The Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Darwin Saleh seems to have low self confidence nowadays, that he need to ask the Indonesian Muslim Cleric/Ulama Council (MUI) to announce the plan to restrict the sales of subsidized fuel (Premium).
After meeting with the Minister last Monday, MUI's official Ma'ruf Amin told reporters that MUI is planing to issue a Fatwa/Edict Haram for rich people to buy subsidized fuel (Premium).
He said that the purpose of such Fatwa/Edict is to make rich people realize that subsidized fuel is only for people who has low income. It would not be fair if people who can afford to buy higher priced fuels (Pertamax) to buy subsidized fuel.
The Chairman of MUI H. Amidhan, who was not present during the above meeting, said that the matter is still being discussed and MUI would not issue a Fatwa based on order.
Basically I agree that rich people should not buy subsidized fuels (Premium), because I don't agree with the use of money collected from Tax Payers to subsidize fuel except for public transportation.
But in my opinion, MUI as the highest Islamic level organization in Indonesia should not issue a Fatwa merely based on the request of the government, because by doing so MUI would only be a political tool.
However, I would fully agree if MUI issue Fatwa Haram on Corruptions, and/or Bribery and/or misuse of Taxpayers Money.
Showing posts with label Fatwa/Edict. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Fatwa/Edict. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Saturday, April 3, 2010
NU's Underage Marriage Fatwa
Are we becoming more and more fundamentalists ? That's the question I asked myself when I read on The Jakarta Post that the moderate largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (N.U) has allowed underage marriage.
During its recent conference in Makasar, South Sulawesi, N.U issued a Fatwa/Edict which allow under age children to get married. The reason is because the Islamic Sariah Law does not rule the minimum age for marriage, thus different from the national Marriage Law No 1/1974 which ruled that the minimum age for a man is 18, and for a girl is 16.
Parents are allowed to marry off their under age children, although they are strongly appealed to carry out the marriage after the children reached puberty. The Fatwa also said that underage couples must abstain from sexual intercourse until their are mentally and psychically capable to do do.
This Edict was protested by the National Commission for the Protection of Children, who said that it is against the Child Protection Law Article 48 which forbid the marriage by underage children.
As I have stated time and again, although a Fatwa is not part of our national legal system, however considering N.U is the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, its disciples would regard it and obey it as a law. Thus, in the end it will surely cause great confusion in our society.
Considering this fact, I hope that the new leaders of N.U headed by Dr. Said Agil Siraj would reconsider said Fatwa.
During its recent conference in Makasar, South Sulawesi, N.U issued a Fatwa/Edict which allow under age children to get married. The reason is because the Islamic Sariah Law does not rule the minimum age for marriage, thus different from the national Marriage Law No 1/1974 which ruled that the minimum age for a man is 18, and for a girl is 16.
Parents are allowed to marry off their under age children, although they are strongly appealed to carry out the marriage after the children reached puberty. The Fatwa also said that underage couples must abstain from sexual intercourse until their are mentally and psychically capable to do do.
This Edict was protested by the National Commission for the Protection of Children, who said that it is against the Child Protection Law Article 48 which forbid the marriage by underage children.
As I have stated time and again, although a Fatwa is not part of our national legal system, however considering N.U is the largest Muslim organization in Indonesia, its disciples would regard it and obey it as a law. Thus, in the end it will surely cause great confusion in our society.
Considering this fact, I hope that the new leaders of N.U headed by Dr. Said Agil Siraj would reconsider said Fatwa.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Fatwa/Edict
On Monday evening, I watched on TV-One a talk show organized by the Jakarta Lawyers Club with the topic: Anti-Cigarettes Fatwa/Edict.
The show was moderated by senior journalist Karni Ilyas, with speakers representing Muhamaddiyah, the second largest Muslim organization which issued the Anti-Cigarette Edict/Fatwa; Nadhatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization, Doctors Association (IDI), Cigarette Producers Association, cigarette smokers, attended by an audience of mostly lawyers.
