The Relevance of Buya's Thoughts and Ideas
Buya said we had to support every effort to eradicate corruption even if we had to deal with our own friends. As long as corruption is still rampant, social justice will also languish.
There are two congresses that have strong emotional ties in Surakarta: the Congress of Ahmad Syafii Maarif’s Thoughts on 12 November 2022 and the 48th Muhammadiyah Congress on 18-20 November 2022.
The two congresses, among others, established the official idea of "Advanced Islamic Thought" which could not be separated from the thoughts of Syafii Maarif who was the General Chairperson of Muhammadiyah (1998-2005).
It could be said, the "Advanced Islamic Thought" is the antithesis of the Islamic idea that is oriented towards the struggle for power (din wa daulah) which popularized the terms jihad (holy war),khilafah (Islamic state), takfiriyyah (labelling others as infidel), thoghut (undivinely idol), which, to borrow Buya Syafii's term, brings the Islamic community (ummah) to the backside of civilization.
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After the death of Ahmad Syafii Maarif, many people hoped that the thoughts and ideas of the figure who was popularly called Buya would live on and be disseminated, among others through systematic efforts so that “new Buyas” are born from among the younger generation.
Why do you need “new Buyas”? What are the relevance of Buya's thoughts and ideas for Indonesia now and in the future that need to be cared for, sown and actualized in daily life? At least three of Buya's thoughts and ideas are relevant for Indonesia now and in the future.
First, regarding the integration of the spirit of Islam, “Indonesian-ness” and humanity; second, on social justice; and third, eradicating corruption.
Prerequisite for Indonesia integrity
Indonesia is a country inhabited by various ethnicities, sub-nations, religions, political interests and groups. Because of this diversity, Indonesia is an area that is prone to conflict. There are a number of cases, because of different religions, or even different sects within the same religion, people can fight each other (if they have equal strength), or for the less powerful group (minority) they can be expelled, bullied, humiliated and their house of worship be destroyed or burned. Indonesia's integrity is always under threat.
How to maintain the integrity of Indonesia? One is by putting forward the idea of a unifying religion, which can reconcile all circles. This is important because religion, as a teaching that represents the face of God in the world, is often used in the name of politics or other interests that make religion dysfunctional.
Indonesia is a country inhabited by various ethnicities, sub-nations, religions, political interests and groups. Because of this diversity, Indonesia is an area that is prone to conflict.
As described in The Two Faces of Islam: The House of Sa'ud from Tradition to Terror (2002) by the Executive Director of the Center for Islamic Pluralism Steven Sulaiman Scwartz, in practice, the Islamic community (ummah) has two faces. The first is friendly, tolerant and inclusive. The second is fierce, angry, intolerant and exclusive. Preman (thugs) in robes, an authentic term from Buya, is the personification of religious dysfunction, which represents the second face of the Islamic ummah. A conciliatory religion becomes an instrument of enmity.
This is where the importance of Islamic ideas can strengthen the integrity of Indonesia, which is not opposed to Pancasila. Islam affirms the spirit of Indonesian-ness and humanity, which is friendly to the environment and can go hand in hand with adherents of other religions.
Islam must be cleansed from the dirt of divisive politics, by referring to the spirit of the authentic holy book. The verses of the holy book must be read and interpreted according to their function which is a blessing for the universe (rahmatan lil 'alamin). This idea must continue in the younger generation who will become the nation's leaders.
Social justice
Another idea is about the importance of fighting for social justice. If we can eradicate poverty to the ends (of the world), said Buya, then we can hope that justice can be established in our country. The tenet of Pancasila that is orphaned (far from realization) is "Social Justice for All Indonesian People."
Apart from social inequality, Indonesia is still in a culture of corruption. According to data from Statistics Indonesia (BPS) in March 2022, the Gini ratio of the Indonesian population was at 0.384. This figure is up 0.003 points when compared with September 2021. This means that social inequality in Indonesia is widening. The smaller the Gini ratio in a country, the narrower the social gap.
Social inequality, among other things, is caused by the high rate of corruption. According to Transparency International, Indonesia's Corruption Perception Index (CPI) in 2021 is at number 38 on a scale of 0-100. Indonesia is ranked 96th out of 180 countries.
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Indeed, there has been an improvement compared with the previous year (ranked 102), but because corruption is mostly carried out by state officials, the impact is very significant for the failure to increase (people’s) welfare. Poverty increases because the social assistance funds are corrupted by state officials.
Franz Magnis-Suseno is one of the figures who testified that Buya Syafii was a persistent fighter in combating corruption. According to Father Magnis, Buya strongly rejects efforts to weaken the position of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) through the revision of the KPK Law. Buya also agreed with severe punishments for corruptors, including the death penalty.
Buya said we had to support every effort to eradicate corruption even if we had to deal with our own friends. As long as corruption is still rampant, social justice will also languish. All of us, especially the young people, must be aware of this condition. Only those who have a conscience can save Indonesia from destruction.
Abd Rohim Ghazali
Abd Rohim Ghazali, Executive Director of Maarif Institute
This article was translated by Kurniawan Siswo.
