity of rights and democratic values.
Furthermore, Ubaidi said, many other
things needed to be regulated first, in­
cluding the immorality of government
officials. “If Miyabi is opposed because
she has starred in indecent films, what
about our officials or legislators who own
those kinds of indecent films? Are we
brave enough to kick them out?” Ubaidi
asked (detik.com, 14/10/09).
Miyabi was to star in the film “Kid­
napping Miyabi” to be produced by Ody
Mulya Hidayat. The film, scheduled to
be released at the end of the year, tells
about three Indonesian students who
plan to kidnap Miyabi after discovering
that their idol is currently in Jakarta. Mi­
yabi or Maria Ozawa is a Japanese porn
star of Japanese-French descent, born
in 1986. A survey on access to porn in
Indonesia revealed that Miyabi was the
most accessed artist for each of the last
five years. Miyabi eventually cancelled
her plans to visit Indonesia, but the con­
troversy has proved a blessing for traders.
Miyabi’s DVDs are highly sought after on
the market. So who has really benefited?
M
Polygamy Club Sparks Controversy
Nurun Nisa’
I
n 2003 people were stunned with
the announcement of an award for
polygamy. The Polygamy Award, as it
was called, was Puspo Wardoyo’s idea to
show respect for those men considered
to be successful polygamous. This man
with four wives certainly sparked con­
troversy with his announcement; to the
point several female activists boycotted
his business, Warung Solo. Aa Gym, a
recipient of the award, was heavily pro­
tested by his own community.
Polygamy is also a form of
violence against women,
as is stated in the CEDAW
(Convention on the Elimination
of All Forms of Discrimination
Against Women) which
Indonesia ratified in 1984.
Apparently the controversy did not
suppress the Global Ikhwan ­ Polygamy
Club’s enthusiasm during the club’s
launch. The Malaysian club was launched
at the Aquilla Hotel in Bandung on Satur­
day night (17/10/09) to the theme “Po­
lygamy is an Effective Remedy to Gain
Allah’s Love”. 150 invited guests from all
over Indonesia attended the event, as
did the club’s director, Chodijah binti
Am.
This woman, who has lived in a po­
lygamous arrangement for 30 years,
explained that polygamy was an effec­
tive remedy because a woman who has
been subject to polygamy will always ex­
perience difficulties in her life. “When she
experiences hardship, she will ask Allah
for help. Because the difficulties a wife
of a polygamous husband experiences
are never ending, she will always be ask­
ing for Allah’s help,” Chodijah explained
(ANTARA News, 19/10/09).
She admitted that as a woman she
had initially rejected polygamy, in fact
her whole family had rejected it, scared
that she would be unhappy and ignored.
But after living in a polygamous arrange­
ment for three decades, she has received
Allah’s love as she has communicated
with Him so much.
Chodijah did not deny that the
­establishment of her polygamy club in
Indonesia would be opposed by many,
especially women. “It was also the case
in Malaysia when it was made public
the first time, but now everybody has
­accepted it,” she said.
So how has the club been received in
Indonesia? The director of West Java MUI,
Hafidz Usman, questioned the club’s ex­
istence and its apparently unclear ­benefit
to society. “What do we need a club like
this for?” he asked (tempointeraktif.com,
20/10/09).
Hafidz feels that the club’s establish­
ment is unnecessary. He argues that a
group for men with more than one wife
is not needed as the issue is highly sen­
sitive within society. “Not for something
this sensitive,” he said. Marriage in Indo­
nesia was already regulated in legisla­
tion, and, he added, there is already a
Family Counselling Institution.
The general secretary of West Java
MUI, Rafani Achyar, said that the club
was causing social unrest, especially
amongst women. However, MUI had not
yet discussed releasing a fatwa banning
the club’s existence. A fatwa would only
be released if the unrest became seri­
ous, and even then the situation would
have to be investigated in detail first
through a survey or poll. MUI is however
monitoring the development of the or­
ganisation. The assistant director of West
Java MUI in the fatwa section, Rachmat
Syafe’i, was more direct. He stated that
if the polygamy club was causing social
unrest then the West Java branch of MUI
would request that it halt all activities
(Republika Newsroom, 22/10/09).
Female activists clearly oppose the
club, and its launch has hurt them. Po­
lygamy is also a form of violence against
women, as is stated in the CEDAW (Con­
vention on the Elimination of All Forms
of Discrimination Against Women)
which Indonesia ratified in 1984. “Clearly,
this polygamy club violates the conven­
tion to eliminate all forms of violence
against women, which the govern­
ment has already signed. One form of
violence mentioned in the convention is
polygamy,” said Elin Rozana, coordinator
of the Women’s Institute (ANTARA News,
19/10/09).
Elin explained that opposition to the
club was based on information suggest­
ing that polygamy causes psychological
pressure, physical torture and neglect of
women and children. Although opposed
to the club, Elin will not disband it as she
does not have the authority to do so.
Malaysian figures have also made
complaints about the club. One claimed
that the conditions in Islam required to
marry just one woman are very strict.
That is, one must be spiritually and phys­
ically healthy, and economically capable.
Let alone to take more than one wife.
“Essentially, the issue of polygamy is a
private and individual matter. I oppose
that it is being made into a movement
like this,” said the assistant director of the
Indonesian Malaysian Religious Propa­
gation Foundation (YDMI), Datuk Mohd
Nakhaie Ahmad (Indopos, 23/10/09).
The polygamy club was initially es­
tablished in Malaysia under the Global
Ikhwan organisation, and led by Abuya
Ashaari Muhammad (Media Indonesia,
22/10/09). The club now boasts a mem­
bership of about 300 families. In Indone­
sia there are currently 36 families who
The WAHID Institute
n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
actively participate in the club’s activities,
coming from Jakarta, Bandung, Tasikma­
laya, Wonosobo, Pekanbaru, Aceh, and
Medan. Several public figures have been
in communication with the club, though
they are not members themselves. They
include, for instance, Amy, lead vocalist
for the band Search Malaysia who be­
came famous for his song Isabella, and
Aa Gym. “That was during his first mar­
riage, after his second marriage he hasn’t
contacted us anymore,” Umar said of the
famous preacher from Bandung (detik.
com, 20/10/09).
Umar, who also has four wives, says
that polygamy is not just about sex. The
wives of a polygamous husband play cru­
cial roles in helping their husband with
his work. “Polygamy is only allowed if a
husband can be fair,” he told tempointeraktif.com (20/10/09). The concept of po­
lygamy that the club emphasises is that
polygamy is a form of worship and that
it teaches how to be a leader in a family
and how to divide and allocate tasks. “It’s
not just about fulfilling sexual needs,” he
said.
