Responses are emerging to the need to address symptoms of intolerance in this country. Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah have been called upon to become proactive forces of moderation.
The calls came from the Director of Graduate Studies at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University, Azyumardi Azra, and the Director of the Maarif Institute, Abdullah Darraz, as reported by this newspaper. The two scholars were responding to a get-together of Ulema of the Archipelago in Rembang, Central Java, on March 16, 2017. The get-together voiced the need to back the ideals of Pancasila and the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) by maintaining a moderate stance. Tolerance, democracy and the realization of akhlakul karimah in public life have to be fought for.
The awakening of a radical movement in Indonesia began in the reform era, when all ideologies "were allowed" to enter in the name of democracy. A movement that has been prohibited even in its country of origin is spreading and has many followers in Indonesia. This phenomenon is accelerated through the revolution of information technology, which spreads radical teachings and thoughts widely across the country.
The development of social media -- and that is the reality we live in -- has democratized the media. Individuals are becoming media leaders with their own set of values. Teachings that are not in line with Pancasila, the state ideology, compete freely in the marketplace of ideas. Meanwhile, the silent majority increasingly becomes the spectator and does not care to be involved in the contestation of ideas or thoughts.
Social division becomes very obvious in the realm of social media, where differences in political preference end with the termination of relations in the digital networks. Leaving a group or “unfriending” someone is common practice in the social media conversation. We are grateful that, based on a poll by this newspaper, 90 percent of the respondents believe the situation concerning relations among citizens will improve after the regional elections. The political battle contributes to the emergence of radical movements and thoughts.
As a society we should welcome the calls by the two scholars for NU and Muhammadiyah to put Indonesia back on the path of moderation, respect and tolerance. The two mass organizations should become more active at the grassroots and embrace back their people to develop moderate and tolerant minds.
However, we also see the problem that there is a lack of social cohesion and national pride. It takes more enlightened individuals who have the desire and capacity to revive the Indonesian ideals and make them a reality, not an imagination of Indonesia that is adopted from other countries.
