Female Circumcision

Last week I read the blog of Colson from Holland titled " How to Curb Female Sexual Desire " in which he quoted an official of the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) saying that the purpose of Female Circumcision is to control Female Sexual Desire.

After reading Colson's said blog post, I deemed it necessary to write about Circumcision in general and Female Circumcision in particular.

According to Wikipedia, the word Circumcision (from Latin Circumcidere meaning : to cut around) is used to describe Male Circumcision i.e. the surgical removal of the foreskin from the human Penis, an established practice adopted by Moslems all over the world.

Beside Moslems, Circumcision is also practiced by Judaism, Coptic Christianity and the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. For further details about Circumcision, please read here.

A very scary young girl about to be Circumcised

Unlike the Male Circumcision, Female Circumcision is considered dangerous by the World Health Organization (WHO)  which gave it a very scary name Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) and define it as " all procedures that involve partial or total removal of the external female genitalia, or other injury to the female organs for non medical reasons."  Details about FGM can be read here.

For that reason, in April 2006 the Indonesian government, through the Department of Health, banned Female Circumcision (here). This decision was strongly protested by MUI which issued a Fatwa (Edict) in the year 2008 stating that the ban of Female Circumcision is against Islamic regulation. An MUI official explained that Female Circumcision is done by "incising the the skin that covers the front part of the Clitoris without harming the Clitoris."  

In response to said MUI's Fatwa, the Minister of Health has issued a regulation which allow Female Circumcision on the condition that it done based on modern medical standard to ensure the safeness of the female being Circumcised.
 
Considering that Female Circumcision is more dangerous than Male Circumcision, I hope that the government would ban Female Circumcision, or if it is to be allowed, must be based on the female's consent and strictly conducted by authorized medical professionals based on modern medical standard.

Photo :  Courtesy of Berita Aneh

Please Eliminate Violent Organizations

On 6 February 2011, an Ahmadiyah secte community in Cikeusik, Banten was attacked by a mob of 1,500 people from outside the village and killed 3 secte followers.

On 8 February, several churches in the town of Temanggung, Central Java, were damaged by a group of people who were very angry at the verdict of local district court which has passed a sentenced lighter than they expected to a Christian man who they alleged had conducted blasphemy on Islam.

In reaction to the above violent actions, President Susilo Bambang Yudoyono (SBY) made a very wonderful statement that instructed law enforcement agencies to disband any organization that practiced violence.

The president's statement has annoyed the FPI, an organization that claimed that they practiced violence in the name of Islam. They threatened that if the government disband their organization they will overthrow SBY and his government.  This is clearly a crime against the state according to the Criminal Law.

But to my disappointment, the President's aides do not seemed to be worried at FPI's above threat.

The Coordinating Minister for Politics, Laws and Security Djoko Suyanto told reporters that the President's statement was not addressed to the FPI.

The Minister of Home Affairs Gamawan Fauizi even met with the leader of FPI and implied as if everything is okay.

While the Chief of National Police Timur Pradopo did not give direct answer when reporters asked him about FPI's threat.

The government's seemingly ignorant reactions to above violence has caused another violent attack in the town of Pasuruan, East Java. This time another group of people who claimed to be acting in the name of Islam has attacked an Islamic boarding school that they alleged to belong to the Shiite secte.

Considering the above mentioned facts, I hope that the President was really serious when he made his above statement and by instruct once again all the law enforcement agencies to disband organizations that practice violence in our society.

What's wrong with Ahmadiyah ?

Ahmadiyah is a religious movement founded in India at the end of the 19th century, originating from the life and teachings of Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835-1908), who claimed to be the last prophet of Islam, which is contradictory to the belief on mainstream Muslim that Muhammad is the last prophet of Islam..

Due to this fact,  Ahmadiyah has been rejected by mainstream Muslim all over the world although it is also based on the Al-Qur'an.. Some countries like Malaysia and Brunei have even declared it as illegal. Whereas, Pakistan which has 4 million Ahmadiyah members, has declared Ahmadiyah as Non-Muslim..

