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Ethnic and Religious Diversity in Sarawak: Peacebuilding among Muslim Youth
Full text linkThe ethnic and religious diversity in Sarawak is unique among Malaysians. The need for tolerance and unity regardless of the existence of various ethnics and religions is the key to building peace in Sarawak. The state of unity in Sarawak is sustained with the role of Islam as the official religion, the constitutional monarchy, community structure, political will, social awareness, positive peace, economic stability and education for gender equality. Muslim youth in Sarawak are also playing roles in promoting peace through esteemed programmes in an effort to engage peacebuilding among youths. 'Islam is the way of life' continues to be the principle in engaging Muslim youth towards peace. The Institute of Teacher Education (ITE) Batu Lintang Campus in Kuching, Sarawak is one of the higher learning institutions in Malaysia that is engaging youth in promoting peace. ITE Batu Lintang Campus participated in colouring Malaysia with ‘The Youth Peace Campaign’ accompanied by 394 youth from all over Sarawak. This paper aims to share the roles and opinions of the Muslim youth towards peace in their diversified ethnic and religious community. Although ITE Batu Lintang Campus endorsed no specific course accentuating on peacebuilding education, the youth in the campus are still the main asset for promoting peace in ethnic and religious diversity
Religious and Gender Issues In the Tradition of Basurung and the Polygamy of Banjar Tuan Guru in South Kalimantan
Full text linkBanjar is among the largest ethnic groups in Kalimantan Island, concentrated in South Kalimantan and a small part of other Kalimantan. As an adherent of Islam, Banjar ethnic group is very religious. Tuan guru, a designation for respected ulama, play as a role model in everyday life. The have a gathering for studies (pengajian) that are always attended by a large number of followers (jama'ah). People want to be close to this elites, making them as apart of their family. For the sake of this effort, the female jama’ah often 'basurung' of offering to be married by the tuan guru. As a parent they also offer their daughter to marry him. Banjar women will feel honored when they marry a tuan guru, although it turns out to become “an informal wife.” Her family will also be very proud to be able to be bond to a respected tuan guru. As a result, it is no wonder that there are many tuan guru in South Kalimantan who have more than one wife. This paper discusses the culture of basurung initiated by the women of Banjar ethnic group using standpoint of feminism analysis. The work attempts to see the women's points of view, especially in relation to the tuan guru's polygamy culture that occurs within Banjar ethnic group
Women Political Participation in Peacebuilding in Southern Thailand
Full text linkThis article explores the historical, practical and consequences of women in political participation in the peace process during the ongoing conflict negotiations from 2004 until the present time. The author examines the cases of the Malay Muslims, who are the dominated populations in this violent conflict region and a significant minority group in Thailand, and the non-Malays who are also active in paving the way for peace making in various forms of activity in southern border provinces of country. Gender analysis of the intertwined ethno-religious and political identities of the Malays and non-Malays demands a need to reorientation of the concept of peace and security which contributed to illuminate deeply understanding of the society during conflict resolution
Ancestral Religious Recognition an Effort to Build Indonesia without Discrimination
Full text linkSamsul Ma’arif, Dynamics of Ancestral Religious Recognition in Religious Politics in Indonesia. Yogyakarta: CRCS UGM, 2017
Juridically Indonesia has identified itself as a religious country. An important element which states that it is manifested in Pancasila as the foundation of the state in the first principle, namely the belief in the oneness of God. The formalization of the element of belief in all of the nation's history is not a flawless one. One of the criticisms that is not taken seriously by most components of the nation is a derivative form of the first polarized first principle in the birth of official religions recognized by the state. Polarization is arguably very exclusive, which eventually, will deny the existence of other beliefs that grow in the community. As a consequence, there arises a pejorative narrative in all its forms to those outside the official state religions. Even the most unnecessary things happen, as violent acts which very likely result from the exclusive polarization
Radicalism, Jihad and Terror
Full text linkAs an issue of complexity, radicalism does not stand alone. It has a political and ideological basis. Like an ideology that continues to bind, radicalism takes the path of religion to be able to justify all actions of anarchy. The case of today’s Islam as being synonymous with radicalism is apart of the complexcity of the issue. Religious radicalism is a prevalent phenomenon in the history religions. Radicalism is closely related to fundamentalism, which is marked by the return of society to the fundamentals of religion. Fundamentalism is a kind of ideology that makes religion the principle of life by society and individuals. Fundamentalism usually comes along with radicalism and violence when the freedom to return to religion is hindered by social and political circumstances surrounding the society. Islam recognizes jihad that is in some cases misunderstood. Jihad is different from radicalism and its derivatives of terrorism. Radicalism and terrorism tend to be destructive, uncompromising and closely related to violent behavior in the name of religion. Meanwhile jihad is a form of the totality of a Muslim's devotion to God, which is concerned not only with self-defense efforts, but a battle that has a theological legitimacy in which the martyrs are promised by God with various virtues and advantages. The association of jihad with terrorism today cannot be justified due to the fact that jihad in the sense of war (Qitâl) involves elements of violence that can be categorized as terrorism. It is the case that the use of violence in the name of religion in contemporary times is, in fact, due to political factors, which then seeks its legitimacy in religious teachings
The Psychological Study of Religious Violence: A Theoretical and Methodological Discussion
