Page 418 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

The Ministry of Religious

Affairs and the Council of

Indonesian Ulama

Didi Ahmadi

The Ministry of Religious Affairs was governor general on indigenous affairs, resistance, while concurrently act as commonwealth ideals under Dai Nippon’s Consecutive chairmen of
officially founded in 1946 but it has its mainly pertaining to Muslims and Arabs. a unifying movement for the natives. leadership, Japan appointed the leaders the Indonesian Scholars
roots in Dutch colonial times and the Its role as an advisory officedirectly Interests in Islam itself had been of Islamic movements as the heads of Source: Directorate of
Japanese occupation. In the Dutch responsible to the governor general, on the rise in Japan since the mid- these offices. History and Cultural
colonial period, adherents to religions made the office far more strategic 1930s along with its desire to conquer Values, Ministry of
were classified into two major groups: than any other office concerned with the Asia Pacific region. Therefore, Ministry of Religious Affairs Education and Culture
3
Christians and non-Christians and religious affairs. This advisory agency the Japanese colonial government As part of the government of the newly of the Republic of
religious affairs were coordinated went through many changes. The Dutch had formed the Shumubu, a military independent Republic of Indonesia, Indonesia.
by several agencies. Problems colonial government no longer based administrative office for religious affairs the Ministry of Religious Affairs was
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concerning the general worship of the its policies on indigenous affairs on fear established to implement Japanese authorized to deal with religious issues.
Christian population were, for instance, and suspicion and hence they no longer colonial policies related to religious Much like the colonial and occupational
coordinated by the Departement van wanted much intervention. Advised issues, especially in Java. 4 governments, the Indonesian government
Onderwijs en Eeredienst (Department by the brain behind the operational This office was almost the same as the also considered it very important that
of Education and Worship). Problems mechanisms of the advisory office and Kantoor voor Islamitische Zaken of the Muslims occupied positionsinside the
related to the religions of the natives, an expert in Islam, C. Snouck Hurgronje, Dutch period. However, if during the state structure. Therefore, a ministry
marriages, mosques, the hajj and the Dutch colonial government actively Dutch period the office was designed in charge and to take care of Muslim
such more were regulated by the managed and governed indigenous on the principle of “neutrality” toward problems was absolutely necessary.
Departement van Binnenlandsch Muslims’ life in many fields including religion, in the Japanese era the office
Bestuur (Ministry of Interior Affairs). The Islamic organizations, Islamic education, of religious affairs from the beginning However, it should be noted that the
Mahkamah Islam Tinggi (Islamic High religious courts, the pilgrimage, up had been designed to garner Muslim establishment of the ministry of religion
Court) and the Hoofd voor Islamitische to the construction of mosques and leaders’support for the Japanese affair’s had its own political objective – it
Zaken(Head of Islamic Affairs) fell under inheritance matters. 2 military authorities. To reap more was a concession of the power that-be
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the authority of the Departement van massive Muslim public support offices to Islamic political process. It needs
to be reiterated here that at the time
Justitie (Ministry of Justice). During the Japanese occupation, werealso opened in the provinces
the way the colonial government had there were concerns about the voice
Outside theseDutch institutions, handled indigenous and religious under the name Shumuka which were and the power of Islam which forced
the Kantoor voor Inlandsche Zaken affairs remained essentially unchanged. authorized to supervise local religious the Indonesian government first under
(Office for Native Affairs) was another Fearing potential resistance from the life at regencyand lower levels. In order Soekarno and subsequently under
institution that was most influential in the Indonesian Muslim community, Japan to ensure the Indonesian Muslims’ Soeharto to work hard to weaken and
formulation of Dutch colonial policies on needed to domesticate it through sympathy and support for the Pan-Asian “domesticate” the Muslim’s powerful
Islam. Its primary task was to advice the making systematic arrangements for 3. Benda 1955, “Indonesian Islam”, p. 353. voice. In fact, the establishmentof
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1. Kementerian Agama 2014, “Profil Kementerian those religious fields that might incite 4. Benda 1985, The Crescent and the Rising Sun; 6. Bahtiar Effendy 2009, Islam dan Negara:
Agama”, being accessed on February 22, 2014 Benda 1955, “Indonesian Islam”, p. 354. Transformasi Gagasan dan Praktik Politik Islam
from http://www.kemenag.go.id. 2. Suminto 1985, Politik Islam, pp. 111-114. 5. Benda 1955, “Indonesian Islam”, p. 354. di Indonesia, the expanded 2 edition, (Jakarta:
nd

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