The route to al-Ishlah Islamic Boarding School, Bungah Gresik East Java Indonesia
PIDATO MASA ORIENTASI SEKOLAH (TA’ARUF WEEK)
Di Sekolah Menengah Pertama al-Ishlah, Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah Gresik
Gresik, 28 Juli, 2008
Oleh: Ahmad Mansur
Email: amansurgresik@yahoo.com
Yang saya hormati Bapak Pimpinan Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah Gresik
Yang terhormat Dewan Guru & para guru Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah Gresik.
Para pengurus dan santri pondok pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah yang saya cintai.
Bismillahi arrahman arrahiim,
Assalamualaikum Wrt. Wrb.
الحمد لله الذي جعل العلم أرفع الصفات الكمالية، والقائل بقوله الكريم "يرفع الذين آمنوا منكم والذين أوتوا العلم درجات". أشـهد أنّ لا إله إلاّالله وحده لاشـريك له، وأشـهد أنّ محمدا عبده ورسوله الذي يقول "من سلك طريقا يلتمس فيه علما سـهل الله له طريقا إلي الجنة" و"من خرج في طلب العلم فهو في سبيل الله حتيّ يرجع". اللـهمّ صل وسلّم وبارك علي سيدنا محمد النبي الأمي وعلي آله وصحبه أجمعين ومن تبعهم بإحسان إله يوم الدين.
Hadirin yang saya hormati,
Pada pagi hari ini saya merasa bahagia dan bersyukur kepada Allah (swt), atas rahmat, berkah dan karunianya sehingga kita dapat berkumpul di tempat yang penuh dengan berkah ini, amin. Terima kasih saya ucapkan kepada pembagi acara atas penghormatan yang diberikan kepada saya untuk menyampaikan sambutan atau pidato dalam rangka Ta’aruf Week atau masa orientasi sekolah Madrasah Tsanawiyyah Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah Gresik yang kita cintai ini.
Hari ini pada bulan Juli, 2008 merupakan hari yang sangat bersejarah bagi Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah, sebab mulai tahun ini kita sudah bisa melaksanakan kegiatan belajar mengajar di tingkat Tsanawiyyah seperti sekolah sekolah lain yang ada di daerah Gresik. Berdirinya Madrasah Tsanawiyah al-Ishlah di Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah ini merupakan suatu proses alamiah yang terjadi akibat dari perkembangan dan dimanika kehidupan masyarakat yang dari hari ke hari terus berkembang menuju kepada sesuatu yang lebih baik, sesuatu yang lebih maju dari hari hari yang sudah berlalu, idealnya hari ini harus lebih baik dari hari kemarin, hari esok harus lebih baik dari hari ini dan seterusnya dan seterusnya, sebagaimana dikatakan oleh para ulama salaf al-salih:
من كان يومُه خيرا مِن أمسه فهو رابح، ومَن كان يومُه مِثلَ أمسه فهو مغبون أو خاسر، ومن كان يومه شرا من أمسه فهو ملعون.
“Barang siapa hari ini lebih baik dari hari kemarin, maka ia adalah orang yang beruntung, dan barang siapa yang hari ini sama dengan hari kemarin, maka ia adalah orang yang merugi, dan barang siapa yang hari ini lebih jelek dari hari kemarin, maka ia adalah orang yang tercela.”
Sebagai akibat dari dinamika dan perkembangan kehidupan manusia yang terus selalu berusaha untuk mencapai kemajuan dan kebaikan, maka adalah hal yang wajar bila kemudian Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah mendirikan Madrasah Tsanawiyyah guna menuju kepada sesuatu yang lebih baik dari hari kemarin.
Bermula dari keinginan beberapa santri yang ingin belajar dan memperdalam ilmu agama kepada Bapak Kyai, mereka kemudian mendirikan rumah rumah kecil di sekitar rumah Bapak Kyai, seiring dengan perkembangan proses belajar mengajar pada waktu itu, maka didirikanlah Madarasah Diniyyah al-Ishlah dengan sistem klasikal. Memasuki millennium ketiga ini Pondok Peasantren al-Ishlah Bungah mencoba mengintegrasikan pendidikan pondok pesantren ke dalam sistem Pendidikan Nasional dengan mendirikan Madrasah Tsanawiyyah al-Ishlah terpadu, di mana para santri diharapkan dapat tinggal di asrama selama 24 jam. Pendidikan dan pengajaran full day school ini mempunyai aktivitas dan kurikulum terpadu yang memadukan antara materi pelajaran umum dan materi pelajaran agama dengan mengembangkan prinsip learning by doing dalam setiap kegiatan pendidikan dan pengajarannya sebagai pengembangan dari Madrasah Diniyyah yang sudah lama ada.
