Exporting Religious Moderation
That Indonesian Islam will become a trendsetter, mecca or reference for Islamic civilization in other parts of the world has become a common assumption that we often hear.
The outcomes of the 34th Nahdlatul Ulama Congress in Lampung were a beautiful gift at the end of the year, as well as an invaluable blessing for NU as it enters its second century.
The process of transition and regeneration of leadership in the country’s largest mass religious organizations provides many valuable lessons about the mechanisms of democracy and competition that is healthy, fair, peaceful, elegant and dignified within the framework of religious values and boarding school morality.
The next challenge is, of course, on the shoulders of the new leadership duo: KH Miftachul Akhyar as rais aam (supreme leader) and KH Yahya C Staquf as general chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU). Both bear a very heavy burden and responsibility to continue the legacies and achievements of the previous leadership, the duo of KH Miftachul Akhyar and KH Said Aqil Siroj.
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The relevance of NU's leadership entering the second century lies precisely here: making the religious moderation that has been developed in NU and Indonesia a reference for a more peaceful, harmonious and just world.
Global reputation
That Indonesian Islam will become a trendsetter, mecca or reference for Islamic civilization in other parts of the world has become a common assumption that we often hear. That Indonesian Islam has produced distinctive and unique religious copies has also become common knowledge that we often repeat.
The question is what are the technical and operational details so that these assumptions and knowledge actually become a historical and global reality?
This means that we no longer need to linger in the puddle of myths and self-glorification about the "greatness" of Indonesian Islam, which is distinctive, moderate, tolerant and rahmatan lil alamin. What is needed is real work in formulating a planned, measurable and structured exportation scheme for religious moderation so that not only Indonesia can feel the "blessings" of religious moderation, but also other countries in the world.
In this context, the position of KH Yahya C Staquf as the new captain of NU is not a mere coincidence. He had already done some pioneering work when he was still the khatib aam of the PBNU. One of his achievements was leading the NU to sign the Nusantara Statement pact involving a number of world religious and political leaders in Yogyakarta, on 25 and 26 Oct., 2018, through The Second Global Unity Forum.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo was accompanied by Vice President KH Ma'ruf Amin (left), Rais Am Nahdlatul Ulama (PB NU) Executive Board KH Miftachul Akhyar (second from right) and PB NU General Chair KH Said Aqil Siroj (right) at the opening of the congress to -34 Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) at the DaarussaÕadah Islamic Boarding School, Central Lampung Regency, Lampung, Wednesday (12/22/2021).
Those involved in the pact built an agreement to call for "the will of all religious communities and nations to work together to build consensus in preventing the political weaponization of Islam, either by Muslims or non-Muslims and preventing the spread of communal hatred by strengthening the emergence of a truly just and harmonious world order founded on respect for equal rights and respect for the dignity of fellow human beings”.
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Second, NU already has an international reputation as the largest moderate Islamic organization in Indonesia. This reputation has prompted a number of international figures to look to NU as an alternative answer to the religious crisis that has occurred in a number of countries, especially in the Middle East, some of which are still hit by protracted conflicts. One example is the working visit of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to Indonesia in order to study the moderate Islamic model, especially the one developed by NU scholars (April 2017).
NUA's membership has now spread to 22 of the country’s 34 provinces and has been well received by the Taliban and the Mujahidin.
Recently, a visit to Indonesia was also carried out by the Taliban delegation (2019) to learn how to build democracy in the midst of pluralism. Indonesia-Afghanistan relations, of course, cannot be separated from the role of NU and NU Afghanistan (NUA) which was formed in 2014. NUA's membership has now spread to 22 of the country’s 34 provinces and has been well received by the Taliban and the Mujahidin.
The principle of religious moderation being developed exactly adopts the principles of NU-style religious moderation, namely tawassuth (moderate), tawazun (balanced), tasamuh (tolerance), i'tidal (fairness) and deliberation.
In addition to the peace program in Afghanistan, NU in Indonesia, of course, has attracted a number of leaders in Middle Eastern countries, such as Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Tunisia and Algeria. They are very attracted and interested in the model of religious moderation developed in the country, which contributes to the creation of a democratic, tolerant and inclusive state and nation.
In short, NU has a global reputation for playing a role in transmitting the model of religious moderation at the international level.
Commonwealth Scheme
The interest of Islam in the Middle East toward Islam in Indonesia is, of course, an interesting phenomenon to study. This may lead to a change in the constellation of the global religious map, which may reverse the pattern of relations between Islam in Indonesia and Islam in the Middle East, in a way that is far more balanced and just.
If, so far, this pattern of relations has been more "disadvantageous" to Indonesian Islam because Islam in this country is put in an inferior position, in the future, the exportation of religious moderation can become a bargaining tool for Indonesian Islam to make its position more superior, calculated and respected.
Apart from that, continuos conflict and religious violence in a number of countries in the Middle East seem to have tired them and made them more realistic about the "supremacist" religious dogma that they have been practicing for a long time.
Instead of producing a religious model that is full of civility and compassion, such a religious dogma actually creates protracted sociopolitical unrest among various factions. Rising rates of inflation, poverty and unemployment often follow when a country is hit by a protracted violent conflict.
KH Yahya Cholil Staquf (left) kisses KH Said Agil Siroj's hand after voting in the 42nd Nahdlatul Ulama congress at the University of Lampung, Bandar Lampung, Lampung, Friday (12/24/2021) early morning.
In the context of exporting a moderate religious model, we need to consider the commonwealth scheme as a pattern of transformation and education on the world stage. In accordance with its meaning, this kind of scheme is used as a mechanism for distributing prosperity to other parts of the world in the form of a peaceful, moderate and rahmatan lil alamin Islamic civilization.
Adopting the British colonialization model to its former "colonized" countries, this scheme necessitates the mentality and feeling of sharing the same fate among former colony countries to move toward a common goal: prosperity.
Consequently, we must teach them more about the concepts and practices of religious moderation.
If, so far, we have been positioned as inferior to other Middle Eastern countries, under this Commonwealth scheme we can reverse this position by giving more than receiving. In such a scheme, we become subjects, not objects, in the work of empowerment and transformation. Consequently, we must teach them more about the concepts and practices of religious moderation.
This Commonwealth scheme is then translated into a more detailed and operational road map, network and work program at the practical level. One way is through the provision of scholarships to citizens of Middle Eastern countries hit by conflicts, such as Syria, Afghanistan and Libya. We educate them at various campuses in Indonesia so that they learn and develop the wassatiyah religious concept to be applied in the context of their respective societies.
Masdar Hilmy
With this kind of scheme, it does not mean that we are replicating the colonization model on other countries. There is a much more basic argument behind the commonwealth scheme: civilizational investment. The commonwealth scheme is just a method or mechanism to transmit and transform a peaceful, democratic and tolerant civilization to other countries. This kind of civilization investment will become an intangible asset that our children and grandchildren will enjoy in the future.
Masdar Hilmy, Professor and Rector of UIN Sunan Ampel, Surabaya
(This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo).
