Page 3 - KLIPINGBELMAWA29062019PAGI

which was disbanded in Indonesia in May last year, was still active at some universities. The research found that the organization, which crept onto campuses under the name Gema Pembebasan (GP), had moved underground after HTI’s disbandment. “Before being banned, the HTI or GP actively campaigned for a caliphate outside and on campuses. Now, the organization is not 100 percent dead — it has moved underground.”
The HTI or GP, according to the research, wishes to implement a caliphate system, in which all Muslims around the world refer to the Quran and Hadith (words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad) in their daily lives. A researcher at LPPM UNUSIA, Naeni Amanulloh, said inclusive Islamic student movements, such as the Islamic Student Association (HMI) and the Indonesia Muslim Students Movement (PMII), should act to counter the exclusive organizations’ narratives.
“The moderate organizations should first consider that this is not only a political contest to seize important positions on campuses, but a war of ideology,” Naeni said. Meanwhile, another researcher at LPPM UNUSIA, Okky Tirto, said movements of Jemaah Tarbiyah and HTI on campuses should also be countered with similar systematic and organized movements. “[The HMI, PMII and such] should launch sustainable programs to take over exclusive organizations’ massive influence at universities.”
Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, was established in 1926 to safeguard the so-called Islam Nusantara (Islam of the Archipelago), which can be defined as an interpretation of Islam that takes into account Indonesian customs in forming its jurisprudence, from the rise of Wahabism. Wahabism itself, which comes from Saudi Arabia, is aimed at purifying Islam of any innovations and practices deviating from the initial teachings of Prophet Muhammad.