Reflections on the Human Condition - Api-fellowships.org

For the most part, respondents demonstrated a high
degree of reasonableness. While some researches have
shown strong anti-US sentiments after the invasions
of Afghanistan and Iraq, almost half the responses to
the question “The incidents of September 11, 2001,
were acts of terrorism perpetrated against the people of
America. Innocent lives were lost. What do you think
should be the appropriate reaction of the US government?”
from a mainly Muslim group of respondents chose not
to opt for “A: The invasion of Afghanistan to destroy
the Al-Qaeda bases and immobilize the terror network”.
Or “B: Invade Afghanistan and go on using the same
pretext to invade Iraq and anywhere else in the Muslim
world where the excuse holds good”. Instead 21 of
49 responses chose “C: Destroy the perceived terror
networks by addressing the grievance that feed into
extremist Islam and anti-US sentiment, such as the
Palestinian issue”. Note however, that 15 opted to
abstain for unstated reasons and the lack of choice.
Another question pointedly meant to gauge anti-US
sentiments was 23: “The 2003 invasion of Iraq by the
US-led coalition forces is illegal. Why, do you think,
were the Bush administration in Washington and the
Blair government in London willing to go ahead without
UN agreement?” In this instance many respondents
circled more than one option. The top choice is “A: As
the world’s sole super power, Washington felt able to
do whatever it wishes with impunity—the illegal
invasion demonstrated beyond doubt the impotence of
the world to stop American belligerence—and the British
were simply pragmatic”. A close second was “C: Big
American oil interests were pushing for an invasion, as
alleged by some quarter”. Here the anti-US feeling is
stronger but, again, far from overwhelming.
Yet, respondents were overwhelmingly in favor of
globalization (question 6), which they perceived as “the
universal implementation of capitalist economic
development” (question 4) where “western culture …
pervades” and some felt that “local culture (is) evolved,
but intact” (question 5).
When asked what they understand by the term modern,
more than half thought it to be “a civilizational evolution
characterized by periodic technological revolutions and
a modern society is one where life is predicated upon
the application of the latest technology, hence modernity
is a relativist term indicating evolutionary distance
away from pre-modern societies” (question 1) and they
viewed democracy overwhelmingly as “people’s power
as represented through universal suffrage” (question 2).
That most of them disagreed with the suggestion that
“modernity is bereft of a soul” (question 3) showed the
ENGAGING MODERNITY: RELIGION, GENDER, AND ART 77
coming generation as optimistic.
Responses to questions dealing with terrorism (28, 24,
30, 31, 32 and 33) suggest caution especially regarding
the status of Abu Bakar Ba’syir. Many felt that evidence
proving him to be a master terrorist is inadequate. Most
see him as the leader of the Majlis Mujahiddin Indonesia
and head of the Ngruki pesantren with many suggesting
that his Islamic credentials would make him a man of
peace.
To a question targeted to Muslim respondents “would
you be a willing holy warrior?” almost all replied in the
positive. Unfortunately, the question as translated into
Bahasa Indonesia may have made it appeared milder
than it is intended to be. As earlier indicated, Indonesian
Muslims are generally pious, in that they would
overwhelmingly support the implementation of the
Shariah for as long as it is gentle. Throw a measure of
violence into the question and the response will, most
probably, be almost the opposite, a view bolstered by
the responses to question 20 on their perception of jihad
in Islam. An overwhelming majority felt it to be “a
continuous, peaceful struggle for a renewal of faith by
the individual Muslim and the ummah”. In short, they
are unlikely to support violence.
A majority opting for choice D to question 26 also
points to modern, pacifist attitudes. This question
aimed at probing the gender perspectives of Muslim
respondents. Two-thirds conceive of gender relations as
equal, with husbands playing the role of gentle reminder
to errant wives.
CONCLUSION
Indonesian Islam promises to remain intriguing to
outside observers. There is no mistaking the preference
for economic modernization as a solution to the country’s
economic woes and that modernization is accomplished
through capitalist constructs. However, capitalism is
useful only as far as it is an efficient accumulator of
wealth, which the Indonesian experience clearly
suggests is not afterwards prone to fair and equitable
distribution of wealth. This concern it is that might lead
to probing questions to Islam’s potential for providing
answers and in the process make for a modernization
of Islamic practices that come from its own body of
knowledge.
That PKS can be the agent of change for the better in
Islam is clear if the leadership holds true to its current
agenda within a democratic framework. An intelligent
electorate will ensure that the party remains faithful to
Ref lections on the Human Condition: Change, Conflict and Modernity
The Work of the 2004/2005 API Fellows