Modern Day Religious/Cultural Issues With Indonesia and the United States, Research Paper Example

Background

The chronological and widespread religion based social movements for the past two decades in Indonesia, brings a obvious consensus to US as well as in the global scenario; that religion is the paradigm of social and cultural issues in Indonesia – it is the main driving force that rules the social and political structure of the country. Indonesia is characterized as the world’s most populous Muslim majority nation accounting for the public policy making and helping in the transition to a democracy. However, the religious powers are shown to have dominated the legislative machinery and have exerted pressure and partisan attitude to the religious minorities. Instead of playing the role of a guardian, they have resorted to rigidity that reject pluralism and finally lead to the denial of individual rights. According to an estimate, among the 240 million population about 86 percent are Muslims; this is nearly two-third of the Muslims that are estimated to be found in the entire Arab League. Thus it is quite obvious that Islam was an eminent force in the socio political framework of the country.

Indonesia is thus submerged in the strong undercurrents of two overlapping social customary behaviors: one is the establishment of a democratic pluralistic country with factors of strong civil and political rights, fundamental freedom and religious tolerance; while the other is a sectarian control of the state by the over emphasizing and domination of the religious majority. The latter believe in the survival of Muslim majority and an imposition of the Islamic (Sharia law) law to Indonesia- thus completely Islamization of Indonesia. However, the Indonesian government is striving hard to come out of the religious domination and carve a democracy of its own, where there would be a common consensus of unilateral development and prosperity. Indonesia is working particularly in tandem with US for implementing a democratic state in the obvious obstacle of religious dominance and proliferation. Moreover, their efforts are bearing the fruit as Obama administration had already started formulating policies to deal with countries where Islam is the coherent drive force in the political and cultural set up of the country. Indonesia has strived hard to accomplish a successful state.  In less than a decade, they have transformed the Muslim dominated nation into a representative democracy and have shed off its authoritarian religious rule. In the two elections they have started the process of achieving the norms of democracy with the national legislative polls and presidential election held in June 2009.

From the early days, America had focused on the transformation of Indonesia and has helped in the economic revival of the country and has worked with other nations, jointly known as Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI); its function is to help Indonesia meet its financial problems and assist in the revival of their economic structure with several million dollars of financial assistance that it receives each year. However their relations were strained during the mid 1990; it was due to the adverse treatment of the East Timor crisis. America felt that Indonesia had violated the human rights and was brutal in its dealing with the crisis and halted its military aid and training to the Indonesian army. The two most important organizations: The American Chamber of Commerce in Jakarta and the U.S Indonesian society. They have worked closely with Washington to mitigate and develop the relations between the two countries.

America had always been outright and transparent in dealing with the religious dominance in Indonesia.  There is a group of American scholars who regularly studies and formulates the penetration and progress of Islam in Indonesian culture and society.  These scholars are link are linked with the the Muslim religious groups, their leaders, clerics and intellectuals. The subsidiary Fulbright Organization and the U.S Information Service in Jakarta…involves in dialogue with the Muslim authorities and resolves their queries to foster religious/cultural issues within the country and also to develop a strong bond with the US government. Instances of partnership in 1994 and 1998, when there were conferences on Indonesian Islam- attended by Islamic scholars from Indonesia and the United States. The Fulbright scholars have devised ways and strategies of consortium, to speak to Indonesian public regarding the intentions of America, and have tried to gain pace in the development of the Indonesian-US relations. They have tried to eradicate the negativity of Islam in being a potential hurdle in the overall growth of Indonesia. (http://www.heritage.org/Research/AsiaandthePacific/bg2279.cfm)

The major American-Indonesian issues: Since the majority of the population of Indonesia is Muslims, it is obvious that religion would still be the major issue that drives both Indonesia and America crazy. It is still the rigidly based Islamic intervention and conflict that Indonesia is struggling to cope up with.

