Page 399 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE

The building of the Justice Party (PKS) and the United strengthened their agenda of meeting National Mandate Party (PAN) political ijtihad (lit. effort) for the people’s
Indonesian Ulama Development Party (PPP). Muslim- the people’s aspirations in general. This The National Mandate Party (PAN) was benefit within the framework of the
Council (MUI). based but more pluralist parties are the enabled them to unite and depite the founded on August 23, 1998 in Senayan, Islamic concept of “enjoining good and
59
Source: Directorate of National Mandate Party (PAN) and the fact that they originated from different Jakarta largely by Islamic activists forbidding evil”. Amien Rais understood
History and Cultural National Awakening Party (PKB). PAN parties, their commitment to the Islamic of the Muhammadiyah. Its existence the Muhammadiyah’s Tanwir meeting’s
Values, Ministry of is a representation of modernist Islam, aspirations was very strong. This was cannot understood without reference to decision that the Muhammadiyah would
Education and Culture while PKB while PKB belong to the so because many Islamic activists had a phenomenal figure in the Reform era, never become a political party but
of the Republic of traditionalist Muslims. become administers and leaders in non- Amin Rais. who since the New Order would allow its members the discretion
Indonesia. Muslims’ awareness of their struggle to Islamic parties. era has been known as very critical of to establish a framework of political
contribute to the nation through existing For a very long time after the 1980s, president Soeharto. At first, Amin Rais parties in the spirit of enjoining good and
political parties reflected their readiness Golkar’s prominent leadership was wanted to appoint Shafi’i Maarif as the forbidding evil. Therefore, the political
to support the implementation of filled with former Islamic activists. party’s chairman because the new party ijtihad of Amien Rais, the general
democracy in Indonesia. Several Islamic The chairman of Golkar, for example required a figure who could widely be chairman of the Muhammadiyah could
parties that came up in the Reform Era was a former chairman of HMI (Akbar acknowledged as a symbol of the nation’s be understood as an effort to respond to
are the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Tanjung). Since its establishment, morality as well as acceptable to all circles. Muhammadiyah members’ wishes to own
the Awakening Society Party (Partai most Golkar officials had come from Muhammadiyah members also would their own party.
Nahdlatul Ummah, PNU), the Awakening undoubtedly support Maarifin his struggle Before deciding to lead PAN, Amien
People Party (Partai Kebangkitan Umat, the ICMI. The Islamic groups’ success through the party. But Maarif declined and Rais also received several bids from
PKU), the United Development Party within Golkar was characterized by instead pushed Amien foreward as the senior Muslim figures to lead the parties
(Partai Persatuan Pembangunan, PPP) B.J. Habibie, ICMI’s first chairman was party’s general chairman. 58 they would establish. Anwar Harjono,
and the Crescent Star Party (Partai Soeharto’s vice-president (1997) and The establishment of PAN was intimately the chairman of the Indonesian Islamic
Bulan Bintang, PBB). Other parties that subsequently replaced him as President linked with Amien Rais, who was the Propagation Council (DDII) had once
may be categorized as Muslim-based (1998). chairman of the Muhammadiyah. The asked Amien to lead a party initiated by
parties but that remained based on the Today we find Islam is not just the support of Muhammadiyah for this party the Star and Crescent family. But Amien
Pancasila are the National Awakening monopoly of Islamic political parties, it is clear, because it was based on the turned the request down due to their
Party (PKB), National Mandate Party is also on nationalist parties’ agendas. mandate of the Muhammadiyah’s Tanwir differences of opinion with respect to an
(PAN), and the People Sovereign Party The development of political Islam in (lit. enlightenment) issued on July 5-7, Islamic political platform. Likewise, senior
(Partai Daulat Umat, PDU). Indonesia is ultimately compatible with 1998 in Yogyakarta. The meeting was leaders of the United Development Party
Although declaring themselves Islamic democracy itself. Islam has become held to formulate recommendations for (PPP) also proposed Amien to lead
parties, both the PKS and the PPP no one of the important supports for the Muhammadiyah’s Central Board in the PPP because the party needed a
longer focused on Islamic ideology and the establishment of democracy in connection with the implementation of figure acceptable to Muslims in order to
the formalization of the shari’a, but rather Indonesia. 58. Zainal Abidin Amir. Peta Islam Politik...,p.137. 59. Zainal Abidin Amir. Peta Islam Politik…, p.135.

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