Wawan, head of Muhamadiyah's Legal Dept. explained that the edict has been planned for many years, but postponed due to differences of opinions among the organization's leaders. As a matter of fact few years ago Muhamadidyah has even issued an edict which neither forbid nor permit cigarette smoking.
The most interesting was when Wawan was cornered by the other speakers and the moderator who were not anti cigarettes, tobacco farmers and cigarette factory workers, that he said that the Fatwa/Edict is meant for Muslims who smoke cigarettes which he referred to as people who are not smart. He also said that smoking cigarette would weaken people.
Iskandar of NU protested by saying that cigarette smokers cannot be regarded as not smart, and cigarette smoking does not weaken people. He said that cigarette smoking NU clerics/ulama slept only few hours to teach pupils and prayed in the evening but still able to visit their four wives in the next morning, therefore they cannot be described as weaklings. Iskandar suggested that Muhamaddiyah cancel said edict and replace it with one that suggest smoking is not good for health but does not forbid it.
Considering the above, I hope that religious organizations would always based its Fatwa/Edict on the best interest of its disciples in particular and the country in general.
Because, although an Fatwa/Edict is not part of our legal system, however it would surely have moral effect on the disciples, therefore might cause social-economical-political impacts in Indonesia.
The show was moderated by senior journalist Karni Ilyas, with speakers representing Muhamaddiyah, the second largest Muslim organization which issued the Anti-Cigarette Edict/Fatwa; Nadhatul Ulama (NU), the largest Muslim organization, Doctors Association (IDI), Cigarette Producers Association, cigarette smokers, attended by an audience of mostly lawyers.
Wawan, head of Muhamadiyah's Legal Dept. explained that the edict has been planned for many years, but postponed due to differences of opinions among the organization's leaders. As a matter of fact few years ago Muhamadidyah has even issued an edict which neither forbid nor permit cigarette smoking.
The most interesting was when Wawan was cornered by the other speakers and the moderator who were not anti cigarettes, tobacco farmers and cigarette factory workers, that he said that the Fatwa/Edict is meant for Muslims who smoke cigarettes which he referred to as people who are not smart. He also said that smoking cigarette would weaken people.
Iskandar of NU protested by saying that cigarette smokers cannot be regarded as not smart, and cigarette smoking does not weaken people. He said that cigarette smoking NU clerics/ulama slept only few hours to teach pupils and prayed in the evening but still able to visit their four wives in the next morning, therefore they cannot be described as weaklings. Iskandar suggested that Muhamaddiyah cancel said edict and replace it with one that suggest smoking is not good for health but does not forbid it.
Considering the above, I hope that religious organizations would always based its Fatwa/Edict on the best interest of its disciples in particular and the country in general.
Because, although an Fatwa/Edict is not part of our legal system, however it would surely have moral effect on the disciples, therefore might cause social-economical-political impacts in Indonesia.
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
MUI & 2012
The movie 2012 is a story about Doomsday based on the ancient Mayan calendar that the world will end on 21 December 2012.In Indonesia, the movie becomes very popular after branches of the Indonesian Muslim Clerics Council (MUI) in Malang-East Java and Solo-Central Java accused that the movie is against Islamic concept of Doomsday, and threatened to issue edict to ban the movie.
However, this opinion was not shared by the Chairman of National MUI Amidhan who said that he personally doesn't mind with the movie as long as it is not linked with Doomsday which can only be decided by God.
For detailed information regarding the movie 2012, please click here, here, here, here and here.
Although MUI's edict is not part of our national legal system, therefore cannot be legally enforced, however considering that MUI is the highest official Muslim organization in Indonesia, such edict would be quite influential, therefore might cause confusion in society.
Considering the fact that Muslims in Indonesia are now smart enough to tell the difference between good and bad, I hope that in the future, MUI's Edict would focus on matters that directly effects Muslims as majority in Indonesia, for example Edict against Corruption (Fatwa Haram).
Photo: Courtesy of Sony Pictures.
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