Ahmadiyah came to Indonesia around 80 years ago, and was registered as a legal entity in 1953. Several public figures were reported to be members of Ahmadiyah among others WR Soepratman, composer of the national anthem Indonesia Raya, and the late activist Arief Rahman Hakim.

Public opinion in Indonesia is split in three ways on how Ahmadiyah should be treated: (a) some hold it should be banned outright on the basis that it is a heretical and deviant sect that is not listed as an officially recognised religion in Indonesia; (b) others hold that it should not be banned because of the freedom of religion article in the Constitution, but also should not be allowed to proselytize under the banner of "Islam" on the basis that this is misleading; (c) still others hold that it should be free to do and say as it pleases based on the Constitutional right to freedom of religion.

In 2008, the Minister of Home Affairs, the Minister of Religion and the Attorney General issued a Joint Decree saying that Ahmadiyah is not allowed to spread its teachings to others who are not member of Ahmadiyah, but did not ban Ahmadiyah.

Clashes between mainstream Muslim and Ahmadiyah occurred many times, among others in Lombok in 2001, the latest one was last Sunday in Cikeusik, Banten, in which 3 Ahmadiyah members were killed.

In my previous post, I have hoped among others that the Ahmadiyah case could be be settled peacefully through dialog between government, Muslim leaders and Ahmadiyah leaders to find a " win-win " solution.

If Ahmadiyah members want to be Muslims, they should accept Muhammad as the last prophet, otherwise they should declare Ahmadiyah as a new religion.

Freedom of Religion

The American priest Terry Jones has canceled his plan to burn the Quran to mark the anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attack.

There is no guarantee that such plan would not be carried out again in the future, but this cancellation would at least ease the tensions between Muslims and Christians.

This is a very good development for us in Indonesia as the largest Muslim country in the world, whereby any tensions between Muslim and Non Muslim in other places would surely be felt here.

I hope that the above would make everyone especially in Indonesia, no matter what their religion, culture, race, aware on the importance of establishing mutual understanding with each other, for which purpose good communication among them should be established and always be maintained.

And considering that freedom of religion is protected by our constitution, laws and regulations, I hope that the government and law enforcement agencies would provide equal protection for every citizens no matter what their religion is, and severely punish anyone/group of people who violate the laws.
A firm stance on this matter is very important, because experience shows that failure to do so would cause extreme groups take the laws into their own hands.

If we can improve all that, I am sure that Indonesia would be a much better place to live.

Conversations about this matter on the blogosphere  :
-  Quran Burning Cancelled ? (A. Fatih)
-  Condemn the Burning of Koran (Tikno) 
-  Islam : an open letter to a friend (Anastasia FB)

MUI Rejected Body Scanners

The Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) has rejected the plan to use of Body Scanners on passengers at the airports because it is against the Islamic laws and human rights.

Please find below a related article in The Jakarta Globe for reference.

 An airport staff member demonstrating a full body scan in progress at Britain’s Manchester Airport. (AFP Photo)

MUI Says Airport Body Scanners Would Violate Human Rights

The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) had rejected a plan to use full body scanners in Indonesian airports, claiming it would be a violation of Sharia law and human rights.

“Don’t use it in Indonesia. We are not a paranoid or frightened country, What we are afraid of is the scanner violating human rights and being used as a toy to abuse women,” Amidhan, the council’s chairman, told detik.com.

The council agreed with Pope Benedict’s objections to full body scanners.

“It violates human rights. If only the bones are visible then it’s all right but if it’s the body then it could become a toy,” Amidhan said.

The MUI said that there would be one exception, however.

“It could only be used in emergency situations regarding national security and women should scan women and men scan men,” he said.

Amidhan said that he believed Indonesia was not in an emergency situation at the moment and airport security staff could still make use of other tools.

“As long as other equipment is available, it’s not an emergency,” he said.

