Page 289 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE

Endnotes

1. This invocation assembly was started by a group to pray for the safety of Mr.
Yudhoyono and Mrs. Ani Yudhoyono at their home in Cikeas when they were
about to perform the pilgrimage in 2000. In 2004, when SBY officially run forthe
presidency in the 2004 presidential elections, this invocation assembly was
declared officially underthe name Nurussalam and it became part of the people’s
mobilization in the presidential campaign. Activities and members quickly
multipliedand spread out. Until now branches of the Nurussalam dhikr assembly
have been established in all the provinces of Indonesia. See http://www.inilah.com/
berita/politik/2010/01/01/254391/inilah-majelis-dzikir-sby-si-gurita-cikeas-1/

changing their system from only religious The result was a compromise for
teachings, with no tier, no curriculum, an independent Indonesia that was
and no general subjects into schools a democratic country, modern, but
and madrasahs that imitate the Western still relied on Islamic values. What is
classical system, with tiers, evaluation interesting in the ideological a political
systems, and secular subjects such as competition modernists and traditionalists
English, mathematics, chemistry, physics unified to face rthe challenge of the
and the like. eligiously neutral nationalists.
The old intellectual heritage had been
enriched by new ideas about Islam
in the fields of social, political, legal,
and educational matters that had
developed by the so-called modernists.
In Indonesia, the modernist movement
caused the development of political
anti-theocracy and anti-monarchy
thoughts and it tended to support
a governmental system based on
consensus (Q.S. As-Shura/42: 38).
Indonesian reformers contended not only
to develop modern thoughts, but at the
same time also sought their country’s
liberation from colonialism. They formed
modern organizations, utilized modern
technology to distribute their ideas and
ideology, the country’s format, and the
basic foundation of the independent state
of Indonesia. In the process, inevitable
dialogues and debates took place with
those who wanted a different ideology
and another basic foundation for an
Independent Indonesia. They were often
called religiously neutral nationalists.

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