For example, he explained that what
he meant by allocation of tasks was de­
ciding who did what when he had to
travel to another city or country for work.
“If you have only one wife and she comes
with you, who will look after the kids?
With this method (polygamy), the chil­
dren are looked after,” he explained. As
for leadership in polygamy, it relates to a
husband’s obligations to his wives. And it
is here that his patience is tested.
Umar claimed that he was not con­
cerned with the opposition to the club.
“Their understanding of Islam is still
­shallow,” he said of those in opposition.
Not only that, he continued, but those
who criticise polygamy would have to
answer to God and Prophet Muham­
mad.
So great has the controversy sur­
rounding the club been that it has led
people to question Global Ikhwan in
the country of its origin. Apparently it is
not well known in Malaysia. “In Malaysia
Global Ikhwan is not so famous, and only
has a few members,” Nakhaie explained.
Consequently it comes as a shock to him
that it is talked about so much in Band­
ung. The club is intended to counsel
polygamous families, and to advocate
polygamy within society in accordance
with the Qur’an.
As for its origins, Nakhaie said that the
Global Ikhwan present in Bandung was
a splinter group of Darul Arqam. “I saw
that the members of Global Ikhwan were
Darul Arqam members, which has been
banned by the Malaysian government
for being a deviant sect,” he said.
He believes that Global Ikhwan is a
camouflage organisation, and in Malay­
sia has not registered itself as a social
organisation, but rather as an enterprise
that deals with making and selling bread,
cakes and in slaughtering animals. “Be­
hind that they go about their polygamy
club activities,” he explained.
Apparently, the Malaysian govern­
ment cannot ban Global Ikhwan be­
cause it is officially an enterprise, and not
a social organisation. Nor is it an illegal
organisation. Privately, Nakhaie does
not agree with making polygamy into
a movement. “Malaysian ulama are also
definitely opposed to it,” he emphasised.
Much of this is in line with what
Muhammad Umar, director of Global
Ikhwan, has said. The Global Ikhwan Po­
lygamy Club was established in 1990,
originally under the name Darul Arqam.
However at the beginning of 1994 Darul
Arqam was banned in Malaysia. Then in
1996-1997, the club was re-established
under the name Ruqafa, which in 2007
was changed again to become Global
Ikhwan. It was a foundation and enter­
prise dealing in clothing, bread, sauces,
noodles, toothpaste and so on.
However Umar denied that his group
had been labelled deviant and had been
charged with inciting unrest, arguing
that the club endeavours to fight against
prostitution and for social good. “What’s
the proof that we have caused unrest or
are a deviant sect,” he asked (wartakota.
co.id, 21/10/09).
Indeed, in Malaysia Darul Arqam has
been labelled deviant. It has been banned
from existing in Malaysia because it prac­
tices Aurad Muhammadiyah, a kind of
prayer which has been considered devi­
ant since 1994 when Mahathir Muham­
mad was in power. MUI in Aceh, West
Sumatra, South Sumatra, and in Riau, ac­
cording to MUI’s official website, issued
fatwa banning the organisation, which
were later affirmed by Central MUI.
Others have argued that this ban
against Darul Arqam in Malaysia was mo­
tivated more by politics, as it was feared
that its highly influential leader was chal­
lenging Mahathir’s popularity (see hidayatullah.com, 04/10/03). Syed Hussein Ala­
tas, a sociologist from Singapore, stated
in his book “Talqin untuk UMNO/Death
Prayer for UMNO” that Abuya would be­
come PM after Mahathir because of the
thousands of Darul Arqam followers he
had influence over. M
Purwakarta Regent Cancels Permit for Saint Mary Church
Nurun Nisa’
T
he Purwakarta regent has revoked the
building permit granted to the Saint
Mary Church for their planned con­
struction Bungur Sari village of Cinangka.
It came as a shock as the Regent, Dedi
Mulyadi, had already signed the letter of
authorisation.
The initial permit was cancelled with
document number 503/2601/BPMPSP/
X/2009 dated 16 October 2009 on Cancel­
lation of Authorisation for the Saint Mary
Church Catholic Church. The reason given
for the cancellation was that research un­
dertaken by the Forum for Religious Com­
munication (FKUB) and the Department of
The WAHID Institute
Religious Affairs of Purwakarta found that
certain conditions had not been met. “So
it was considered flawed,” explained Jae­
nal Arifin, director of the Purwakarta office
for National Stability and Social Protection
(tempointeraktif.com, 19/10/09).
The first requirement, that the congre­
gation consist of more than 60 people was
indeed met by the construction commit­
tee, but is technically flawed. That is, 45 lo­
cals in the vicinity of the church, as proven
by the addresses on their national identity
cards, were members, according to the
research undertaken by FKUB and the De­
partment of Religious Affairs. They argued
that another 15 people were needed to
satisfy the minimum of 60 people required
by the local government.
One man from the construction com­
mittee, Hadi, was reluctant to comment as
the case had been handed over to lawyers
(VIVANews, 20/10/09).
The director of the Jakarta Christian
Communication Forum (FKKJ), Theophilus
Bela, said that the cancellation was wrong.
He told christianpost.co.id (20/10/09), quo­
ting Romo Agustinus Made from Paroki
Salib Suci (regional chapter of the Holy
Cross), that authorisation to construct the
church was given after 60 locals had signed
■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
in its support. However, fear of being ter­
rorised by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI)
reduced the number of those prepared to
announce their support when they were
summoned by FKUB and the Department
of Religious Affairs. “FPI have expressed
their opposition to the construction of
church since last Ramadan, and are still
t­ errorising people today,” he said. Romo
Agustinus Made intended to meet with the
director of the Bandung chapter to discuss
the ­matter on Tuesday (20/10/09). M
Santriloka Throws Society into Tumult
Nurun Nisa’
T
hey say that the Santriloka sect,
based on Jl Empu Nala and in the
Panggerman area, became well
known in Mojokerto thanks to a VCD. The
VCD begins with a prayer for Muham­
mad, and the teachings presented differ
significantly from those understood and
practiced by most Muslims in Mojokerto.
The VCD shows a person thought to
resemble Achmad Naf’an or Gus Aan,
the leader of Santriloka, sitting in front
of a backdrop displaying the word “San­
triloka”. He is giving a sermon to his fol­
lowers on several matters, which many
believe to be the Santriloka doctrine.