The government planned to use ProVision scanner made in USA. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs had said the scanner would not show individual’s “sensitive parts.” At present, ProVision scanners are on trial in Canadian and French airports, while in Indonesia, the device would be used for passengers heading to the United States.

Supports for Facebook

Last year, an Islamic organization in East Java had stated that Facebook is Haram (Forbidden) for Moslems.

Although the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) has denied this, however some people are still asking whether or not it is okay to use Facebook.

Meanwhile, The Jakarta Globe has reported that some Islamic Boarding Schools in Bogor, West Java have supported the use of Facebook.

Indonesians are among some of the most avid users of online social media like Twitter and Facebook. (Photo: Yudhi Sukma Wijaya, JG)

Bogor Islamic School Leaders See Benefits in Facebook Fad

Some pesantren, or Islamic boarding school, leaders in Bogor are backing the use of social networking site Facebook to facilitate communication within their school communities, despite calls last year from some clerics to stop students from using the site.

Caretaker of the Miftahul Ulum Islamic Boarding School, KH Fithrie Fachrurrozie Fuad, said on Sunday that Facebook had become a “requirement” for communication in most social circles, “including pesantren.”

Fithrie said that using Facebook was more efficient and effective than other methods of communication.

“And Facebook can be a vehicle to stay in touch and exchange ideas and information. I think a lot of positives can be drawn from the use of Facebook,” he added.

He said that in the pesantren community, for example, Facebook could be used to discuss current issues and the Islamic world.

During May 2009, some clerics on Java and Madura islands declared Facebook as forbidden for students under the age of 17, stating that it posed a risk for flirting and “moral temptations.”

However, Fithrie said that he thought the benefits outweighed potential risks and urged for it not to be declared haram, or forbidden.

“If it is made forbidden, it may be abused by some who do not heed the norms and ethics of religion,” he said.

Abdul Halim Yahya from Daarul Rahman Islamic Boarding School in Leuwiliang, Bogor, agreed, saying that Facebook had now become a forum for friendship and a place to express opinions without censorship.

Halim said that the big benefits of Facebook meant it was natural that the pesantren community began reaching into the virtual world for the latest information.

“In fact, Facebook has now become alternative media for the interests of the people, as in the case of ‘gecko versus crocodile’ (the Corruption Eradication Commission versus the National Police) and Prita (Mulyasari) versus Omni Hospital,” he said.

Facebook is now the most popular Web site in Indonesia, according to web traffic analyst alexa.com.

Antara, JG

N.U & Infotainment

I always believed that Nadhatul Ulama, the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia with 35 million members, is a moderate Islamic organization.

There are several reasons for this belief. First, N.U's former Chairman, former President Abdurrachman Wahid (Gus Dur), is a liberal person. Second, the political party that it established i.e Nation's Awakening Party (PKB) is a non exclusive party. Thirdly, its Chairman, Hasyim Muzadi, was former President Megawati's running mate in the 2004 presidential election.

Due to the above facts, I was very surprised when the media reported that N.U has considered TV celebrity shows known as Infotainment as Haram (Forbidden for Muslim). Hasyim Muzadi has even requested the government to ban such shows.

For details, please click here, here and here.

Considering the era of transparency that we are having nowadays, I believe that said N.U's decision would not have a positive response because most TV viewers are now quite wise and smart to choose what kind of shows would be best for them to watch.
Even if the Infotainments are banned, people can easily & cheaply get copies of their VCD/DVDs on the markets.
Further, by declaring Infotainment as Haram, N.U will lose the supports of many moderate Muslims , including mine.

Logo: Courtesy of N.U

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.

The by-law in Aceh

Last Wednesday, a controversial bill that allow the stoning to death of adulterers has officially became a by-law in the Province of Aceh.

According to the bill, passed by Aceh's parliament on 14 September, the by-law called Qanun Jinayat Code will replace certain articles of the national Criminal Law with a Syariah Law for Muslims in Aceh, and valid 30 days later.

Enactment of the by-law has been protested in Aceh, whereby the Governor refused to sign the bill. But lawmakers insists that the by-law would still come into force even without the Governor's signature.