Prinsip dan metode pendidikan dan pengajaran di Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah ini sebagaimana dikatakan oleh pendirinya al-Mukarram Bapak KH. Ahmad Maimun Adnan menerapkan lima tahapan dalam melaksanakan pendidikan dan pengajaran:
1. Mendidik dengan memberi contoh yang baik
2. Mendidik dengan cara membiasakan yang baik
3. Mendidik dengan cara member nasihat dan bimbingan
4. Mendidik dengan cara memberikan pengawasan
5. Mendidik dengan cara memberikan hukuman atas suatu kesalahan
Model pendidikan dengan memberi contoh dan suri tauladan yang baik adalah cara yang paling efektif dalam dunia pendidikan dan pengajaran. Dengan contoh dan suri tauladan yang baik, diharapkan mampu memberi pengaruh positif terhadap para santri dan anak didik pondok, sehingga mereka dapat meneladani dan mengikuti sunnah sunnah pondok dengan ikhlas dan penuh tanggung jawab dengan mengambil tuntunan dari al-Qur’an surah (Yasin: 21)
اتَّبِعُوا مَن لاَّ يَسْأَلُكُمْ أَجْراً وَهُم مُّهْتَدُونَ.
Contoh dan suri tauladan yang baik harus diikuti dan diiringi dengan adat kebiasaan yang baik dan dibiasakan di dalam praktek sehari hari, karena itu prinsip dan metode pendidikan dan pengajaran yang kedua di Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah ini adalah mendidik dengan cara membiasakan kebiasaan dan adat istiadat yang baik dan shaleh. Dengan melakukan praktek terus menerus, lama lama akan menjadi kebiasaan dan adat istiadat, sebagaimana pepatah mengatakan “Practice Makes Perfect”. Adat kebiasaan ini akan menjadi karakter dan watak seseorang di dalam hidupnya yang akan menentukan pencapaian dan keberhasilan seseorang. Bila kita melakukan suatu adat kebiasaan yang baik secara terus menerus, maka pasti kita akan mencapai derajat dan keberhasilan sesuai dengan apa yang kita kerjakan dan perjuangkan al-Shaikh Imam Shafi’i berkata dalam baitnya:
بقدرالكدّ تُكتَسبُ المعالي ومن طلب العُليَ سَـهِرَ اللَّيَالي
ومن طلب العُلَي مِن غيركدٍّ أضاع العمر في طلب المحال.
“Tingkat pencapaian keberhasilan seseorang itu sesuai dengan tingkat perjuangan dan kerja keras yang ia lakukan, barang siapa yang ingin mendapatkan derajat dan keberhasilan, maka hendaknya ia melakukan kerja keras dan berjuang. Dan barang siapa yang ingin mendapatkan derajat dan keberhasilan tanpa perjuangan dan kerja keras, maka ia hanya menyia-nyiakan hidup dan umurnya untuk mendapatkan sesuatu yang mustahil.”
Memang untuk menciptakan kebiasaan dan adat istiadat yang baik itu memerlukan kerja keras dan perjuangan, mulai dari pembiasaan bangun pagi pagi untuk menunaikan sholat Subuh, berdisiplin masuk kelas, berdisiplin untuk membersihkan ruang kelas, kamar dan lingkungan tempat kita tinggal sampai berdisiplin untuk membiasakan diri meminta izin bila keluar pondok. Ini semua demi terciptanya adat kebiasaan yang baik di Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah yang kita cintai ini. Tanpa kerja keras, tanpa perjuangan sesuatu itu akan mustahil untuk kita dapatkan, mustahil kita capai dan akhirnya sia sia.
Bila dengan contoh dan suri tauladan serta adat kebiasaan yang baik juga masih belum berjalan, maka harus ada nasihat dan bimbingan agar para santri dan anak didik dapat berjalan sesuai dengan sunnah sunnah Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah yang sudah ditetapkan, dan ini adalah prinsip dan metode pendidikan yang ketiga.
