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 In June this year, the Indonesian government issued Joint Ministerial Decree that imposes restrictions on religious practices and interpretations they view as deviating from orthodox Islam.
Hardliners from the Islamic Defender Front (FPI) and Hizb'ut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) are also attacking moderate Muslim organisations that promote pluralism in Indonesia. The Transit Lounge spoke to Maya Muchtar, chair of the organising committee of the National Integration Movement in Jakarta, about her activism in response to the situation.
Unpack the issues...
What is it like living in Indonesia in 2008? It’s rich culture. When I was abroad I was always promoting Indonesian culture and I was very proud of it. Coming back to Indonesia I saw how the people did not appreciate their own tradition and culture. Is there cultural and spiritual erosion due to western influences? Yes. I remember a long time ago there used to be a subject on human values. It’s gone now. They don’t teach that in schools anymore. Everything becomes too materialistic. If you pray and all you think is, “God I’m praying to you and doing all these good deeds so you better put me in heaven,” that’s a very materialistic way of thinking and that’s what’s happening here. Before, when they taught about religion it was about being a good human being, it’s not always you’re trying to gain something. You’re not wearing any kind of veil — why not? I have nothing against people wearing the veil but I do have something against those wearing a veil and thinking they are more holy than thou. Not only that they are erasing our culture by that Muslim dress. In their sub-conscience they are eliminating their true identity. They don’t think like Indonesians anymore, they think like Arabs. In Islam there is no obligation to wear veils. Islam says just to wear something that is covering you up in a polite way so I decided no, for me covering up the whole head is not Islam, it’s just a Middle Eastern tradition and why should we copy something when we have our own culture? You’ve recently founded the Islamic non-violence movement. What inspired you to do that?  We were attacked by the Islamic Defenders Front when we were celebrating our ideology. I am a Muslim and I feel very insulted. I didn’t think Islam was like that. My friends and I decided we cannot associate with that part of Islam so we declared the Islamic non-violence movement and to tell the world that Islam is a peaceful religion. Islam is just a generic term meaning surrender and it comes from the root word peace. It’s difficult for some in the West to understand Islam as a peaceful religion when their only experience of it is witnessing horrific events like 9/11. What's your response to that? I don’t blame them for being Islam phobic. This is a hard task for Islam to explain and show through our deeds and disassociate ourselves from those Islamists. The people who are against the violence are the silent majority so it’s time that everybody should speak up and say, “enough is enough.” What does the future hold for young Indonesians? They’re confused. They don’t know what their real identity is. We’re always being introduced to something from the West or the Middle East so they find no peace. I’m not surprised if we saw a mass exodus in the next five years if we can’t create a safe and peaceful country. Australia could face that problem: the exodus from Indonesia. I think that’s why Australia is so concerned about what’s happening in Indonesia so it’s good if Australians make noise. Do you plan on leaving or will you stick around? I think I’ll stick around because there is a lot to do. I’m thinking of the future of my family: what happens to my grandchildren or nieces and nephews? What choice will they have in the future? Will they be living in a society where everything is closed and narrow minded? I don’t want that. I know we won’t see the result in the next five years — maybe in the next 20 years. But the struggle is worth it.
Unpack the Issues...Discussion points: Further reading
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