Indonesia's Mild Secularism

Islam and the State

Three main schools of thought in Islam have analyzed the relations between religion and the state. The first maintains that Islam cannot be separated from the state. Even though they occupy distinct realms, Islam and the state are organically linked (Al Islam: al-din wa al-daulah: "Islam represents not only a religion, but also a state").Accordingly, both religious and state leaders enjoy equal status, although their functions are different. They share the responsibility of ensuring good governance. The second school of thought affirms that religion and the state are separate and cannot be mixed. This is the basic precept of secularism, a method of understanding and administering the state that is typical of the West. This philosophy also has some basis in Islam although it is weaker than in the Western world. This school of thought stresses that all public affairs should be rationally and secularly managed, while religion is considered to fall within the private domain. Therefore, religion cannot intervene legally or formally in any political process. According to this rationale, the main function of religion is to enlighten people's lives by providing social ethics. Finally, the third school maintains that religion and state overlap and are in fact difficult to distinguish. This is normally the foundation of a Shiite society.

Islam, Indonesia, and Democracy

The nature of the relation between Islam and democracy is equally controversial. Two main confronting views can be highlighted. The first one considers Islam anti-democratic and superior to democracy. It affirms that its religious teachings are divine and the final truth is in the hands of God as manifested and embodied in the holy books, prophets, and religious leaders. By definition this view recognizes no vox populi. The resulting state is normally categorized as theocratic, since the government is totally guided by religious officials acting in the name of God. The other view contends that even though Islam is divine, its teachings are fully compatible with democracy. The history of the Prophet Mohammed--peace be upon him--and the contents of the Quran are full of many practical and doctrinal messages that promote and uphold democratic values. These are, inter alia, public accountability, checks and balances, justice, and many other principles that are the foundations of modern democracy.

The experience of Indonesia is a superb example of the compatibility of Islam and democracy. Islam was first introduced into the city-ports of the archipelago by foreign traders. The culture developing along the coast under the influence of the traders included traits like egalitarianism, dynamism, entrepreneurship, and independence, which affected the ideology and practice of Islam in the country significantly. As a result, the Indonesian people are now basically egalitarian in their outlook, an important ingredient for a functioning democracy. Bahasa Indonesia, the national language adopted in 1928, helped the diffusion of Islam; Islam, in turn, served as a uniting force for millions of Indonesians across the archipelago. These religious and national sentiments were a great source of inspiration for the Indonesian people when the time came to chase the colonial powers out of the country. From a historical perspective, the role of Islam in the formation of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia was monumental, a fact that no one can deny.

Although Islam is the religion of the majority of Indonesians, the country's founding fathers, supported by the people, unanimously agreed that the Republic of Indonesia should not become a theocratic state. Instead, they agreed that the Indonesian state should be based on patriotic as well as humanitarian and religious values. This is particularly important because Indonesia is not only multi-ethnic but also multi-religious. Since its inception, Islam in Indonesia has been culturally all-embracing. In other words, it acknowledges differences, a prerequisite condition for a functioning democracy to succeed. In Indonesia, while we recognize that religion and politics are distinct, we believe that they still have functional relations that can help create good governance...