Yang keempat adalah dengan memberikan pengawasan terhadap hal hal yang tidak sesuai dan melenceng dari jalur yang sudah ditetapkan di pondok. Bila dengan nasihat dan pengawasan yang sudah berjalan, ternyata masih ada yang perlu diluruskan, maka harus ada sanksi dan hukuman sebagai tindakan terakhir, agar kesalahan serupa tidak terjadi lagi di masa yang akan datang dan keharmonisan dalam menjalani kehidupan belajar mengajar tetap terjaga..
Hadirin yang saya hormati,
Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah adalah tempat untuk ber-tafaqquh fi ad-diin wa li takuuna kalimatullahi hiy al-ulya, tempat berjuang dalam memerangi kebodohan dan keterbelakangan, tempat melaksanakan kegiatan belajar dan mengajar serta tempat untuk mengembangkan kepribadian yang tangguh dan ulet, kepribadian yang integratif, berwawasan luas yang mampu menjawab tantangan dan tuntutan hidup dalam konteks ruang dan waktu yang ada dan dalam bingkai nilai-nilai ajaran Islam. Dengan tekad yang kuat, berjuang dan bekerja keras, kita berdo’a dan berharap bahwa Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah diberi kemampuan oleh Allah (swt) untuk melakukan tugasnya mendidik para santri sedemikian rupa dan berusaha untuk mampu melahirkan generasi Muslim masa depan seperti yang kita harapkan. Semoga Allah (swt) menjadikan Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah ini tempat untuk berjuang fi-sabilillah, tempat belajar dan mengajar yang penuh berkah dan rahmat serta hidayah Allah (swt), serta tempat untuk berkorban dengah penuh keikhlasan dan keadilan baik berupa harta benda, pikiran serta jiwa dan raga, dengan mengedepankan nilai nilai Islam.
Dengan berdirinya Madrasah Tsanawiyyah al-Ishlah ini, bukan berarti tugas kita sudah selesai, perjalanan kita masih panjang, terutama untuk menjadikan segala sesuatunya menuju kepada yang lebih baik lagi. Ke depan kita berharap bahwa kita dapat menerapkan bahasa Arab dan bahasa Inggris sebagai bahasa komunikasi sehari hari di dalam Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah dan akan kita tingkatkan lagi kemampuan berbahasa kita sampai ke tingkat di mana kita akan mampu memahami tulisan bahasa tersebut dengan baik dan benar, sebab bahasa adalah kunci dalam mendapatkan ilmu pengetahuan.
Berdirinya Madrasah Tsanawiyyah al-Ishlah bukanlah untuk melakukan persaingan dan kompetisi dengan lembaga pendidikan yang sudah ada, akan tetapi keberadaan Madarasah Tsanawiyyah al-Ishlah adalah untuk melakukan synergi dengan lembaga lembaga pendidikan yang lain untuk bersama sama, saling bahu membahu berjuang dan bekerja keras dalam rangka mencerdaskan bangsa dan mencetak sumber daya manusia (SDM) yang berkualitas serta mencapai terbentuknya manusai Indonesia seutuhnya yang beriman dan bertaqwa (IMTAQ), berilmu pengetahuan dan pandai teknologi (IPTEK) serta berbudi pekerti luhur, cerdas, terampil, sehat jasmani dan rohani, berkepribadian mantap dan mandiri serta memiliki rasa tanggung jawab baik terhadap dirinya, agama, masyarakat, bangsa dan Negara dan sejalan dengan rumusan dan tujuan Pendidikan Nasional bangsa Indonesia.
Kami yakin dan percaya bahwa kegiatan pendidikan dan pengajaran yang ada di Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah -dengan sistem kurikulum terpadunya dan full day schoolnya- mampu menjadi kunci keberhasilan dalam melakukan transformasi sosio-budaya, sosio-politik dan sosio-ekonomi yang akan menghantarkan para pelajar, santri dan masyarakat di sekitar pondok untuk dapat menikmati taraf kehidupan yang lebih baik menuju masyarakat yang adil dan makmur serta mendapatkan rahmat dan berkah serta petunjuk ilahi rabbi. Amin.
Demikianlah sambutan yang dapat saya sampaikan dalam rangka Masa Orientasi Sekolah di Madarasah Tsanawiyyah al-Ishlah di Pondok Pesantren al-Ishlah Bungah Gresik, semoga bermanfaat teutama bagi diri saya pribadi. Hadaana allahu wa-iyyakum. Wa billahi t-taufiq wal hidayah.