Full text linkThe aim of this article is to discuss the use and usefulness of psychological theory and psychological methods in the study of religious violence. My analysis of previous research revealed an imbalance between data, method and theory. There are few psychological studies on religious terrorism based on first-hand empirical data. The analysis also showed that psychological explanations of religious terrorism are, in general, not sensitive to cultural factors. Religious terrorism is a culturally constituted phenomenon. It is therefore important that research on religious violence is based on theoretical and empirical approaches sensitive to the cultural construction of violence. This means that psychologists of religion must be willing to use novel and creative methods sensitive to the unique cultural context where the violent behaviour is acted out and interpreted by the actors of the violent drama, for example, discourse analysis or narrative research. In the self-corrective and growth-inducing feedback process between these methods and primary data it would be possible to develop valid psychological explanations of religious violence
Conflicting Religious Identities: Blaspheming Islam and the Future of Democracy in Indonesia
Full text linkThe paper explores the phenomena of conflicting religious identities among Indonesian politicians in Jakarta’s regional election (pilkada) in 2017. The 2017 most dramatized Jakarta regional election has been seen as a very important political phenomenon in recent time as it revealed the conflicting social-political identity construction across religious and ethnic groups in the region. This work attempts to provide explanation from the perspective of religious studies on the roles of religious identities in the political realm as well as religious and political symbols as tools to achieve political supports. The case of Ahok mentioning one of the Quranic verses of al-Maidah 51 in Kepulauan Seribu exposes the fundamental question of wheter it is apart of blaspheming Islam and insulting ulama. It also shows how the Islamist groups respond to it by using the case of the politicizing al-Maidah 51 to reduce Ahok electability and disqualify him from political contestation by accusing him to blaspheme Islam. The complexity of applying Quranic texts to the modern political platform brings this article to outline how Muslim scholars interpret all-Maidah 51 and how they situate the text into the context of modern politics in Indonesia as well as how it influences the future of Indonesian democracy
The Myth of Sayyidina Ali’s “Illegitimate Child” Crocodile: The Phenomenon of Syncretism Among Coastal Communities in West Kalimantan
Full text linkWest Kalimantan has various local cultural treasures in the form of ritual traditions, arts as well as oral traditions in the form of pantun, abstinence, legends, and myths. The cultural treasures spread throughout the West Kalimantan regions, one of which is found in the coastal area of the Province. The treasure that attracts the attention of the researchers is the oral tradition of the myth found in coastal areas of Kubu and Teluk Pakedai. The myth is the crocodile of anak kampang Sayyidina Ali (Sayyidina Ali‘s “illegitimate child“). This myth contains many dimensions, ranging from the dimensions of local culture and religious views to syncretism. The researchers also assume that the myth contains a negative stereotype against Shi’a. This research attempts to reconstruct the culture of the myth in various spectra. This research uses ethnography method. It reveals some interesting aspects such as euhemerism of the figure of Imam Ali. The myth also contains a very strong syncretic content, thus arising a paradox of the existing character, between glorifying and degrading. It arises because of a thorough understanding of the history of Islam on the one hand, and the strong style of local tradition held by the community on the other. However, the myth is quite functional for society, because it indirectly instills awareness about nature conservation. Finally, in relation to the allegations of political motives in myth, the researchers found no sufficient data, but the academic suspicion of the researchers had a strong belief in it
Korean Drama Constructing Multiculturalism among Muslim Women Students
Full text linkAbstract
This paper aims to understand the unique relationship between Korean drama and the formation of multicultural identity among Muslim women students. On the one hand, as a form of racial activity, watching Korean dramas can establish a new form of identity while at the same time enriching a new perspective of building multicultural sense. On the other hand as a part of Muslim, they can control Korean culture that is incompatible with Islamic doctrine. This paper argues that adopting Korean dramas positively supports students in creating multicultural cultures. These findings may contribute to the formation of cultural diversity within the Islamic context
Natural Disasters Management in Indonesia: Perspective of Local Wisdom and Heidegger Hermeneutics
Full text linkNatural disaster managements in Indonesia carried out by the government seemed centralized, slow and is not well prepared. Even the government seems to ignore the management of natural disasters that has long been entrenched in the pulse of local community knowledge systems. Considerations in decision-making mitigation of natural disasters is too scientific-positivistic and ignores the philosophical aspect of the work. This paper attempts to offer a perspective of natural disaster management with support of Indonesian local wisdom and Heidegger hermeneutics. Most of the ethnic groups in Indonesia have already had a set or system of knowledge in the management of natural disasters. This knowledge system exists since the long experience of Indonesian society in dealing with natural disasters. This system is then passed on and transformed from many generations through oral hystory. Some studies indicate that local knowledge systems on the management of natural disasters so far are very effective in minimizing the number of dissaster victims. In addition, Martin Heidegger hermeneutics offeres a concept of natural disaster management with the starting point of the idea of being-in-the-world.The idea is one of the basic principles of hermeneutics-facticity Martin Heidegger who supposes that a real human living being has awareness of this universe. In the 'living earth', man does not necessarily accept the fate thrown into the earth, but he has the ability to exercise the creativity for survival. As a result of the awareness of the throwness into the universe, in turn, human beings have awareness that they have a relation to one another, empathy and sensitivity as human beings.