Gov’t Certification Irks Indonesia Ulema
 

A leading Indonesian Islamic organization has rejected a proposal conditioning government certifications for ulema or scholars in a bid to curb radical ideas, confirming that proliferation of radicalism has nothing to do with true Islamic teachings offered by scholars.
“The government is overstepping their authority by trying to dictate these things,” Said Aqil Siroj, the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama, told Antara news agency, Jakarta Globe reported on Monday, September 10.
“Kiai [local elders] or Ustadz [Islamic preachers] are titles that are not given out by the government,” Siroj added.
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is the biggest Muslim organization in Indonesia, with estimated members of 30 millions.
The certification proposal was first made during a lecture titled “Terror Unfailing” given in Jakarta last Saturday.
During the lecture, the director of the Deradicalization of National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), Irfan Idris, proposed ulema certification as an idea to help end radicalization, stirring NU anger.
He claimed that such a method has been implemented in Singapore and has effectively worked to curb radicalism.
“With a certification program, the government could monitor the role of ulema and prevent the fostering of radical movements,” Irfan said.
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim state with Muslims making up around 85 percent of its 237-million population.
The south-eastern Asian archipelago has cracked down on militant groups following a terrorist attack in the resort island of Bali in 2002, which left more than 200 people dead.
In just over two years, 33 terrorism suspects have been killed, mostly in shootouts with police, and nearly 200 have been arrested.
The security operations have proved success, with no civilians have died in terror attacks in the past two years and a half.
No Terrorism Buds
Linking terrorism to the country Muslim scholars was rejected by the chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama.
“Terrorism is not rooted in Islamic culture,” Siroj said.
“So if terrorists exist, it is not solely because of the ulema lacking in promoting religious deradicalization.”
Islam takes an uncompromising position against terrorism.
In 2008, thousands of Muslim scholars from across India denounced terrorism as a violation of Islamic teachings, calling it the “biggest crime as per Qur'an."
Another Britain-based Muslim scholar, Sheikh Tahir ul-Qadri, issued a 600-page fatwa in May 2011, condemning suicide bombings, kidnappings and the killing of innocent people as “absolutely against the teachings of Islam”.
In Indonesia, the Ministry of Religious Affairs also sees no link between Islam and terrorism.
The Ministry publishes pamphlets promoting the “correct” nonviolent interpretation of jihad as a spiritual struggle for self-improvement and other Islamic concepts that have been hijacked by extremists.
Siroj reiterated the important role played by Muslim scholars, mainly members of long-established organizations such as Nahdlatul Ulama and the Muhammadiyah, in fighting radical ideologies.
“I have always said that Islamic organizations and ulema that support the Pancasila ideology (urging belief in one God, justice, the country’s unity, democracy and social justice) as the foundation of the nation should be supported,” Siroj added.
“On the contrary, organizations that subvert Pancasila should be dissolved, let alone be considered for certification.”