Further, the by-law has also been protested in Jakarta, by human rights activists who called the by-law as inhuman and therefore asked the central government to review the by-law.

Furthermore, the by-law has worried non Muslim businessmen who feared that growing conservatism in Aceh and some other provinces might frighten investors. They believe, if this conservatism process is not stopped there is a big possibility that existing investors might close their businesses here and move to another country. Due to which fact, they hope that the central government would take necessary action to stop the process. They also hope Indonesian Muslims who are mostly moderate to voice their objection on the growing influence of hardline minority but very vocal Muslims.

In reaction to the protests, the central government has promised to study the said by-law. If they find that it is against the national laws and constitution, the Minister of Internal Affairs shall request the Supreme Court to review the by-law.

For detailed media reports on the above, please click here, here, here, here and here.

Considering that news about the controversial by-law have spread worldwide, there is a big possibility that foreigners may think that such law is valid all over Indonesia for Muslims and non Muslims. If this happen, foreigners would be frighten to invest here, even Indonesian non Muslim businessmen would move their business to another country. In the end, Muslims who are majority in Indonesia, would loose jobs and suffer with their families.
In order to prevent that, I hope that the Minister of Internal Affairs & the Minister of Law would check whether the by-law in Aceh and other provinces are in-line with the provisions set forth by the higher national laws. If the by-laws are contradictory, they should request the Supreme Court to review them.

Indonesia's Islamic Schools

Foreign news media often describe Islamic Schools (Pesantren) in Indonesia as institutions which are dominated by Males

But today, I read an article in Time about the oposite condition, as follows:

Indonesia's Islamic Schools: More Female Friendly
By Carla Power / Cirebon Wednesday, Sep. 23, 2009

When she was widowed two years ago, most people in the Javanese village of Babakan Ciwaringin expected Nyai Yu Masriyah Amva to marry again. They also assumed that the local pesantran, or traditional Indonesian Islamic boarding school, would close with the death of her husband, its head Islamic scholar. Neither happened. Bucking tradition, Amva decided that she would run the school. "If men can do it, then why can't I?" the 48-year-old recalls praying. "If you, Allah, are the source of all power, then why do I have to find someone else to run it? Just give me the power. I know that I can do it." After all, she reasoned Megawati Sukarnoputri, Indonesia's ex-president, was a woman, joining the ranks of "Benazir [Bhutto], and Elizabeth, and the woman Madonna played in that movie" — Evita Peron.

Straight-backed, in red lipstick and maroon-and-white polka dots, a sheer black veil slipping off her hair, Amva strides around the campus of Pesantran Kebon Jambu, which takes its name from the guava orchards that stood there before the school's mint-and-white mosque and tile-roofed dormitories. Born in the village to a family of respected kyais, or Islamic teachers, she learned her Arabic and the study of the Quran and the Islamic traditions at her father's pesantran. "My grandfather and parents always hoped someday I'd become a respected scholar," she smiles, pouring tea in her airy her on-campus house. "But since my husband died, people say I have become a superstar." She recalls addressing a nervous student body the week she took over: "You don't have to be afraid because the kyai has passed away," she says she told the 700-odd teenagers. "You still have the greatest thing in this world: Allah. He is with us, and you will be guided by his light."
(See pictures of modern Muslim societies around the world.)

This July's bombings at two five-star hotels in Jakarta and the 2002 bombings in Bali raised fears among counterterrorism experts that Indonesia's 12,000 pesantran were potential breeding grounds for radicalism. And while suicide bombers and radicals have been traced to a few schools notorious for their extremist teachings, others have been incubators for a more benign trend in the world's most populous Muslim nation: the development of feminist readings of the Quran and Islamic traditions. Indonesia's two largest Muslim political parties — the Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah — have intricate campaigns promoting women's rights. Indonesian feminists, male and female alike, have worked with progressive pesantran to develop women-friendly interpretations of shari'a — a radical break with the conservative notions of shari'a across the Muslim world, which tend to be heavily reliant on the world views of medieval — and male — jurists.