Wssalamualaikum Wrt. Wrb.
Short Speech on Gender Equality and Development in the Light of Islam
By Amansur Gresik from
In conjunction with the program of International Women’s Day
Den Haag, the Institute of Social Studies (ISS), 7 March, 2008
Email: amansurgresik@yahoo.com and ma07029@iss.nl
I thank you very much for being given the opportunity to deliver speech on “Gender Equality and Development in the Light of Islam”. It is also a good opportunity for me to share with you some of my ideas and thoughts on the subject matter including in the context of Islam. I am very grateful to be here as part of Interfaith Dialogue Chaplaincy alongside Gender Committee of the Institute of Social Studies the Hague in the International women’s Day Program which among its objectives include the promotion of gender equality and development, promotion of leadership of women, their role, their contribution and their participation in all sectors of development hoping that their involvement will help reduce poverty, sustain economic growth and create great civilization in the history of human life.
Heading for sustainable economic growth, human well-being and endless efforts toward poverty reduction is human ultimate goal which in my opinion must include women empowerment and participation, as well-being, prosperity and successful poverty reduction in societies must be enjoyed by both men and women by getting them into active participation in the development process especially women. So, improving the role and status of women, recognizing their contribution is very essential to any strategy of development and to any strategy toward poverty reduction and the emergence of welfare state.
As far as gender equality is concerned, first, I would like to address most in my speech and stress on empowering women as this is indispensable tool for advancing development and reducing poverty. Second, as far as Islam is concerned, although I am not theologian, but from the best of my knowledge of Islam and my understanding of the Qur’an, it convinces me to say that men and women are equal with respect to treatment before the law, equal in opportunity, equal in access to heath, access to resources in economic, political and educational sphere and are equal in human rights.
Gender equality requires equal rights be it the right to freedom from fear, freedom from wants, freedom of expression, freedom to tell the truth, no matter how hard and difficult it is to tell the truth, but the essence is that no one will never be allowed to harm those who testify the truth, as telling the truth is a pillar of justice and without this, other freedom will fade away and a just society is only a dream, a good community is impossible and will never exist.
A just society requires that everybody has the right to be treated with justice, the right to treated equal before the law, the right to equity in opportunity especially in access to economic, political, and educational opportunity which must be regarded as part of human rights. If decent life is to be achieved, if equitable and sustainable development is to be achieved and if poverty reduction is to be our goal, then there is no way but women’s status must be improved, women empowerment must be in our agenda, women emancipation has to be given support, women’s rights must be respected, the right to work, to earn money, to go to school, to own property, to make decision, to fully actualize their potential and the right to means of living, as all of those are not the monopoly of men, as all of those are not only belong to men, but both men and women are entitled and have the same rights as human beings and as vicegerent on earth. It is also significant that their roles and contributions must be respected and recognized, be it in food production and other production activities, be it in income generation and management of natural resources, be it in community organization and community development, be it in the house or outside the house activities, be it in the domestic arena or in the international arena, we have to respect them, we have to give them recognitions as they are indeed essential for equitable and sustainable development.
Having said that, one might ask a question whether men and women are equal according to the perspective of religion. Most people still believe that men are superior to women based on the assumption that woman is believed to have been created from man’s rib and her existence is therefore secondary to man. Since the creation of women is derived from man, she becomes derivative throughout the time and all the time. This idea is really destructive and very damaging to women existence throughout history of human life. How common the assumption is, how common the idea is, how common the notion is and how common the belief is, although it is correct and even my mother believes that the woman who will be my wife is she who is created from my rib, but indeed we never know exactly, whether woman is really created from man’s rib, the thing is that one should not posit the status of women as secondary to men. Indeed Islam declares that men and women have an equal status and value before God, and only piety (the degree of taqwa) that differentiates one individual from another, as mentioned in the Qur’an;
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّاسُ إِنَّا خَلَقْنَاكُم مِّن ذَكَرٍ وَأُنثَى وَجَعَلْنَاكُمْ شُعُوباً وَقَبَائِلَ لِتَعَارَفُوا إِنَّ أَكْرَمَكُمْ عِندَ اللَّهِ أَتْقَاكُمْ إِنَّ اللَّهَ عَلِيمٌ خَبِيرٌ
Yusuf Ali: “O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise (each other). Verily the most honoured of you in the sight of Allah is (he who is) the most righteous (pious) of you. And Allah has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things). (Surah al-Hujurat;13).”
