SeaDemon Says

For those who received a SMS message from me early today would have read the following interview by The Star – Farish: Look to Indonesia.

Thursday June 14, 2007

Farish: Look to Indonesia

By LOH FOON FONG

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and the rest of the Muslim world have much to learn from Indonesia’s progressive approach in Islamic education, said political scientist Dr Farish Ahmad-Noor.

Indonesia had a big number of moderate scholars that even if a few radical groups emerged, the mainstream groups would quickly silence them, said Farish, an Institute of Strategic and International Studies consultant.

During the Suharto era, the Muslims expanded on cultural Islam rather than dogmatic politics-based Islam, he said. After that, it was taught in a scientific way.

In comparison, Islam in Malaysia is politicised and there is no independent space for it to be in the public domain, he said when interviewed at the ISIS International Affairs forum on “Jihad revisited? Shifting dynamics of radical movements in Indonesia” yesterday.

While banning militant groups worked, he said he was concerned that if there was no deep understanding of religion at the public level, the state would continue to be the “big brother.”

“What if one day the state is replaced by a fanatic prime minister? There will be no mode of civil defence underneath. This is where Indonesia is different from us.

“The rejection of terrorism in Indonesia did not come from the state but from the people. They didn’t want to see mosques or churches or Bali or Jakarta bombed,” he said.

Farish said Malaysia, in the 1920s, was more open, with people discussing the applicability of syariah law in the modern world and the role of Islam in politics.

Syed Sheikh Al-hadi, for instance, wrote Hikayat Faridah Hanum, the first modern Malay literature about women’s rights.

Farish, a visiting professor at the Sunan Kalijaga Islamic University in Jogjakarta, said he is often asked: “Why is the interpretation of Islam so narrow in Malaysia when historically and culturally we (Malaysia and Indonesia) are similar?”

I would agree with him that most Muslims have a narrow yet shallow understanding of Islam because to them, what the ‘scholars” say goes, and to go against the “scholars” would be regarded as unIslamic.

They fear the “scholars” more than they fear God Himself. Now, what does Islam say about blasphemy?

Oh, one former neighbour in Gombak, a staunch member of a certain political party, who could have made it as the Director-General of Melaka’s Skuad Skodeng was once being busybody with me. I had just arrived from a long-distance drive as he was leaving for Maghrib (dusk) prayers at the nearby mosque when he asked me in English, “Not going for prayers?”

“That’s okay,” I replied with a sigh. “Maybe later.”

“You should come to the mosque often because we never see you there for prayers nor for the ceramahs. We are all God’s soldiers and we must soldier on for his cause. I’m sure you understand that because you were a soldier once,” he began lecturing.

“I am one of God’s Soldiers,” I replied, disgustingly. “The only reason you people don’t see me is because I am in God’s Secret Service.”

It’s what? June 9th today and do you also know that they year is 2007? The year 4 billion tourists should be flocking to Malaysia to visit it? I was talking about this with one of the divers recently and among the things mentioned was that VMY2007 lacks the hype…or shall I put it bluntly: NOT ONE CRAPPITY SMACK HYPE except on New Year’s eve of 2007 last December.

A reader of from Kent, England wrote in today saying how Tourism Malaysia has failed to promote Malaysia in England. I don’t think it’s just England. Even Malaysians don’t know it’s VMY2007 unless they pass a billboard saying it is.