Islam and Liberalism in Indonesia

When Indonesia announced its Independence In 1945, first President Ahmad Sukarno set forth the principles of the Pancasila, abandoning the project of applying Islamic law, which was demanded by some national powers at that time. The five-principle Pancasila was known as "Jakarta Charter".

The five principles include: Believing in only one God, the unity of Indonesia, the just and civilized humanity, wisdom-led democracy, and the social justice.

At the beginning, the Pancasila was opposed by Islamist groups of  Hizb ut-Tahrir and others. Over time, however, the opposition weakened.

After the overthrow of the Sukarno’s regime in 1967, the Pancasila was widely embraced by Indonesian people as it does not contradict the principles of Islam.

Islam Yes.. Politics No

Under the slogan “Islam Yes... Politics No,” Intellectual Nour Khales Majid adopted a liberal ideology. His newly-adopted ideology sees that no difference between the divine religions and man-tailored doctrines as long as all of these beliefs call for virtue.

Majid’s new ideology was rejected by some Islamists like Amen Raes, the leader of Muhammadiyah. However, the concept was welcomed by others, who formed the Liberal-Islamic Network.

Association of Muslim Intellectuals

In 1990, Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, the right-hand man of former President Suharto, adopted the civilized Islam and established the Association of Muslim Intellectuals in Indonesia. The association spots the light on ways of promoting the Islamic society scientifically and economically.

Eight years later, Suharto relinquished the presidency of Indonesia to Bacharuddin Jusuf Habibie, who remained in power for only one year.  Then, the power was transmitted to Abdel Rahman Wahid, the president of Sunni Islamic Movement Nahdlatul Ulama

Wahid’s movement adopted Islam Nusantara and embraced the idea of civilized Islam. However, It does not call for applying the rules of Islamic Sharia.

Liberalism spread in Indonesia during the 1980s by several intellectuals, most notably Nour Khaled Majid, said leader of the Indonesian Nahdlatul Ulama Alman Mohamed Abdulhak, adding that It gradually was embraced by larger number of the society.

The West looks at the Middle East as the only reference to the Islam, neglecting the large number of Muslims in Southeast Asia; so the Muslim leaders in Indonesia adopted their own Islamic model, Abdulhak told al-Margea, he said.

The two Islamic models of Islam Nusantara and the Modern Islam reflect Indonesia’s spirit in formulating a religious model that preserve the constants. Such models aims at  giving a positive image of Islam abroad, he continued.

Unfortunately, 11 September attacks reflected a negative image of Islam in many countries of the world, pushing a number of religious movement to review and renew the religious discourse.