Page 436 - INDONESIAN ISLAMIC CULTURE IN HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVES

neutralize Islamic political forces, which more priority on the people’s demands Christians are only allowed with respect participate in Christmas celebrations.
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often were at odds with Soeharto’s rather than on government interests. to worldly affairs for which it cited three During the authoritarian New Order
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regime. It was created to break as well as The MUI does not always support the verses of the Koran (QS 49: 13; 31:15; regime, the MUI also tended to issue
to neutralize Islam as one of the biggest government. In his research, Atho and 60: 8). fatwas related to Islamic jurisprudence
political forces in Indonesia, to regulate Mudzhar proved that from the 22 fatwa Furthermore, the MUI declared that a and social issues. It appears that it hardly
public life and to convince the people the MUI issued from 1975 to 1988, only Muslim should not blur his own worship ever issued fatwas with a political content
to vote for the Golkar in the general eight can be classified as supporting and theological beliefs with those of or on the state’s practices as it would do
elections. Moreover, it was seen to government policies, three actually other religions. For this it used QS at a later stage. Initially, on these issues
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be no more than the most palpable contravened the government, while the al-Kafirun/106: 1-6 and al-Baqarah/2: the MUI tended to remain quiet. 53
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embodiment of the bureaucratization of remaining 11 were neutral. The three 42. To deny the Christian concept of This reticence of the MUI showed its
Islam and only meant to support the fatwas that contravened the government God, it quoted various Qur’anic verses weakness and that of the Indonesian
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state’s interests, although in the end it included a fatwa related to the prohibition about Jesus and Mary to finally declare Muslims before the New Order regime.
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did not perform this role optimally. of abortion, the unlawfulness of the use that Christmas celebrations cannot be Some examples that can be put forward
of vasectomy and in vitro fertilazation in this context are that the MUI remained
In any case, the MUI is not a state in family planning programs, and the seen in isolation of Jesus’ divine status,
agency whose formation is founded fatwa on the prohibition for Muslims to which is contrary to the Qur’an. Thus, silent in the case of the government
on a specific legal source. It remains a congratulate Christians at Christmas and the participation of Muslimsin Christmas sponsored football tournaments lottery
non-governmental organization whose to attend Christmas celebrations. celebrations could lead to a syncretic (Porkas) and the tragedy of the killings
in Tanjung Priok in 1984 in which the
leadership is elected by its members on attitude and thus may pollute the state apparatus was involved. In the first
a regular basis. Although the government The fatwa that banned Muslims to Muslim’s monotheistic beliefs. case, the MUI did not whole heartedly
had a very large share in its formation participate in Christmas celebrations Finally, the MUI quoted a Prophetic welcome the Muslim majority’s protest
process, the MUI has not always been was the first controversial fatwa issued Hadith that suggests avoiding something against the lawful status of the Porkas
in favor of the government interests or by MUI. It was issued on 7 March 1981. unclear (shubhat) to justify that the lottery as voiced by the NU and the
its decisions. Several prominent MUI The MUI bases its fatwa on Islamic participation of Muslimsin Christmas Muhammadiyah. Instead, the chairman
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members remain independent and put teachings derived from the Koran and the celebrations should be seen as meddling of the fatwa commission at that time,
Prophetic Hadith. First of all it underlined
47. Donald J. Porter 2002, Managing Politics and with unclear matter. The fatwa was Ibrahim Hosen, argued that the kind of
Islam in Indonesia, (London: RoutledgeCurzon), that relationships between Muslims and reinforced with the rules of Islamic law gambling that has a negative impact
p. 76. 50. See Mun’im Sirry 2013, “Fatwas and Their
48. M.B. Hooker 2003, Indonesian Islam: Social Controversy: The Case of the Council of “to escape from a danger is preferred and which Islam disallows differed
Change through Contemporary Fatawa, (Honolulu: Indonesian Ulama (MUI)”, Journal of Southeast to trying to take advantage.” The MUI from the Porkas lottery, which helped
University of Hawai’i Press), p. 60. Asian Studies, vol. 44, no. 1. See also Ichwan thus finally concluded that it is unlawful the government to execute beneficial
49. Martin van Bruinessen 1990, “Indonesia’s 2005, ‘Ulama, State and Politics’. and therefor forbidden for Muslims to
ulama and politics: caught between legitimising the 51. Ichwan 2005, “Ulama, State and Politics”, p. 53. Ichwan 2005, “Ulama, State and Politics”, p. 51.
status quo and searching for alternatives”, Prisma - 51; Sirry 2013, “Fatwas and Their Controversy”, p. 52. Sirry 2013, “Fatwas and Their Controversy”, pp. 54. Bruinessen 1990, “Indonesia’s ulama and
The Indonesian Indicator, No. 49. 102. 104-105. politics”.

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