Four kinds of prayer Santriloka:
Maghrib (Mageri Urip), Isya
(Isak-isakno), Subuh means
(Ojo Kesusu Labuh) , Zuhur
(Nduweni Budi Luhur)
Gus Aan says that Muslims need
not fast during Ramadan as Allah never
ordered them to fast during Ramadan.
Rather they should fast during Selo, the
ninth month of the Javanese calendar.
He also said that there is no point in
chanting La Ilaha illa Allah (There is no
god but God) every day, because even
if one million people did so, there would
still be only one God.
In addition, adherents need not bur­
den themselves with the obligation to
pray; instead the sect places emphasis
on remembering or thinking about Allah.
The confession of faith also differs from
that in Islam. Those intending to become
santri (religious students), are required to
swear allegiance with the confession of
faith after paying at least Rp 100,000 con­
cealed in a certain kind of flower.
Director of Nurul Huda pesantren,
KH Fakih Utsman, who found three cop­
ies of the VCD, asked police to monitor
and ban Santriloka sermons. Gus Fakih
also asked the local branch of MUI to is­
sue a statement damning the group. “We
are concerned about the community’s
reaction if they just see the VCD,” he ex­
plained. In addition, Gus Fakih was wor­
ried that members of society may join
the deviant sect, or act violently if the
recording was allowed to continue to be
distributed and watched without action
from authorities.
One of the sect’s most controversial
teachings is that concerning praying.
According to Gus Aan, God did not or­
der people to pray in the way Muslims
pray, and thus he teaches his santri that
they need not pray. Santriloka is familiar
with four kinds of prayer: Maghrib, Isya’,
Subuh, and Dhuhur. The Ashar prayer is
not practiced. Maghrib is interpreted to
mean Mageri Urip (fortifying life) with
wisdom, Isya means Isak-isakno (as much
as possible) do good to others, Subuh
means Ojo Kesusu Labuh (do not trust
easily) and Dhuhur means Nduweni Budi
Luhur (be moral). If one performs these
prayers, then there is no need to per­
form the Ashar prayer, as it means Ojo
Kesasar (do not be misled). Gus Aan says
that because it represents an order not
to be mislead or to deviate, then there
is no Ashar prayer. The technical aspects
of praying differ from the general way
­Muslims pray, with no ruku’ and sujud
(main body movements).
The Santriloka sect does not
­acknowledge the Qur’an in Arabic. “The
Qur’an is not from Arabic, but from
Kawi, Sanskrit, and old Javanese. The
Qur’an is an Arabic product used to colo­
nise the Indonesian nation,” he argued
(metrotvnews.com, 30/10/09). In fact, he
went on to say that the Qur’an had been
modified by people in order to bring
down Majapahit, Java, and the Pancasila.
“Who wants to take responsibility if the
Qur’an is wrong? Will the Prophet take
responsibility?” he asked.
Gus Aan added that many people
had made the mistake of claiming to
embrace Islam when they did not ­really
understand the religion. For instance,
the Dhuhur prayer actually originates
from the Javanese word luhur, but most
Muslims just pray in the mosque and in
accordance with how they have been
taught by ulama. So what does Gus Aan
base his knowledge on? He claims that
he gained his understanding of Islam
from several books, whose authors and
publishers he did not know.
In the midst of the controversy, Ach­
mad Naf’an claimed that the teachings
he was spreading were Islamic. “Feel
free to consider us not Muslim. But we
certainly are Muslims, we use the con­
fession of faith as witness to those con­
verting to Islam,” he said in the Santriloka
­compound in Kranggan, Gang 5 (detik.
com, 29/10/09). According to this father
of five, Islam is God’s teachings sent to hu­
mans through the Prophet Muhammad.
Thus, the essence of Islamic ­teachings is
the oneness of God, and the example of
the Prophet.
Gus Aan firmly expressed that
­Islam was not owned by a specific so­
cial ­ organisation or the Department of
­Religious Affairs, apparently in reaction
to the accusations of deviance that usu­
ally come from these organisations/insti­
tutes. “If we are banned from saying that
our religion is Islamic, who determines
what Islam means? If the Department
of Religious Affairs was to ban us in the
name of Islam, it’s basically the same as
if the department owns Islam,” he ex­
plained.
Gus Aan even accused institutional
intervention of being one cause of the
decline of Islam as a religion that ­teaches
the oneness of God, claiming that all
he wanted to do was to worship and
carry out God’s word in peace. Thus, he
­continued, the Department of Religious
Affairs could not determine whether or
not any individual’s religious belief was
deviant. This seemed to be aimed at the
department for its legitimization of ac­
cusations of deviance against the Sant­
riloka sect, as well as at those who have
made such accusations. He asked, if the
­Department of Religious Affairs owned
Islam, then would one receive merit from
the department every time one prayed?
He was not too fussed about being
labelled a follower of Javanism (Kejawen).
“If they accuse me of practicing Kejawen
(Islam mixed with Javanese culture), then
The WAHID Institute
n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
everyone else practices Araben (Arabic
Islam). But there is only one Islam,” he ex­
plained (detik.com, 29/10/09).
Achmad Naf’an was eventually taken
to the Mojokerto police station to pro­
tect him from angry locals (29/10/09). Ac­
cording to Pos Kota, before Gus Aan was
evacuated dozens of people swarmed
around Gus Aan’s house where he was
holding a sermon routinely held on Kamis Kliwon (certain Thursday nights in the
Javanese calendar). Irritated locals start­
ed to arrive after Maghrib prayers until
there were so many that the sub-district
head asked them to disperse to allow for
a meeting between Santriloka leaders
and authorities. They refused to accept
the explanation, and demanded that a
banner displaying the Santriloka name
be removed and that the occupants
of the house, which functioned as the
Santriloka headquarters, be evicted for
disturbing locals. The situation was only
getting out of hand and so the chief of
Mojokerto police, Police Chief Commis­
sioner Sulistyandri Atmoko ­ evacuated
Gus Aan in an attempt to subdue the
crowd’s anger and prevent any violence
from breaking out.
On the same day, the compound was
ordered to halt all activities by local vil­
lage authorities based on the unrest it
was causing and demands from locals.
The closure was put in place after talks
aimed at finding out which Santriloka
teachings were a problem and which
were accused of being deviant. “Despite
this, a halt on Santriloka activities will
only be applied after coordination with
Bakorpakem,” explained Acim Dartasim,
sub-district head of Kranggan (Pos Kota,
29/10/09).
