Page 297 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE

Capita Selecta, two become increasingly involved in defining Besides al-Imam, educational reform was newspaper editors and no longer only to Published from 1911 to 1918, al-Munir
volumes, by Mohammad Southeast Asian Islam. the other concern of Thaher Djalaluddin. ulamas. Islamic reformism no longer only was established a magazine to continue
Natsir (the first part Soon after starting the publication of gave rise to new ways of Islamic thinking, the role and spirit of al-Imam, which
consists of articles he In additional to publications, educational al-Imam, in 1907, he became a teacher but also gave a new face to Southeast had stopped publishing in 1908.
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wrote before 1941 and reform was also becoming an important in the newly established Madrasah al- Asian Islam. Hadji Abdullah Ahmad the founder and
the second part those he aspect of Islamic reformism. Muslim Iqbal al-Islamiyya or the Iqbal School editor, al-Munir’s, actually “imitated the
wrote between 1950 and reformists would rather build modern in Singapore. Headed by Uthman Supported by the modernization slogans and the format of al-Imam”.
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1955). The volumes were educational institutions, schools, and Affandi Raf’at from Egypt and financially launched by the British and Dutch Abdullah Ahmad had a close relation
published in Bandung madrasahs than founding pesantrens supported by Raja Ali Haji from the Riau- colonial governments, various regions in with al-Imam and its representatives in
in 1954 and 1957 and suraus. Instead of generating Lingga Kingdom, the Iqbal School was the Malay Peninsula and the Netherlands Padang Panjang. His visit to Singapore
respectively. ulamas, schools and madrasahs the forerunner of modern Islamic schools Indies emerged into fortresses for the in 1908 seemed to have given him
preferred to create a new kind Muslim in Southeast Asia. To recruit teaching growth of Islamic reformism that arrived
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Source: National Archive leaders, called “educated Muslims” from Singapore. This specifically took the opportunity to become acquainted
of the Republic of staff, Uthman Affandi Raf’at returned to place in the urban area where modern with the technical skills of magazine
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Indonesia. by Mukti Ali, a prominent figure of Egypt in 1907 and this school became infrastructure had been established. publication management. He was the
the reformist Muslim organization an effective tool in the dissemination of sole pioneer of al-Munir and his name
Muhammadiyah, as will be discussed Islamic reformism in Southeast Asia. As Muslims in those areas started to has often been linked to this magazine
later. They were to become Muslim reported by al-Imam, this school taught participate in the reformist project by and he was also called “Haji Abdullah
leaders with a modern spirit and reformist Islamic as well as the secular subjects. 21 expressing the need for a formulation of al-Munir.” 26
ideas. Different from pesantrens and Through al-Imam and the Iqbal School, Islamic doctrines in a modern spirit. They
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began to establish modern organizations,
suraus, which concentrated on teaching Thaher Djalaluddin manage to built a Western-style schools, ant they Al-Munir shared similar concerns with
religious knowledge only, schools and strong connection between Southeast published magazines, newspapers, and al-Imam. It was designed to be “the
madrasahs transferred knowledge in a Asian Islam and Islamic reformism in books. In the Netherlands Indies, Padang lighthouse that illuminates [religious]
wider sense including “secular subjects”, Cairo. He laid the foundations for the in West Sumatra was the first region life”. Its editor explained the aims of the
such as mathematics, English, Dutch, emergence of a new face of Islam where the seeds of Islamic reformism magazine as follows. First it was to lead
geography, and history. In addition, different from traditional Islam that were sown. Muslim reformers in that Malay Muslims in Sumatra and to take
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schools and madrasahs also introduced had been formed long ago under area had become known as the Young them to the right belief and the proper
new educational methods adopted ulama power. Therefore, besides kitab, Group (kaum muda) and they were religious practices; second, it was to
from Western educational institutions. Southeast Asian Muslims began to learn the first group to voice their desire for maintain peace and harmony among
Therefore, schools and madrasahs from the products of the printed media Islamic reformism, primarily through their mankind as well as to show its loyalty to
played important roles in elevating the and in addition to pesantrens and suraus; magazine al-Munir. the Dutch government; and third, it was
Islamic reform movement and these madrasahs emerged as new Muslim to enlighten Muslims with knowledge and
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new scholars rapidly became a religious educational institutions. Fatwa requests Al-Munir and West Sumatran wisdom.
authority that rivaled traditional ulamas. started to be sent to magazines and Youths In the 1913 edition, the editor

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