Indonesia, Islam, and Arabic

Indonesia, in relation to Islam, probably still the 'mystery' as well as exotic to many among Muslim Arabs. When an organization invites a speaker from the Arab world, the first time he ask is whether there is in a decent hotel. Friend of the institution to provide answers for the confused. There is a sense tingling, but also because of irritation to questions such as this seems to undermine Jakarta or Indonesia is still very backward.


But, so. Although this story may kasuistik, views like that is not possible there are not many in the Arab community in the Middle East looked Indonesia. Moreover, much more often they meet with the migrant workers, who work in the almost entire Arab world, even though in Gaza. So, no wonder if in their perception and mispersepsi, Indonesia is a country that far behind compared to their own country.

Luckily, at the same time, interaction and exchange also increased more in between Indonesia and the many among the community and Arab countries. Various programs, such as conferences, seminars, training, and the like, both the Government of Indonesia and organizations such as NU and Muhammadiyyah, bringing more and more people in the Arab Middle East to this country. In events like this, they not only get a different explanation of the many aspects of Indonesia, but also about Islam in Australia with all ekspresinya.

My own are often involved in programs like that. For example, a source of information for topics such as history and development of the dynamics of Indonesian Islam, Islam and politics Indonesia, political Islam in the foreign policies of Indonesia, and so on.

I feel very lucky to meet, talk, and dialogue with the Arab Middle East, who generally come for the first time to Indonesia. Many of them are surprised to see the environment of a turn, for behind the Arab world with the environment that most desert kerotang dry and very hot. They were more surprised to see more social life, culture, religion, and politics of a very diverse and rich. One thing is quite difficult for them understand that Friday is not holiday although a majority Muslim population in Indonesia. Instead, Saturday and Sunday is the day that the Christian ritual, and even Catholic holiday. Also, day-to-day religious holiday not only includes the days of Islam, but also other religions even though the number of adherents is not how much.

Indeed, they also see the existence of certain problems in the religious life, including among Muslims even though, in the observation that they were running loose in the obligations they are Islamic. However, they immediately recognize that this kind of phenomenon is not unique among the Indonesian Muslim stark, but the symptoms as there are also in their land.

Therefore, I menimpali that both Muslim men who tried to run the teachings of Islam as closely as possible not only in Makkah, Madinah, or Cairo, but can also be found in Jakarta and everywhere in Indonesia. Conversely, there are people who do not run the Muslim teachings in any religion, without exception in the Muslim world.

One thing they admire is peace in India. They see India relatively no conflict, even violence in the scale that seems worrisome and can not be completed. Instead, they are in the area, conflicts and violence continue to occur, such as continuous no edges. Therefore, they want to learn from Indonesia, Indonesian Islamic even ask to be deployed in their countries.

Respond to such views, I said, everything must begin with a strong willingness to develop the attitude tasamuh, tolerant, and accommodate each other. Peace will never be created if the parties bertikai among Muslims, such as Hamas and Fatah, the willingness of each to be 100 percent. If among the Muslims themselves can never make peace, clearly difficult to move the peace in the wider level. And, if the peace in a variety of scale realized as difficult before the Muslim, this is a failure in mengejawantahkan one of the goals of Islam, namely peace, as in the word 'Islam' itself.