Although willing to halt activities,
Gus Aan did not feel the same way about
having his sect accused of deviance. He
implored that his compound not be
closed down just for the sake of it. He also
asked that all parties be able to discuss
the true Santriloka teachings, and that
ulama and kiai not jump to conclusions
that his sect is deviant. If proven deviant,
Gus Aan has expressed his willingness to
be sentenced to death by decapitation
or other means. However, if not proven
deviant, and if Santriloka is able to prove
deviance on behalf of the kiai, then kiai
and their santri should be given the
same sentence. “If the ulama are guilty
of deviance, they should be decapitated,
as should the santri,” he added. Direc­
tor of East Java MUI, KH Abdus Shomad
Bukhori, has already called the sect devi­
ant. “The teachings are a clear affront to
Islam. And the sect must be disbanded
for insulting religion,” he explained.
After four nights at the local police
station and after receiving guidance
from several religious leaders from the
Department of Religious Affairs, MUI and
NU from Mojokerto, Gus Aan admitted
his guilt and repented. “I am prepared
to take responsibility and give guidance
to my several hundred followers,” he de­
clared (beritajatim.com, 02/11/09). He
has an estimated 700 santri from a vari­
ety of backgrounds. Most are from Mo­
jokerto, while some are from Jombang.
Several are young men bearing tattoos,
while others are former members of the
Mojokerto Legislative Council from the
Democratic Party. However the Santriloka
compound is not permanent because of
limited funds and lack of a place to build
a typical compound.
Santriloka is a theological study
group that emerged at a time when
the Indonesian nation was broken, both
morally and physically (www.santriloka.
net). Here, theology refers to God’s words,
which ­ describe His attributes and has
no ­ authority to give orders. Theology is
studied in order to bring humans closer
to God, who gave the order for them to
worship.
A broken or damaged nation,
­Santriloka argues, is signified by the
­presence of hatred and hostility ­between
fellow Muslims who argue about ­mistakes
and not the truth. In addition, such a
­nation is marked by much ­environmental
destruction and uncontrollable corrup­
tion. Humans and nature are no longer
friends. Consequently, ­Santriloka ­intends
to remedy the above situation by
­teaching their Muslim ­brothers about the
true Islam of their ancestors and which
made Indonesia prosperous during the
reign of the Majapahit Kingdom.
The name Santriloka is an abbrevia­
tion of the attributes the sect claims to
uphold, namely social (Sosial), ­upholding
the mandate (Amanat), ability to run
(meNata) one’s family and one’s self,
­observant (Taat) and obedient to the
truth, possessing respect (Rasa hormat)
of teachers, always remembering (Ingat)
to have self-control when studying (Laku)
teachings in an optimal (Optimal) man­
ner, and contributing (Kontribusi) to the
Muslim community and Nation. Amen.
Their website also displays a photo of a
man said to be K S Mustofa Wly AS alias
The Yellow Prince, who has a striking re­
semblance to Gus Aan. Unfortunately the
website was inaccessible after ­ October
29, even though several days before the
Wahid Institute had easily accessed the
site to research the matter.
Eventually Santriloka was officially
disbanded by Bakorpakem in Mojokerto
after a meeting to discuss the status of
the sect. “All agreed with that. We’re just
deciding when it will be disbanded,” vice
mayor of Mojokerto, Mas’ud Yunus, ex­
plained (Seputar Indonesia, 03/11/09). M
Sukarno’s Sect Accused of Sexual Perversion and Deviance
Nurun Nisa’
A
number of members from the
Babadan People’s Justice Forum
(FKMB) from Tawangrejo in Gu­
marang, Madiun approached the local
MUI office. They were there to submit a
complaint, No. 5/eks.FKMB/X/09, about
the “deviant sect” established by Sukarno
(45), a Babadan resident. It was signed by
Sutrisno, the head of the group, and Alim
Prakoso, the secretary.
They had taken the issue to FKMB
The WAHID Institute
because locals had begun to feel unsafe
and restless. FKMB then submitted the
complaint to MUI with the hope that MUI
would issue a fatwa that would ­ satisfy
the community, as neither police nor lo­
cal village authorities had been able to
do so.
Apparently locals had previously
raided Sukarno’s house in coordination
with local police, however they went
home empty handed. “The house was
empty and no one was living there,”
Wagimin explained (lensaindonesianews.
com, 14/10/09). Village authorities, he
­conti­­nu­ed, remained silent while the
locals demanded that Sukarno’s sect be
disbanded and he, as leader of the sect,
be dealt with harshly.
Unrest in the community was sparked
by several of Sukarno’s teachings that
the community considers deviant. For
instance, whenever the call to prayer
■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
Sukarno really angered
the community when it
became apparent that he
had impregnated two of his
students, Winarni (25) who
gave birth to a child who is now
eight years old, and Lina (27)
who is currently five months
pregnant.
sounds, Sukarno’s followers should block
their ears. His followers seem cynical and
make negative comments when ­hearing
mosque prayers. In addition, Sukarno
and his followers have spread news
that a new kingdom will emerge, and
­Sukarno will be king. “Sukarno also claims
to be able to communicate with the
spirits of the prophets, and to often visit
seventh heaven to see Adam. ­ Sukarno
has also said he is often approached by
Bung ­ Hatta and Supriyadi (a hero from
Blitar, Ed.) to show their respect,” Sutrisno
added (surabayapost.co.id, 28/10/09). Fi­
nally, Sukarno’s sect runs unusual activi­
ties compared to most religious groups
or sects, such as requiring all members to
gather every Monday and Friday at 1pm.
According to one man who lives in
front of Sukarno, Sukarno really ­angered
the community when it became ­apparent
that he had impregnated two of his stu­
dents, Winarni (25) who gave birth to a
child who is now eight years old, and
Lina (27) who is currently five months
pregnant. Winarni was ­ eventually mar­
ried to Sungkono, Sukarno’s in-law, while
Lina was married to Jaiman, one of Su­
karno’s students.
Both fell pregnant based on the
pretext that it was a requirement to
­completing their education. Sukarno
got away with his actions because when
asked to take responsibility he shrugged
it off and, according to ­ Wagimin,
r­ esponded that teachers were not
­allowed to marry their students and thus
one of his male students would have to
take his place instead.
KH Abdul Mukti Sofwan and KH
Mukaaromain Ihsan from Madiun MUI
promised to take further action against
the sect in response to social unrest over
Sukarno’s sickening behaviour.