Another notion on the superiority of men over women which many people believe is coming from the understanding of the word qawwamuna derived from qiwamah in the Qur’an which some people translate this Arabic word qiwamah into English means superiority, whereas in fact, we can translate it as responsibility for and taking care of the family. The Qur’an mentions that word as follows;
الرِّجَالُ قَوَّامُونَ عَلَى النِّسَاء بِمَا فَضَّلَ اللّهُ بَعْضَهُمْ عَلَى بَعْضٍ وَبِمَا أَنفَقُواْ مِنْ أَمْوَالِهِمْ
Yusuf Ali: “Men are the protectors and maintainers of women, because Allah has given the one more (strength) than the other, and because they support them from their means..,(Surah al-Nisa’;34)”
Sahih International: “Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth.”
So, whatever the differences in the interpretation of that verse is, for me what is urgent and really needed is careful reading as far as the Qu’ranic texts and the interpretation of those texts is concerned, so that it is the value substance which is justice that must be portrayed and taken into account, not the superficial one. What actually people need is equal treatment on the basis of justice regardless of their gender. A just treatment is absolutely needed according to their needs and circumstances. So, it is very clear that the Qur’an never states that ones gender is superior over the other. It is also clear that the sole basis for superiority of any person over another is piety and righteousness, not gender as mentioned in the Qur’an. In addition to that, human being is also able to reach superiority regardless of gender by possessing high moral and ethical values, code of conduct, good etiquette and proper behaviour in accordance with universal value system, be it is in the vertical relationship (in relation with God) as well as in the horizontal relationship (in human relationship). This is because in Islam the last prophet was sent to all human beings in this world mainly to build and develop moral values, so that one will never underestimate and look down to another.
إنما بعثت لأتمم مكارم الأخلاق (الحديث).َ
“Verily I have been sent to all of you only to better establish and build moral values”.
So, when people are conscious about their beings as human that can exercise freedom of the will based on their mind and intellectual reasoning which is not given to other creatures, when they realize their existence on the earth as vicegerent of God to establish a social order characterized by justice and compassion, when they know exactly their rights and duties to do the good and to avoid the evil, to distinguish between right and wrong and when their lives are guided and driven by moral value system, there will be strong imperative from within for the people to act toward good, progress and development for the sake of humanity and justice which requires equal treatment and recognition of the need to help equalize those who are suffering from deficiency and backwardness. This will lead to bring everybody at par and equal without discriminating one another regardless of their gender.
The other notion on the superiority of men over women is that the creation of woman is mainly to serve man, so that her existence is not of fundamental importance and not to complement each other but rather her existence is only instrumental to the existence of man and supportive to whatever man is going to do and to make decision. In other word, woman is considered powerless and consequently she tends to have fewer rights, lower education, lower health status, lower income, lower access to resources and lower access to decision-making than man. In fact it is not true and woman is not created to serve man, but both are created to serve the will of God which among other things is to establish justice, to respect each other, to complement each other, to propagate peace and spread out the blessing for all creatures, to call for the blessing for the universe and to live together in harmony and righteousness.
It is very interesting that from the very beginning of its birth, Islam has already declared that boys and girls are the same in the sense that they are human and deserve equal treatment, equal opportunity in life. The Qur’an has revealed the history of the barbaric behaviour of the society who killed its baby girls alive and stressed on how human life is very meaningful regardless of gender by saying and questioning the baby girls who have been killed alive;
وَإِذَا الْمَوْؤُودَةُ سُئِلَتْ بِأَيِّ ذَنبٍ قُتِلَتْ
Sahih International: “And when the girl [who was] buried alive is asked, For what sin she was killed.(al-Takwir;8-9).”
This is what Islam has advocated a very long time ago and until the end of the day. This is really breakthrough of civilization as how Islam has changed the people behaviour from barbaric non-human to human, how Islam has raised the degree of women from nothing to a thing, from being powerless women to powerful women, from being valueless to valuable. So it is indeed amazing that Islam from the very beginning of its birth has put the position of women into high degree of dignity and self esteem.
