Communalization of Public Space
.
The word “Indonesia” is more commonly understood to refer to an archipelago in the Indian Ocean, rather than to a nation.
This statement is more easily understood by making comparisons. For example, for Turkey the name of the nation and the state is identical. Also, the Korean nation and state are identical. Meanwhile, as Indonesia is still in the process of becoming a nation it is a political ideal that requires a long and winding journey.
Indonesia constitutes a political project of citizens and regional leaders who were spread across the archipelago and fought to achieve independence from the grip of the colonialists. Indonesia constitutes a large house with rooms filled with a wide variety of ethnicities, cultures and religions who agreed to stand side by side to strengthen each other.
Sovereign, independent and prosperous living became the main ideal and determination underlying the founding of the Republic of Indonesia. Therefore, the motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity) does not merely describe the plurality of ethnicities, languages and religions of the citizens of the archipelago, but is a promise and political commitment that must be met by the government and state to protect and nurture the tree of diversity.
Areas that are up for grabs
The motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika and the Pancasila agreement as guides for the nation and state also constitute historical evidence and political promises to make sure Indonesia not controlled and owned by the communal and tribal ideologies because if that happens, Indonesia will be noisy, lose its spirit and deny its own identity with social, economic and political costs that are very high.
The most logical and strategic step is to fulfill the promise to maintain the unity of the nation and improve the welfare of the citizens evenly because they are the true owners of the Indonesian homeland. The government and the state must crack down and dispel predators who come in a variety of shapes, forms, costumes and modes to rob people of their rights and cut the supports out from under of the state.
Since long ago, this archipelago has been a zone contested by foreign powers. What foreign powers would not be interested in coming and controlling a region that is beautiful and prosperous because of rich natural resources?
Therefore, the original Indonesian concept could not easy to find its authentic roots. Even the major religions that are recognized by the state are all foreign religions. Borrowing from business language, all are imported religions. The native religions of Indonesia are in the form of local beliefs and traditions that still survive in a number of areas, but are becoming increasingly displaced. However, that is how on a global level with migrations of populations across nations, religions and countries are becoming increasingly concentrated.
This can enrich the civilization of a nation, but it can also cause new problems, such as the exodus of the victims of wars in the Middle East who are seeking asylum to Europe. A number of terrorists were identified among the refugees.
The instincts of the nations that used to be known as capitalists, imperialists and aggressors will never die. What changes is the mode. However, they are faced with a new social reality that today there will be no nation or state that can progress and become rich by itself. In foreign diplomacy, the concept of independence has been transformed into interdependence. When science, technology and democracy are increasingly global, all nations are forced to work together and respect the rights of other nations. The instinct of imperialism must be at peace with the rational for urgent cooperation among nations. We live in a globally networked society.
The urgency of cooperation and the lust of competition remind us of the theory of “Social Darwinism,” which took Charles Darwin’s scientific theory of biological evolution being governed by natural selection and applied it to human society as “survival of the fittest.” According to Social Darwinism, only those who are strong and fit enough to enter a new environment can survive and thrive. In other words, if a country is rich in natural resources, but does not get strong protection, it will surely become the prey of an aggressively strong state.
This has been and is still happening in various parts of the world, including in Indonesia. To a certain extent, it appears to be a natural curse. The abundant natural resources that do not get proper protection and utilization will turn into a source of catastrophe. Nature curses its inhabitants. Just look at what is happening in Iraq, Libya, Syria and several regions in Indonesia.
The sad thing is when there is a conspiracy between foreign powers and domestic elements as compradors. Even sadder is when the domestic persons use the state elements to destroy and rob the wealth of the people and their own country.
Komaruddin Hidayat
Communal politics
The rapid development and political changes, plus the ever-expanding numbers of social media users make people experience explosions of information and become confused, unable to distinguish between the rubbish news, hoaxes and that which is constructive and educational. Through social media anybody has the same opportunity to write to convey aspirations and opinions on various news and events.
The fact of social media being full of the hustle and bustle of information and opinions makes members of online communities tend to think in fragmentary ways and be eclectic without depth. The language of social media also tends to be subjective: Something is either liked or disliked, not right or wrong.
A worried and insecure atmosphere encourages someone to build emotional and imaginary affiliations with those who are on the same emotion wave. This emotional affiliation will become increasingly stronger when united by common interests and religious identities so that this in turn will create a crowd mentality. When there appears a figure who can become a driver, an online community with a crowd mentality can emerge as a real force, if only for a moment because it is not an organic mass assembly.
In a democratic party, the crowd mentality is easy to capitalize on and guide for a short-term political objective. The presence of social media and the figure of a mass leader is very instrumental for capturing and raising the same emotions in determining the political stance of the masses, even though there is often a process of manipulation and trickery.
Even an organization like the Islamic State (IS) movement is very conscious and good at employing propaganda, up to brainwashing, through social media. The economically disadvantaged young people with a shallow mastery of religious knowledge become an easy target for IS and other radical movements of its kind.
In the context of Indonesia, which has a very diverse population, and from the educational and economic side, which is still much less fortunate, they are easily interested if there is an offer of jihad as an incentive to seek glory in God\'s way and promises of improving their fate. Among the promises offered are to change the ideology and state system that applies democracy and replaced them with the caliphate system. They maintain that Pancasila and democracy are the rule of taghut (idol-worshipping infidels) and must be replaced, or at least the sharia system must be applied, but sharia only according to their interpretation.
Such themes need to be watched. They are perhaps only empty jargon or utopian thinking because what is really happening is a struggle of power and economic resources among the elite, which then capitalizes on the sentiments of ethnic and religious communalism. It is becoming increasingly complicated when foreign forces come into play to aggravate the atmosphere by training radical activists and meeting their financial needs.
If the above assumptions and guesses are true, we should prepare our mentality ahead of the general elections in 2019 as Indonesia will become increasingly noisy. A fierce religious expression will be more prominent and not a cool and religious enlightening to jointly promote and improve the welfare of the Indonesian people.
KOMARUDDIN HIDAYAT
Lecturer of the Psychology School of UIN Jakarta