After a meeting, KH Abdul Mukti Sof­
wan gathered his people and then began
coordinating with police and the Madiun
government to determine what steps to
take next. “The report we’ve been given
suggests that the sect is clearly deviant.
We’ll cross check it first after holding an
internal meeting,” he explained (Radar
Madiun, 28/10/09).
KH Mukaaromain Ihsan, director of
the Madiun MUI fatwa section, confirmed
this. “We are thankful. We will study the
proof before issuing a fatwa.”
M
Stage for Wahidiyah Sermon Vandalised?
Nurun Nisa’
A
1.5 meter high stage, 5 meters
wide and 6 deep, was to be used
on Monday night for a Shalawat
(prayers for Muhammad) Ahmadiyah ser­
mon (12/10/09). However, the night be­
fore the event people destroyed it using
stones and wooden sticks. The banner
attached to the stage was ripped down
and the wooden foundations pulled up.
It was not long before the stage fell over.
Unsatisfied, people went so far as to re­
move the nails from the wood.
“We demolished the stage and
won’t let the sermon be held
in our village,” said Ali, a local
resident
Those responsible for the destruc­
tion did not want Bandaran village of
Tlanakan, Sumenep to facilitate the ser­
mon at which KH Romo and KH Hadratul
Mukarrom Abdul Latif would speak. KH
Hadratul Mukarrom Abdul Latif is direc­
tor of Kedunglo Kediri pesantren, where
the Wahidiyah prayer group originally
emerged. “We demolished the stage
and won’t let the sermon be held in our
v­ illage,” said Ali, a local resident, (surya.
co.id, 13/10/09).
The reason for its rejection was, ac­
cording to one villager, because the
sermon would disturb the community
and it was unclear what prayer readings
would be used, except that they differed
from local beliefs. “What kind of sermon
is it? The ulama and kiai here don’t teach
those kinds of teachings,” another villager
said. The villagers hold such opinions be­
cause similar sermons have been held in
neighbouring villages.
The director of the Pamekasan
­De­part­ment for Wahidiyah Development
and Broadcasting, K Abdul Kholiq Fandi,
declared that the readings were ordinary
shalawat, like those read by Muslims in
general, and were not deviant. He did
admit that there were differences with
common shalawat but they did not go
so far as to violate Islamic beliefs. Those
reciting the prayers must go through
a series of specific actions in the shalawat ritual to develop their love in God
and His prophets. Wahidiyah followers
call this “Mujadalah” which means to
­experience the presence of the Prophet
within oneself while reading shalawat. As
for the hysterical wailing of congregants,
Kiai Kholiq explained that it was a form of
sincerity and submission to God.
The local opposition, he continued,
was due to simple misunderstanding. He
apologised to the village chief and the
locals for not having coordinated with
them previously. Many locals agreed
with and accepted this (ANTARA News,
12/10/09). A middle path was taken, and
the Wahidiyah sermon moved to a neigh­
bouring village. “It’s better than causing
problems which could turn into physical
brawling. We have given in and will move
to another location in Ambat village, to
the east of Bandaran,” Kholiq explained.
Chief of Tlanakan police, Police Chief
Commissioner Bambang Soegiharto de­
nied the vandalism. “There was no van­
dalism, the event, initially planned to be
held in Bandaran was just moved to an­
other village, Ambat, in Tlanakan,” he said,
attempting to clarify reports of the van­
dalism (ANTARA News, 12/10/09).
“We went to the venue in Bandaran,
but there was no protest whatsoever.
The venue was just moved, and it was
the event committee itself that chose to
move because the original venue was
too small. So there was no vandalism,” he
said. M
The WAHID Institute
n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
Prophet Pin Circulated in Makassar
Syamsu Rijal Ad’han
I
n recent times some quite unique pins
have been circulating in Makassar. The
pins depict several of the Prophet’s
friends, mostly Ali, and the Prophet’s rela­
tives such as Fatimah, Hasan and Husain.
Most extraordinary of all the pins is one
that features Prophet Muhammad.
The two responsible for the distribu­
tion, Bahanda and Irianto, were arrested
by police in their homes on October
14. Bahanda was found at his house in
Romang Polong of Somba Opu, Gowa,
while Irianto was at Jl. Andi Tonro III, No.
9, Makassar.
He claimed that in Iran the
items were not banned, but that
ulama only urged Muslims not
to distribute them.
Both are known to be active in the
Makassar branch of Jamaah Ahlu Bait
Indonesia (Indonesian Congregation of
the Prophet’s Family). Irianto, otherwise
known Ustadz Anto, is a preacher from
Jamaah Ahlu Bait Indonesia. He and his
wife, Mar, deny allegations that they
distributed the pins, arguing that they
only bought then from Bahanda. Anto
said that the picture of the Prophet Mu­
hammad was probably only someone’s
­imagination of how the Prophet looked.
He admitted that he did not believe that
the picture was the Prophet Muhammad.
“There is nobody who can really know
how Prophet Muhammad looks.”
Anto argued that there were many
depictions of the Prophet’s friends on
the internet, which he also regarded just
as depictions. In fact, one book describes
the Prophet Muhammad as having greyhaired armpits and long hair, which Anto
also regards just as a depiction. But why,
he asks, it that not criticised?
Anto believes that the picture of the
Prophet on the pin depicts him when
he was still 17 years old, before he had
become a Prophet. Thus the person who
had made the pin had not depicted the
Prophet, as Muhammad only became a
prophet at the age of 40.
Bahanda, a man from Bulukumba,
admitted to owning the pins, which he
brought back from Iran seven months
ago. He had been registered as a student
of Persian Literature at Hausa al-Mahdi
University. Upon his return to Makassar
he bought about 50 pins as souvenirs, as
well as about 100 stickers of the Proph­
et’s family. He had sold all of them to
Ahlu Bait members in Makassar for Rp.
10,000 apiece.
He claimed that in Iran the items
were not banned, but that ulama only
urged Muslims not to distribute them.
He believed they had been made as an
expression of love for the Prophet Mu­
hammad.
Anto and Bahanda are both ­witnesses
to the case and are currently undergoing
intense investigation, though both have
been allowed to return home. Accord­
ing to the Chief of Intelligence of the
Makassar Public Prosecutor’s Office, Didi
Haryanto, the Prosecutor’s Office is ready
to process those guilty of distributing
the pins (Fajar) for violating the Criminal
Code, articles 156 and 157 on religious
defamation. They face a maximum sen­
tence of 2.5 years in jail, in a case that
resembles the al-Qiyadah case of several
years ago.
