Reflections on the Human Condition - Api-fellowships.org

But underlying all his views—KH Ghazali bases most
of his theological opinions on historical precedence.
The performance of prayers in Persian was pioneered
back in the second century of Islam. The error of the
ulama in the past in forbidding the translation of the
Koran into other languages and prohibiting the Friday
sermons from being conducted in languages other than
Arabic. The belief that the Koran was revealed in around
50 Arabic dialects, the discovery made by Ibnu Hasnun,
a Tunisian from the Maliki school in the 3 rd century of
Islam. In short, Islam had always been a plural, complex
experience.
For him, the little legal theory in Koran must be understood
as a form and a technical language and not a theoretical
aim. KH Ghazali contends that reinterpretation of the
sources of Islam is not new and each new insight deserves
to be tested by the public. When I ask him where he
finally draws the line, he already has: “as long as one can
be factually responsible for one’s opinions, there is no
point of reacting so hysterically to any opinion.”
How do you want your Fatwa (Religious Edict)?—
MUJTABA HAMDI AND ALAMSYAH M. JA’FAR,
Syir’ah (Magazine), Jakarta
The first edition of the Syir’ah magazine was published
in Sept. 2001 in Jakarta as a result of an informal
network of discussion groups on Islam, sociology and
culture, initiated by students from various universities
in Jakarta majoring in the various fields of Islamic and
Arabic studies. One of their main concerns was to
understand the theological trends which gave rise to
Islamic radicalism.
Syir’ah is headed by Alamsyah M. Jaafar (b. 1979
/ Pulau Seribu, Jakarta) a graduate from the State Islamic
University of Jakarta (UINJKT) and Mujtaba Hamdi
(b. 1978 / Nganjuk, East Java) who studied in the same
institution as Ulil did, majoring in Language and Arabic
Literature, where he too had his first taste of Wahabbism
that condemns spiritual practices that have long been a
part of his family tradition. He never graduated.
The students eventually networked with Desantara, an
organization devoted to preserve Indonesia’s cultural
diversity, which agreed to fund the printing of the first
500 copies. Writing, editing, magazine layout and
distribution were undertaken voluntarily. The Sept.
2001 issue contained writings on violence and Muslim
missionaries, some social commentaries and a humour
column, among others. Some copies of the magazines
were personally handed to the mosques around Jakarta.
ENGAGING MODERNITY: RELIGION, GENDER, AND ART 85
Four years later, Syir’ah has touched literally every
controversial issue in the Muslim world—formalisation
of religious piety, religious conversions, inter-faith
marriages, jilbab (fabric to cover the body and hair of
Muslim women), the arts, local cultures, homosexuality
and transsexuality, popular music and even communism.
Today Syir’ah is a team of 14 staff with around 4 regular
contributors.
Both Alamsyah and Mujtaba attribute their intellectual
growth to religious literature that promotes pluralism,
tolerance and critical thought to existing doctrines.
They also read history, sociology, politics and philosophy.
But most important of all, they believe that their
sound background in the classical tradition allows them
to conduct a critique and review of existing Islamic
theories.
For Alamsyah, “We are accustomed to the idea of the
unresolved opinion; we were given a different door to
see.” In the pesantren system, they had to attend Bahthul
Masail, classes which would test a santri’s ability to refer
to classical texts in analysing a religious problem.
Fiqh for them is supple continuity. They put forth an
interesting anecdote: “Do you want ‘it’ halal or haram?
We may just be able to help you find the corresponding
dalil [legal proof of religious precedence].”
Cursed by the Angels?—ALIFATUL DAROJATI
KUSMANINGTYAS, Rahima, Jakarta
Rahima, established in 2000, is a centre which provides
education and information on Islam and women’s rights by
way of introducing such issues to the pesantren community
and religious leaders. In addition, the organisation also
hosts radio shows and publishes literature to educate
the general public.
Alifatul (b. 1972 / Surakarta, Central Java), Rahima’s
Research Coordinator, is also a product of the pesantren
family but ends up finishing her Masters’ degree in
Women’s Studies at the University of Indonesia. Thus,
she would tell you some simple principles.
Polygyny is a violation of women’s rights. Islam did not come
to promote polygyny but instead to eliminate it. If you
try to pose the acceptability of polygyny in “emergency”
conditions, which is so popular among Muslim males,
she would ask, “what conditions? The emergency had
always been politicised to legitimise male wants.”
Reproductive rights include the right to refuse sex with
your husband. If you point out a tradition which says
Ref lections on the Human Condition: Change, Conflict and Modernity
The Work of the 2004/2005 API Fellows