In order for women to be powerful and to have equal treatment, there should be no more discrimination against women and girls, there should be no more wrong perception against women and girls, there should be no more bad treatment against women and girls, but there must be program designed to improve status of women, to push greater involvement of women and their roles in the development process and the most important is to strengthen women empowerment, so that they will be able to have greater control over their own lives, enhance their ability to shape their own destiny, to shape their own future and hence to achieve with them sense of dignity and self esteem. Again women empowerment and women emancipation is indeed essential to any strategy to achieve sustainable development and to have poverty reduction.
In my opinion promoting women empowerment could be in the form of economic empowerment, political empowerment as well as educational empowerment, though most of the time, economic and political empowerment come after educational empowerment. This is because the better educated women are, the greater the potential for women to make progress and development of the family with respect to income generation, access to resources and its management and any other activities leading to further development and poverty reduction. When women are economically productive, society as whole becomes economically stronger and more resilient. When women are socially active, society as whole will get benefit from the widespread of the social movement and the practice of human rights. When women are politically involved and active in their participation and in the decision making, the practice of democracy, become more vigorous and flourish.
I personally perceive that it is because women emancipation and empowerment is beneficial to humankind that religion calls upon the urgency of gender equality. It is because women emancipation and empowerment is significant to contribute to the well-being of society and society to prosper economically that gender equality is embodied in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). It is because women emancipation and empowerment is believed to be able to help construct a great civilization in human life that gender equality is embodied in the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), and it is because women emancipation and empowerment is believed to be able to build a just society with full of respect and honour through educating their children as mothers that gender equality is a must and so on and so on. Mother is considered as a big school for the children future, the better the quality of the mother, the better the future generation. In the hand of mother is the future of the children and so is the future of the generation and nation.
So, my understanding toward my religion convinces me that gender equality is indeed in line with Islam, and there is no contradiction at all between the Islamic teaching and gender equality
SHORT SPEECH ON THE THEME "PEACE ON EARTH"
Den Haag, The Institute of Social Studies, 19 December, 2007
By: Amansur Gresik from Indonesia
Email: amansurgresik@yahoo.com and ma07029@iss.nl
It is indeed enormous honour for me to be given a chance to deliver a short speech in this occasion to celebrate unity in diversity with the theme peace on earth and in relation with religion as a source of inspiration. Let me begin by saying that whatever culture we come from, whatever nationality we belong to and whatever religion we are attached to, this differences should not make us disunited, ignorant and being far to each other but rather this differences should make us be united, help and support each other and the most important is promoting the fraternity and brotherhood in line with the motto of unity in diversity, as diversity amongst individuals, cultures, values and civilizations are truly blessings bestowed upon us by God, Allah the Almighty.
As a Muslim and as far as Islam is concerned, I will say that Islam recognizes plurality of faiths, promotes moderate and tolerant way of life, lays the guiding principle of love, compassion, tolerance and peace and asks Muslim to respect others just as what is inspired by the Holy Qur’an.
“For Allah has created you (Muhammad) and sent you to this Ummah to be nothing but a blessing for all creation” (Surah al-Anbiya’ verse 107).
وماأرسلناك إلا رحمة للعالمين.
Upholding Islam as a blessing for the universe is also believing that the Islamic norms and teachings oblige us to deem peace, love and caring each other, justice, equality, freedom of expression, moderation, tolerance, balance and consultation (shura) as fundamental principles of Islam.
Being brought up in the traditionalist Muslim family that is the Nahdatul Ulama (NU), the biggest Muslim organization in Indonesia with more than fifty million followers and is also well known for its moderate orientation, I find no room for being hatred and intolerance in relation to religious and human relationship bearing in mind the principle of fairness that people will treat you just as you treat them. In other word, treat other people as you would like to be treated.
The essence of tolerance, like what the former president
In my opinion to be tolerant means that we have to be open minded, willing to accept other culture, modernity and many things we see them as beneficial in our lives as long as it is in line with our belief. Religious tolerance does not mean and does not require us to embrace other religions. We behave and act just on we believe of course in the frame of tolerance. I am now for example, experiencing and have been exposed to western culture, and to some extent westernized in term of my clothes, my fast food and the like, but I am still a Muslim in the sense that I refrain myself from drinking alcohol and eating pork, and keep holding Islamic values and norms.