“Don’t be provoked, this could
well have been done by those
who don’t like Islam and maybe
they want to provoke us.”
KH. Farid Wajidi
Elsewhere, an ulama from South Su­
lawesi, KH Farid Wajidi, reminded soci­
ety not to be provoked into take violent
action against certain organisations or
groups. “Don’t be provoked, this could
well have been done by those who don’t
like Islam and maybe they want to pro­
voke us.” He agreed that society should
protest, as the incident degraded Islam’s
prestige and honour, but that protest
should be smart and honourable.
Meanwhile Ustadz Baharuddin, a Mu­
hammadiyah leader in South ­ Sulawesi,
declared that the incident was ­blasphemy
in the name of the Prophet. He also did
not agree that the picture depicted Mu­
hammad when he was 17 and not when
he was a Prophet, because, according to
Baharuddin, Prophet Muhammad was al­
ways revered from the moment he was
born until his death.
M
Isti Raksa Rinjani Director Brought to Justice
Yusuf Tanthowi & Nurun Nisa’
I
n East Lombok Amaq Bakrie aka Papuq
Djunaidi or Abdullah, leader of Isti Je­
nar Raksa Gunung Rinjani, has become
quite well known of late. He claimed that
he had ascended to the seventh heav­
en and people called him a prophet.
Many community leaders came to him
­including district chiefs and employees
of the East Lombok government. His un­
usual claims are so controversial because,
according to H Muhasim, they have been
spread to other people, ­including Amaq’s
The WAHID Institute
own followers.
Amaq Bakrie claimed that he had
ascended to the seventh heaven three
times, the first in 1975 and the last in
2005. His first ascension took him to the
seventh heaven and purified his heart
when he was about to descend. He as­
cended using two ladders attached to
trees. He had been guided to the trees
by a supernatural voice.
The second ascension brought him
the archangel Gabriel who gave him a
certificate of a teaching called Isti Jenar
Raksa Gunung Rinjani. Isti Jenar means
the truth in our body, Raksa means
something that we care for in ourselves,
Gunung refers to our physical body, and
Rinjani means that humans are creatures
of the highest rank. He still teaches this
today.
In his third ascension, Amaq Bakrie
entered a spiritual realm. The spirits
that he met called him father, a title he
refused to accept. However the spirits
■ Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
“People can call me anything,
but I didn’t say it”
Amaq Bakri
insisted because they saw the morning
star in him.
Amaq Bakrie claimed that through
these three ascensions he was given di­
vine inspiration. The inspiration includes
five elements: 1) the ability to directly
see, sense and interact with life in the
hereafter; 2) resurrection from death; 3)
being titled Pande Manusia (shepherd of
mankind); 4) becoming Jawa’, a guide to
the true path; 5) becoming a Nandang, a
preacher of the truth.
This divine inspiration led to rumours
that Bakrie claimed to be a prophet, al­
though he never explicitly did so. “People
can call me anything, but I didn’t say it,”
he said.
Sambelia district chief reported
Amaq Bakri for disturbing
society and defaming religion.
In addition to not calling himself a
prophet, he also questioned being ac­
cused of spreading his beliefs. Bakrie
argued that people approached him,
not the other way around. He recalled
a preacher from Mataram, who had re­
cently visited him to attend his sermon
and talk with him. He suspected that it
was the preacher who spread his contro­
versial teachings. “He did record me and
said he wanted to produce a tape,” he ex­
plained (Lombok Post, 09/10/09).
This man, who sought spiritual en­
lightenment from a young age, has finally
stirred up a controversy. Between his first
and second ascensions (1997 – 2000),
Amaq Bakri had been reprimanded, but
had not been worried by it. He was inves­
tigated by his village chief, district chief,
and community figures. “I remember in
1997, I was investigated 9 times. I was
very shy at the time, to be regarded as a
thief,” he said.
He has sparked a similar controversy
this time, and has been investigated
again. The interview was held in the Sam­
belia district chief’s office by a team from
the local government of East Lombok
led by the assistant secretary H Muhasim.
Also present were chief of the municipal
police Sudirman, director of the political
affairs agency H Syarif Walitulloh, director
of the Office of Religious Affairs Lotim H
10
Khairi, Sambelia district chief, the local
village chief, a number of religious and
community figures, as well as the chief of
Sambelia police and the commander of
the military. The reason for the interview
was that Bakrie’s teachings were felt to
be disturbing society—the usual reason
given for those claiming to be prophets
or considered to be spreading deviant
teachings. It was also to anticipate and
prevent religious defamation.
The hearing heard that on March 18,
2008 Bakrie had signed a declaration con­
cerning the errors of his teachings in front
of several witnesses, including Kasri from
the Sambelia Office of Religious Affairs. In
the fourth point of the declaration Amaq
Bakrie swore that he would no longer
teach such teachings. He confirmed this
in the hearing while stating that he still
believed in the ascensions he experi­
enced and the Isti Jenar Reksa Gunung
Rinjani certificate he had received. On
the other hand, he said he was willing to
forgo his beliefs if they were wrong. “Tell
me where they are false. If they are, I will
accept whatever the punishment may
be, even if it means death,” he explained
to the team, (Lombok Post, 13/10/09).
The East Lombok government team
sought confirmation on several other
matters, such as Bakrie’s holy book. Amaq
Bakrie was accompanied the ­ Dasan
Tinggi sub-village chief of Sambalia,
­Nasipuddin, and explained that one must
have followers first and swear an oath
before being given a book. To ­receive the
book congregants must attend the ser­
mon on the Thursday night of the week
Muhammad was born, bringing with
them a flashlight.
Amaq answered all of the team’s
questions openly, often receiving smiles
from the government team. Even though
he himself did not believe in Amaq’s
­teachings, Nasipuddin felt that Amaq
Bakrie’s investigation was unfair. He did
not understand many of the questions
he was asked, and was thus confused
when answering. In addition, his mysti­
cal beliefs could not be viewed from just
one perspective.
In the end, the team was unable to
reach a decision over the fate of this man
of 15 grandchildren. “We will study eve­
rything. Later we will let you know which
teachings are deviant and which aren’t,”
H Muhasim said.