1. Recognition of five religions: Indonesia while trying to negotiate during its independence, has accepted five religions- Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Protestant Christianity, and Catholic Christianity. This has confused the Indonesia and leads to countless issues and disputes which the government Department of Religious Affairs (AGAMA) has been unable to solve. Thus every religion has an official status unlike America which has no officially recognized religion…it shows the secular nature of state while Indonesia has an individual government department of religion.
2. No to Pluralism by the Islamic institutions: The Indonesian Ulama’ Council is an organisation that comprises of Islamic intellectuals and clerics who wants to achieve

the Islamic order in Indonesia. Thus MUI or Majilis Ulama’ Indonesia is the so called villain who is the main arbitrator in the establishment of a democratic nation. They have issued 11 fatwa, of which three of them are extremely controversial and poignant. Fatwa by the Islamic religion rejects pluralism…The Fatwa Commission chairman Ma’ruf Amin, was quoted in The Jakarta Post (July 29) as saying, “Pluralism in that sense is haram (forbidden under Islamic law), because it justifies other religions.” (http://islamlib.com/en/page.php) And people should be allowed to claim that their religion is the true one and that other faiths are wrong.”However he also says that since Indonesia is a home to different religion; the followers of other religion can co exist simultaneously with the Muslims. There is much ridicule and confusion of fatwa and in the orderly definition of pluralism, secularism and in the last case liberalism.. Secondly the fatwa were initiated to ban Ahamadiyah’s doctrine who had professed that Mirza GulamAhmed was the last pophet. Thirdly MUI forbids collective inter religious prayers. Azyumardi Azra, Muslim intellectual from State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah in Jakarta, argued: “The MUI cannot ban Muslims from thinking, because pluralism, liberalism and secularism are not ideologies but ways of thinking. MUI’s fatwas are against freedom of expression and human rights in general.” (Undang-Undang Dasar 1945). (http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:FBkeSUF003cJ:pluralism.org/research/reports/nahrowi/Pluralism_Indonesia.doc+religious+issues+in+indonesia&cd=9&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us) Thus fatwa’s create mental tension, agony and controversy which have delayed the process of religious pluralism in Indonesia and have thwarted the efforts of America in building its secular nature. It is thwarting its goal for “Bhineka Tunggal Ika,” or “Unity in Diversity which is the principle of America.

3. The Sharia Law : Indonesia is multi ethnic and multi religious…with an eminent majority of Muslim population there is also minorities like Christians, Hindus, Buddhists. The Muslim majority and radical groups claim to transform Indonesia into a complete Islamic Unity with just no or little place left for the other religions. The Sharia Law would be the main proponent of law that would be prevailing in Indonesia, which speaks of supreme Islam authority in the control of state and authority. There are evidences especially in Aceh, of Indonesia, that Christians are pelted with stones and killed or persecuted for breaking the Sharia Law and leads to draconian and brutal state of affairs in the states. Sharia law is autocratic, dangerous and an obstacle to the rights of humanity…it kills, beheads and even forces all women of different religions to wear headscarves. The law and its poignant followers are also trying to close down churches and provide immense pressure to the minority in the country. (http://theseoultimes.com/ST/?url=/ST/db/read.php?idx=8813)

America had been benevolent to the aspects of Indonesia but was sceptical after Indonesian involvement in the 9/11 attacks.  However, President Obama with strong roots in the Indonesian soil has already taken initiatives to go ahead in the peace process of Indonesia and the establishment of democracy. He says, “We had a strong discussion about a range of issues and how we can create even better bilateral relations than we already have — a comprehensive agreement, comprehensive partnership agreement that we’re developing that will cover things like education, working on clean energy issues, expanding the Peace Corps’ presence in Indonesia, counterterrorism issues..”( jakarta.usembassy.gov). President Yudhoyono of Indonesia reiterated by saying, “I welcome also the future cooperation between Indonesia and the United States in various fields such as trade and investment, education and technology, climate change, food and energy security, countering communicable diseases and also counterterrorism and people-to-people contact.” (jakarta.usembassy.gov).

Reference

Islamic Organizations and Development in Indonesia,(1007)” The Asia Foundation, Last Retrieved on October 19, 2009 from http://asiafoundation.org/pdf/ID_IDEV.pdf

Olivier Roy,(1994) The Failure of Political Islam, trans. Carol Volk

Zamakhsyari Dhofier, (June 1992), The Intellectualization of Islamic Studies in Indonesia,” Indonesia Circle, Public Opinion Survey Indonesia: 2005,” International Foundation for Electoral Systems, last Retrieved on October 19, 2009 from at http://www.ifes.org/publication/c1e0d6e8e9d01f98a84bfe46966b3b4f/2005survey%20report_eng.pdf