The values taught by Islam which I have mentioned above such as peace, tolerance, moderation, justice and equality, are the important elements that should inspire people to serve as the vanguard and to be at the forefront in the global movement to achieve a better global environment characterized by enjoining what is good and forbidding what is wrong in constructive and sustainable way alongside the millennium development goals set by the United Nations that is to eradicate extreme poverty and hunger, to achieve universal primary education, to promote gender equality and women empowerment, to reduce child mortality, to improve maternal health, to combat HIV and AIDs, malaria and other disease, to ensure environmental sustainability, and to develop global partnership for development.
Unfortunately, many of the Islamic teachings have been misinterpreted not only outside the world of Islam but also within Muslim themselves. For example, they misinterpret he word jihad or the concept of jihad which is generally translated as a holy war, whereas it is not.
The word Jihad come from Arabic language means struggling or striving and applies to any effort exerted by anyone. In this sense, a student struggles and strives to get an education and pass course work is said to be doing jihad, an employee strives to fulfill his/her job and to work as self employed is said to be doing jihad, people strive and struggle to earn money and good living for them and their family is said to be doing jihad. So jihad may be used for/by Muslim as well as non-Muslim, and the term jihad is applied to all forms of striving and struggling, but the best jihad is the one who strives and is able to control his/her own evil desire or is able to control himself/herself for not doing evil deeds. It is also considered jihad if someone strives to wrestle with his/her passion at the time of anger, as anger most of the time leads to wrongdoings.
As far as Islam is concerned, there will never be compulsion for anyone to embrace any religion. Everyone is free to decide either to be Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu or any religion he or she likes to embrace. One probably says that you could be Muslim because you have been brought up in the Muslim family, you could be Christian because you have been brought up in Christian family and so forth and so forth, but the essence is that Islam will never force anybody to embrace Islam, but let everybody has his or her own freedom of choice in respect of his or her belief, as it is mentioned in the Holy Qur’an.
“Let there be no compulsion (coercion) in the religion (Islam). The right direction is distinctly clear from error.” (Surah al-Baqarah, verse, 256.)
لا إكراه في الدين قد تبين الرشـد من الغي.
For me, I appreciate the differences and diversities amongst individuals, values, nations, cultures and civilizations as part of what I call the existence of global village. We must see ourselves as part of a global family, promoting the spirit of brotherhood, building capacity of each individual to embrace a commitment to universal love, to create mutual understanding and caring each other, to embrace compassion, to respect life and to live in peace and harmony with one another. We need to celebrate our cultural diversities rather than using it as a reason for conflict.
There is saying that peace begin at home. I believe that it is true, and we must begin our search for peace within ourselves, our family, and our community. When we find peace within ourselves, we surely can live at peace with others. As a student of the Institute of Social Studies The Hague, I will say that it is here at the Institute of Social Studies (ISS) community where many people who come from different cultures, values, nations and civilizations get and join together to build a global family. ISS is a melting pot and a meeting place of the heart bringing together people of all faiths, backgrounds and cultures to embrace the oneness of what I call ISS family which can be extended globally.
I believe that every individual member of ISS can bring about a better world in terms of peace, tolerance, justice, equality and many other positive values on the ground that they have been facing and experiencing their lives in such way that they are able to build mutual respect and understanding, going hand in hand with different people and taking differences and diversities as blessing from God.
I realize that it is not enough to talk about peace. We must work at it however difficult it is. We need an action to make it real and present in our global village, just as Eleanor Roosevelt said, “It isn't enough to talk about peace; one must believe in it, and it isn't enough to believe in it; one must work at it.” So, start within and from yourself, by doing a good example to follow or enjoining what is good and forbidding what is bad and evil, conveying message of peace, tolerance, equality, participation and other positive values, expand it to your family and the surrounding people, then expand it further to your community and society and then to whole people in the world.
The last but not least, being present to this festival of unity in diversity in relation to religion as a source of inspiration, I would like to call upon all of us to enhance the constructive and interactive dialogue, to build mutual trust among religions, and to foster mutual understanding and mutual respect among the followers of all religions and nations particularly between Muslims and other communities.
Imagine if everyone were religiously tolerant, if everyone were loving and caring each other, if everyone were free to express their human rights and enjoying their worship according to their belief, if everyone were supporting and respecting each other and if everyone loves others as he or she loves himself/herself, there will be no hatred, no enmity, no animosity amongst us, and the world will witness a harmonious, prosperous and peaceful life. You may say I am a dreamer but I am not the only one. Thank you.