Amaq Bakri’s case is likely to drag on
as long as those involving Lia Eden, Yus­
man Roy, and Ahmad Musaddek. Amaq
Bakri is currently being held at a hospital
in Mataram for mentally ill patients. He
was examined and taken to the hospi­
tal for further examination of his mental
condition last Thursday (15/10). Appa­
rently police were to investigate him on
Saturday (24/10/09).
This was apparently in response to
reports of his weird behaviour. “He’s like
an insane person. His congregants used
to carry flashlights in the middle of the
day. Let’s say they’re weird,” the Sambelia
village chief said. Both Mardi, the village
secretary, and Saleh, head of Sambe­
lia Community Council, agreed. Simi­
lar comments were made by a woman
whose children live next door to Amaq
Bakrie.
Sambelia police are already on the
case, after the Sambelia district chief re­
ported Amaq Bakri for disturbing society
and defaming religion. Police have inter­
viewed several expert witnesses from the
Department of Religious Affairs, Bakorpa­
kem and MUI, as well as some of Amaq
Bakri’s relatives.
Amaq Bakri’s family has been intimi­
dated by a vigilante group in East Timor.
The group threatened to slaughter Amaq
Bakri if he continued to claim to be a
prophet. As a result his relatives are seek­
ing police protection.
Isti Jenar sermons are usually held
three nights a week on Sunday, Tuesday,
and Thursday. About 40 people routinely
attend the sermons. “Many come from
far, from Sikur and Mantang (Central
Lombok),” he said.
He does not teach any specific doc­
trine. He has no book to teach from, and
no specific requirements. Only every
meeting the congregation is invited to
zikir (repeatedly chant part of the confes­
sion of faith). “If we’re doing well, we’ll do
it 5000 times. We only chant La ilahail­
lallah (there is no God but God),” he ex­
plained. He also does not demand that
congregants attend every sermon. Sang­
gar Putung teachings need only be given
once “Then it’s all about practicing the
teaching,” he said.
In the last two years Amaq Bakrie
explained that he had often been ap­
proached by preachers inviting him for
discussions and to preach in different
places. He did so, once for 40 nights. How­
ever, his experience doing so led him to
compare other preacher’s teachings to a
bottle of liquid. Just as one pours liquid
out of a bottle, teachings from textbooks
are given without their true meaning.
“They just speak the words, without
knowing their meaning,” he said. M
The WAHID Institute
n Monthly Report on Religious Issues, Edition XXIV, November 2009
12,000 Skirts in West Aceh to Replace Tight Pants
Nurun Nisa’
T
he regent of West Aceh has launched
a new policy banning Muslim
­women from wearing tight pants or
jeans. Those who violate the ­ regulation
will have their pants cut up and replaced
with skirts, to be provided free of charge
by the West Aceh government. The regu­
lation will take effect as per January 1,
2010.
“If any Muslim woman is caught in a
raid by Wilayatul Hisbah (WH, religious po­
lice) officers she will be given a skirt and
her pants will be shredded immediately,”
Regent Ramli S explained (serambinews.
com, 26/10/09). The regulation does not
apply to non-Muslim women, but they
have been asked to adjust their clothing
accordingly.
The punishment will also apply to
men who wear shorts that reveal parts of
their bodies that should remain covered.
But it remains unclear whether they will
be given free skirts as well, as there has
been no talk of free pants. It is also unclear
just how the raids and the shredding of
pants will unfold. The independently
elected regent admitted that the techni­
calities were still being formulated by the
local religious police.
The new ban was, according to Ramli,
based on results from a conference of
ulama in mid 2007. Ulama had at the time
asked that the government be proactive
in implementing syari’ah in West Aceh.
As well as risking having their pants
being cut up, those found wearing tight
pants will also face discrimination, in
the form of not receiving government
­services. The regent issued the ban be­
cause he felt that it was not ethical that
those wearing tight clothing, especially
women, should be seen walking freely in
public places such as government offices.
Thus, he continued, it was only fitting that
they not be served. “I will make sure that
any officials that violate this regulation
will be fired,” he threatened.
As if this was not enough, Ramli
also forbade traders in West Aceh from
­selling tight clothes that were un-Islamic.
“If they’re caught, they’ll be dealt with
harshly,” he said firmly. This was, however,
still on the drawing board.
So how have women reacted to being
the objects of the ban? Cut Mariana (32),
a resident from Meulaboh, has described
the ban as strange. “Regulating whether
or not pants can be worn is not up to the
The WAHID Institute
regent. There are plenty of other issues
that need to be dealt with, including mis­
managed funds. So why’s he focused on
women wearing skirts?” Mariana asked
rhetorically (Kompas.com, 29/10/09).
­Mariana also questioned where the
money was coming from to buy 12,000
skirts, arguing that rather than buying
skirts it would be better spent on the
poor and needy. Asmaul Husna, a student
from Meulaboh, held nearly an identical
­opinion of how weird the regulation was.
She felt the more clothing was regulated,
the more the regulations would be vio­
lated.
Iman Setiabudi, coordinator of West
Aceh Flower, argued that a policy on
clothing was not necessary. It was more
important to address how to make ­society
more prosperous, to fix ­ bureaucracy
­within government, and to address mat­
ters pertaining to the public in general,
including the issue of transparency. “For
instance, transparent bidding and pro­
curement for projects will bring society
out of poverty, amongst other things,”
Iman said (tempointeraktif.com, 30/10/09).
Iman urged society in West Aceh to not
take the issue too seriously because he
feared that doing so would sideline ­other
issues concerning transparency and
­control over policy making.
The director of the Ulama Forum
of West Aceh, Ummi Hanisah, said that
the regulation should be supported be­
cause Islam requires its adherents to wear
­clothing that covers their bodies. How­
ever, the regulation should be ­publicised
first so that when implemented society
will not be startled and will not complain.
“I hope this won’t just be effective in West
Aceh, but throughout all of Aceh,” he
­explained (serambinews.com, 30/10/09).
Misdariah, once a member of the Mus­
lim Student’s Association, agreed, argu­
ing that it would make women more
feminine and more respected and valued.
She claimed to be able to move unham­
pered when wearing a skirt. “Yeah, I can
and it’s safer to wear a skirt. Try it,” she said
(­rakyataceh.com, 31/10/09).
The regent seemed unfazed at the
possibility of negative reactions from
women’s groups. “If some groups are
­angry, they shouldn’t be angry at me, but
angry at The Creator who instructed all of
mankind in the world to wear clothes that
cover their bodies in accordance with
syari’ah,” he said in defence.
The Indonesian Minister of
Internal Affairs Gamawan
Fauzi hoped that other regions
would not copy Ramli.