Feminism has found fertile soil in Indonesia, whose Islamic traditions are relatively porous, and whose traditional agricultural culture often had men and women working together in the fields , in contrast, say, to the segregated tribal customs of Arabia. It's not that these ideas don't find resistence: There's a strong tradition of male authority in Indonesia, as well as a more recent trend towards fundamentalism, so feminists have to be careful to pick kyais who will be open to their teachings. Jakarta-based feminist activist Lies Marcoes-Natsir says much of her work is protecting indigenous Indonesian Islamic culture from the spread of stricter, Saudi-style Wahhabi interpretations of Islam. "The good thing is that [Indonesia's religious scholars] are also worried about Wahhabism, so we can work hand-in-hand with them," she says. Tellingly, Marcoes-Natsir finds that traditional scholars are easier to get through to than many middle-class urbanites. Where classically trained scholars know of the diversity of interpretations of Islamic law, those less versed tend to insist that it's far stricter than it really is.

Together with Indonesia's most prominent male feminist cleric, Kyai Husein Muhammad, Marcoes-Natsir has developed a course for teaching gender equality in Islam. On a hot summer morning in Cirebon, Northern Java, she taught a workshop on reproductive health, which had her gamely sketching fallopian tubes on a white-board, and parsing Quranic verses on reproductive rights. From the young men and women students, there were nods, furious scribblings, and the odd giggle. And then there was the group of young women, all majoring in gender studies at the local Islamic college, who were snapping pictures to post on their feminist blog. "The patriarchy is very strong," concedes one blogger, Asih Baet, in John Lennon specs and a black hijab. But across Indonesia, in mosques, on blogs, and in former guava orchards, there are rebellions against it.

Rhoma Irama & Marriage

For more than 35 years, Rhoma Irama has been very popularly known in Indonesia as a Malayan Dangdut singer and movie actor.

According to Kapanlagi, this controversial man was born in Tasikmalaya, West Java, on 11 December 1946, was legitimately married based on Marriage Law No.1/1974, but at the same time practiced Sirri i.e a marriage based on the Islamic Law, with several other women.

On Tuesday (14 April) evening, Rhoma Irama appeared as guest speaker in ANTV’s Talk Show 4 LAWAN 1 (4 Against 1), hosted by four ladies i.e Lula Kamal, Meisya Siregar, Fira Basuki and Rahma Aulia.
Various topics were discussed, but the most interesting part was when they discussed about Rhoma's opinion on Marriage. In this case he admitted that he led a polygamous life, but he refused to answer when the ladies asked him how many wives he has today.
He said that Marriage, Divorce and Polygamy are determined by God, and Polygamy does not bring disgrace to women, as a matter of fact it bring honor to women. He explained that before Islam came to this world, men did not honor women. He gave an example that at those times, holy men/kings/ leaders in many countries of the world have many wives, not just tens but also hundreds and even thousands, thus there is no limitation at all.
After Islam came to this world, a man is limited to have not more than 4 wives, on the condition that he must be capable to treat his wives fairly, otherwise he should only have 1 wife.

Further, he said that he sympathize with Syekh Puji, i.e. a 43 years old man who married Ulfa, a 12 years old girl according to Sirri. He said that Syekh Puji is a victim of our society’s unfair treatment. Because Rhoma thinks that Syekh Puji’s marriage was legitimate according to the Islamic Law which defined that an adult female as one who has menstruates, and since Ulfa has already menstruate, therefore their marriage has been legitimate according to Islamic Law.

Furthermore, he said that Sirri Marriage would prevent men from committing adultery.

Rhoma Irama’s above opinion is contradictory to our country’s Marriage Law i.e. a female should be at least 16 to get married; and a married man can only take another wife if his first wife permit him to do so. And as a public figure his words could mislead other people especially his fans into thinking that he is right.
In order to avoid confusion, the government should therefore clarify this by always socializing the principles adopted by our National Marriage Law.