Among Indonesian people, a popular adage goes “harta, tahta dan wanita” [wealth, throne and women]. These three things are considered as factors that, if not approached wisely, can harm and destroy a person\’s reputation (especially men). In religious perspectives, these three things could possibly “destroy faith”. Harta refers to “wealth”, whereas tahta to structural rank or power.
“Wealth” and “power” are actually not something bad, negative or dangerous. On the contrary, both can be used as a means to make someone or mankind prosper. It all depends on how we deal with “wealth” and “power”. As is the case with “women”. Many powerful women in this world have become drivers of social, economic, political, religious and cultural change that inspire many people. However, greed for wealth and power can derail some people into destroying mankind and nature. In the hands of people who are greedy for wealth, abundant natural resources and a green environment can end up in destruction. Corruption is bred, among other things, in uncontrolled ambition about accumulating wealth.
Power also tends to be corrupt. In the hands of greedy people, position or power can cause harm. They can become prone to justifying any means and resorting to anything to satisfy their lust. Greedy people tend to look to deception, make systems and rules that only benefit them, either by conspiring with their clique members, or betraying their comrades and even their own relatives who are considered to endanger their interest. This may happen because they view power not as a way to bring prosperity to society and make the nation and state peaceful, secure and advanced, but as an opportunity to control political and economic assets.
Religiosity
In addition to “wealth” and “power” (I am not including “women” because it is gender-biased, misogynistic and patriarchal), “religion” can also be dangerous. Like wealth and power, religion is also a double-edged sword that can be positive or negative. Religion can be used as a source of inspiration to build a noble and human civilization and create social harmony and global peace. At the same time, religion can also be a deadly “weapon” that manipulates common sense, destroys social order and relations, and annihilates humans.
War and other forms of hostilities (including terrorism) in the history of mankind were triggered not only by wealth and power, but also religion (and other things). Thus, not only are fanatics or militants of wealth and power dangerous, religious fanatics and militants can also cause damage and harm, namely religious groups that are short-minded, mean-spirited, intolerant, closed-minded, ultra-fanatic, ignorant and “religious-overdosed” (interpreted religious narratives misguidedly).
Due to being infected by the virus of fanaticism overdose, such a religious group can easily label other religion and creed groups infidels and abuse their scriptural texts, teachings, doctrines, rituals, religious symbols and religious-cultural practices. They even do not hesitate to commit acts of violence and crimes against humanity, such as destroying places of worship and mankind cultural heritage. They will expel different faith followers, overriding, attacking and even, if necessary, killing them. All of this is done in the name of religion (and God). Religion and deity are used as the pretext or mask to smooth out “tricks” and inhumane criminal acts.
Democracy and militancy
Since the fall of the New Order regime in 1998 and the faucet of democracy began to tap in Indonesia, this archipelagic country has become a haven for the breeding of religious militant groups. To some extent, democracy has contributed to the growth and proliferation of this religious radical group, even though they, ironically, have rhetorically denounced democracy, which is considered a “product of infidel-Western culture”.
In fact, without democracy – as practiced in authoritarian states, including in Indonesia in the New Order era – they are difficult to grow and develop in society. While the New Order era saw the political-economic stage dominated by the two groups – one greedy for wealth and the other for power – the “Reformation Era” has seen another dominant group that adopts religious radical-conservativism. This group is growing and proliferating like mushrooms in the rainy season in many areas in Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi and Papua.
They used to operate secretively in clandestine movements during the New Order era. They can now freely express their typical discourses and practices of conservatism and religious militancy in their daily lives. Through educational institutions and religious studies, both online and offline, they are free to impart their religious teachings and doctrines that are rigid, intolerant, extreme, radical and disrespectful to national diversity. They do not hesitate to censure, criticize and somehow abuse the structure, symbol, constitution and foundation of the state of the Republic of Indonesia.
Victims of radicalism
Many have fallen victim to the propaganda of this religious militant-conservative group, be they children, youth, adults, men or women, from lower class to upper-middle class. Among the victims of the propaganda are those who have ventured to “migrate” to Syria or Iraq to live, according to their imagination, in an “Islamic state” based on sharia, so that they could settle safely, comfortably and peacefully.
To fulfill their dream or fantasy, they are willing to sell valuable possessions: houses, land, jewelry and so on. Some will sacrifice to take early retirement from their established job or position in a company or institution. The reality in Syria and Iraq is beyond their imagination: chaotic, intriguing, hostile, acrimonious, violent, grudge-bearing. It is as if they were craving for heaven but stumbled into hell. A number of people induced to acts of terrorism and radicalism, including women, children and even a family, have become victims of religious militancy.
Tragically, many schoolchildren are also exposed to the “virus” of religious radicalism, becoming repulsed by Pancasila, abusive toward non-Muslims or Muslims of different creeds, as well as being destructive to products of human culture and ancestral heritage of the nation. All those have yet to include the growing sharia-labeled businesses that many community members have been falling prey to.
The growing trend in religious fanaticism and conservatism becomes a source of exploitation for political parties and religious organizations as well as the “political pain-vested” elites – either being active or retired – thus making them more militant and radical. In other words, the radicalization and militancy of religious groups cannot be separated from the touch and intervention of “invisible hands” of a group of political parties, socioreligious organizations and specific community elites.
Vigilance calls
If the phenomenon of religious militancy and radicalism is allowed to drag on and is not handled carefully, or if the government, law enforcement officers and society in general are negligent, it is not unlikely that in the future this religious militancy and radicalism would become a “nightmare” for multi-ethnic and multi-creed Indonesia.
The situation might become perilous if they build partnerships with people or groups who are greedy for wealth and power. The “nightmare” would more quickly become reality if those greedy people are allowed onto the stage of power or they succeed in seizing power. This would not be without precedence, as it happened in Iran with the 1979 Islamic Revolution, in Sudan in the 1980s before the fall of the regime, and in Afghanistan, which has seen a return of the Taliban to power.
Saudi Arabia also experienced this “nightmare” in the 1980s when a militant religious conservative group called the Sahwa — which heavily influenced the ideology of the Muslim Brotherhood — was handed power by the royal elites (then under King Khalid). Once given the “stamp of power”, they moved quickly to turn the world of education and socioreligious affairs very rigid and conservative. Unpopular policies and rules characterized with ethnocentrism and intolerance were enforced.
Artistic and cultural activities were forbidden. Women also began to be “caged” and tightly regulated in terms of dress code and public appearance. Their mobility was restricted. If community members were judged to have violated the rules, the “sharia police” were everywhere ready to impose punishment. Saudi Arabia has been moving from conservatism to moderation drastically for the past few years. The Sharia police have been disbanded. The consequences of the sociocultural and religious changes are that many rigid regulations that were deemed unsupportive of the “spirit of progress” have been amended.
As reported by Saudi Gazette, the Ministry of Education in the last two to three years has amended around 120,000 pieces of educational curriculum content deemed contrary to the spirit of modernity, progress, openness and religious freedom and moderation. Changes have also taken place in other sectors.
Religious conservatism, fanaticism and militancy that once occurred in Saudi Arabia are now spreading to infect Indonesia. So, once again, if the government and society are not aware of this group, or if their existence and actions are not handled firmly and carefully, it is not impossible that the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia would be just a name in the history books, something I myself do not want at all to happen.
Note: this essay was translated and published by Kompas
