Page 277 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE

communist pilgrims, like Haji Misbah in that was devoid of any systematic the spread of Christianization to various secret mail, and brought home by those
Solo. In Semarang, a communist-oriented method of learning, had no curriculum, parts of the colonized world. Printing and who returned from the hajj or who had
group founded the Sarekat Rakyat, which no class, and no criticism was clearly the press were very beneficial for the studied in the Middle East. In this way the
later became the Communist Party. This incompatible with the modern mind-set. dissemination of ideas. The challenge of magazines could be enjoyed and studied
may have come about under the influence A European style school system needed reformism was how to spread reformist by the limited groups in Indonesia.
of Sneevliet who had brought communism to be adopted and adapted as it suited ideas and it took advantage of the media. In Jakarta, the Jam’iyyat al-Khair, an
from the Netherlands and established the modern mind-set much better. So a The reform ideas of Muhammad Abduh organization of the Arab residents in Java
the Indische Sociaal Democratische European school was founded, but the and other reformers in Egypt came to established good relations with the Arab
Vereeniging (ISDV). Islamic faith was an integral part of it Indonesia in two ways. The first was world and the Islamic power center in
because renewed faith was the soul of through Indonesian students in Cairo Istanbul it also played an important role
Entering the first quarter of the 20 th reform. The Adabiyah school in Padang in spreading the magazine. Therefore,
century, nationalism began to emerge and was actually a HIS met de Kor’an. The and the Haramain and the second by it is not surprising that at the end of the
it led to Muslims to become divided into School taught general subjects like any others who performed the pilgrimage. 19 century, in addition to al-’Urwat al-
th
Muslim scholars, also from Indonesia,
two groups: nationalists and Islamists. In regularly HIS school, but added teaching Wutsqa, in Indonesia also several other
1924, 1930, and 1939-40, there were at of Islam. Later, the Muhammadiyah studied the reformer’s thoughts in the magazines were circulated: Al-Jawaib
least three debates between nationalists built HIS met de Kor’an in various Haramain. Secondly it was through the (Istanbul); Al-Insan (Istanbul); Al-Janna
press and other publications. In 1884,
and Islamists. The nationalists were other places and it also established two reformers, Jamaluddin al-Afgani and (Beirut); Lisan al-Hal (Beirut); Al-Watan
represented by Soekarno, where as Islamic based schools for teachers, the (Cairo); Al-Ahram (Alexandria); and
the Islamists were represented by three Kweekschool. As a reform organization, Muhammad Abduh settled in Paris and Al-Raudat al-Iskandariya (Alexandria)
Muslim reformist leaders, namely Agus the Muhammadiyah not only worked they founded the Islamic association al- (Noer, 1982: 67). Thus, scholars and
’Urwat al-Wutsqa and they published a
Salim, A. Hasan and Mohammad Natsir. to broadcast religious propaganda to magazine with the same name. Although the Indonesian community could absorb
This shows that while in the Islamic world spread the teachings of modernist Islam, the idea of Islamic renewal in at both
of the Middle East the idea of Pan- but also established modern institutions, the publication of the magazine lasted individual and group levels, and in mass
only for eight months its influence was
Islamism spread, Islam in Indonesia was such as public schools, hospitals, very strong throughout the Islamic world. organizations like the Muhammadiyah,
just the opposite. It was not attracted to scouting organizations and home care. In Egypt, the British colonial government Al-Irsyad, Persis and others.
the idea of Pan-Islamism, but rather to The organization also published of banned the magazine but it was still read
nationalism. journals and magazines. in limited circles. In Egypt, Mohammad Besides, the role of the mass media in
Indonesia in particular and in Southeast
The most significant challenge to Publication was a very important tool Abduh also published a magazine,al- Asia in general had enabled the
reform is modernism itself. The basic for disseminating the ideology of the Manar, with Muhammad Rashid Rida expanding influence of Islamic reform
considerations of modernism had to be reform movement. In the Middle East served as its edition. The colonial rulers ideas. The most important example
accepted, where as modern institutions the spread of reformist ideas relied of the Dutch East Indies banned these was al-Imam (1906-1908), a magazine
in Islamic circles had to be created. heavily on publications. The invention two magazines from entering Indonesia published in Singapore. The magazine’s
The pesantren educational system of the printing press greatly facilitated but they were smuggled in, sent by editor was renowned Minangkabau

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