The ban against tight pants and the
procedures for cutting them up will be
regulated in the form of a Regional Regu­
lation. However, according to M Juned,
director of the Agency for Islamic Syari’ah
and Empowerment of West Aceh, the
regulation must be legalised first by the
Governor of Aceh. If not, it cannot be im­
plemented.
The Indonesian Minister of Internal
Affairs Gamawan Fauzi hoped that other
regions would not copy Ramli. “We leave
it up to each area. But they don’t need to
regulate clothing. All they need to do is
to set general principles such as having
clean clothing that covers the body for
Muslims,” he said in Jakarta (serambinews.
com, 30/10/09).
The government’s stock of various
sized skirts grew to 7,000 last October.
The remaining 5,000 were set to arrive
from Jakarta on November 26. These
additional skirts, Ramli explained, were
donated by philanthropists who cared
about implementation of syari’ah in West
Aceh. The donation has been criticised by
the Civil Society Network (JMS), because
it is seen as a graft which should be re­
ported to authorities. “Because Regent
Ramli MS has received gifts from other
parties, which he says are philanthropists,
then he should report the gifts to KPK
(Corruption Eradication Commission) im­
mediately in order to determine whether
they are considered grafts or not,” ex­
plained Abdul Jalil, coordinator of JMS in
West Aceh (serambinews.com, 06/11/09).
The obligation to report gifts is based on
Law No. 30/2002 which addresses how to
report and determine the status of grafts,
while grafting itself is regulated in Law
No. 20/2001, especially in the explanation
of article 12B.
It remains unclear what the skirts
look like because the regent has not
­allowed journalists to photograph them.
He claimed that the place in which they
were being stored was still being kept ­a
secret. M
11
ANALYSIS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Accusations of deviance against those who differ from the norm are still common today. The Baha’i (Tulungagung), Wahidiyah
(Madura), Amaq Bakrie (Lombok), Sukarno (Madiun), and Santriloka (Mojokerto) sects have all been stamped deviant by MUI.
The reasons differ: they may not belong to one of the official religions, they may practice rituals that differ from mainstream
Islamic understandings, or they may resemble Javanism. However, the formula for resolution is always the same. MUI will
release a fatwa of deviance, police then secure the accused, and Bakorpakem moves in to disband the deviant sect.
Ability to gain permits for construction of houses of worship is a complicated issue, especially for minorities. They must show
that they have the support of their congregation and local residents and a letter of permission from the head of the neigh­
bourhood and community association units in accordance with the joint regulations of the Minister for Religious Affairs and
the Minister of Internal Affairs No. 8 and 9 of 2006. However, it does not mean that all will travel smoothly once the conditions
stated in these regulations have been fulfilled and the official permit been granted, complete with the signatures of appropri­
ate authorities. The case in Purwakarta proves that regents have the power to revoke authorisation – something that should
be impossible because the regent cannot possibly give a permit if the requirements are not met in the first place. The most
likely cause of the cancellation was pressure from certain actors that forced the regent to act strangely.
Those who aspire for an Islamic state were apparently able to hold a large event that drew masses of people, and were free
to declare the Student Oath, later published in mass media. More seriously, the event was supported by elements directly
connected to the state – a state ministry and an elite state university. Strangely, the only action taken by police was to stop
the event being held inside the Bung Karno stadium, without clearly or firmly stating that the planned event was promoting
an ideology that differed from the official state ideology.
Society, including community figures, apparently holds disproportional views when it comes to morality. Miyabi was op­
posed by almost all groups, including social organisations like MUI who are concerned primarily with religion, for being the
most popular pornography icon in the country despite the fact that she was to be starring in a non-pornographic film. Yet
MUI does not display a similar attitude when it comes to polygamy. It only condemns the practice without banning it as it did
with Miyabi’s case even though polygamy is just as uncivilised as is uncontrolled distribution of pornography.
The government apparatus continues to place emphasis on symbolic syari’ah when implementing Islamic law. This largely
involves disciplining women, as they are seen as dangerous. It is felt that their bodies must be covered, and this must be
enforced through a variety of regulations, some of which make no sense. Initially this involved regulations requiring women
to wear the jilbab, and today skirts are being provided free of charge. In fact those not prepared to wear skirts will not receive
government services, and those caught selling tight pants will be severely punished. Other more substantial issues such as
health and education that many people prefer be addressed are often neglected.
RECOMMENDATIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
The state and community groups need to come up with a new formula to resolve difference, often perceived as deviance,
within society. Conventional methods involving MUI, police, and Bakorpakem are ineffective in practice as almost all inci­
dences become violent. Part of the solution needs to involve strengthening awareness and improving education that em­
phasises the need to accept difference, and to accept the presence of others who adhere to different religions. Police action
only needs to be taken for those cases that are purely criminal, such as sexual perversion.
Authorities need to take further action to address society’s aspirations that the Baha’i sect be disbanded, because it is not an
illegal organisation based on Presidential Decree No. 69/2000. This must be emphasised because Baha’i members are con­
stantly facing accusations that their religion is not one of the six officially recognised religions or that their sect deviates from
Islamic doctrine.
Village chiefs must stand firm and be independent when enforcing the joint regulations of the Minister for Religious Affairs
and the Minister for Internal Affairs No. 8 and 9 of 2006 which address implementation of the duties of the village chief/­
deputy chief in fostering religious harmony, empowering the Forum for Religious Harmony, and establishing houses of wor­
ship. None, including members of the community, should be able to intervene with decisions made or force them to be
revoked because local chiefs must implement their duties based on regulations, not force or pressure.
The government needs to monitor groups that oppose the foundations of our nation, including students who determinedly
promote ideologies that oppose the Pancasila. State apparatus, such as certain ministers/ministries and educational institutes
(especially state universities), must also be monitored to ensure the state’s money is not used to oppose the state.
Society must be implored to view moral polemics more proportionally. Miyabi, an icon of the world of pornography, is just
as dangerous as groups or clubs who wish to promote polygamy. Promoting polygamy is clearly a form of group violence
towards women, and as with pornography, has negative impacts on the future.
Government apparatus should think about and implement Islamic law in regulations that stress substantial issues such as
health and education for the poor, lowering the death rate for mothers and babies, and clean and transparent governance.
These kind of regulations not only address the desires of the majority of Indonesians more than regulations on wearing the
jilbab and skirts, but they are also in accordance with syari’ah as through them the government is better able to serve the
people.