Islam as Gus Dur understood it encouraged awareness of Indonesia as a shared home.
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Mubadalah.id – Emulating Gus Dur in caring for Indonesia. That was the theme of the National Meeting of the Gusdurian Network (Tunas) held on August 29-31 in Jakarta. Speaking of Gus Dur’s example, in the Gusdurian intellectual tradition, we recognize the concept of Gus Dur’s nine core values: monotheism, humanity, justice, equality, liberation, simplicity, brotherhood, chivalry, and traditional wisdom.
These values are exemplified through Gus Dur’s collected thoughts and examples, reflected in the many ideas he wrote and the religious practices he demonstrated.
Emulating Gus Dur in Responding to Differences
Humanity is one of Gus Dur’s 9 main values. In fact, as Husein Muhammad (Buya Husein) said in Gus Dur’s Ocean of Conscience , humans and humanity were the main concerns in Gus Dur’s thinking and activism.
Gus Dur longed for Indonesia to be a shared home and a climate where people could live together, regardless of their identities, whether religious affiliation, ethnicity, or other differences.
For this reason, we know Gus Dur often defended the oppressed. He was willing to defend ethnic Chinese who were marginalized by the New Order system. He was willing to understand the desires of the Papuan people who were often ignored by the central government. And Gus Dur’s many other advocacy efforts exemplify humanity amidst Indonesia’s diversity.
As Buya Husein said, Gus Dur wasn’t unaware that there might be mistakes, or disagreements, among those he defended. Gus Dur understood that there were many differences within Indonesian society. And he also understood that these differences were no excuse for discriminatory behavior, let alone violence.
This mindset can be seen in Gus Dur’s defense of the Ahmadiyah group. Gus Dur said, “If you want to propagate that the Ahmadiyah are heretical or guilty, that’s fine. But if you want to eliminate the Ahmadiyah, that’s wrong, because it contradicts the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of opinion and freedom of thought.” ( As reported by NU Online ).
In this regard, Gus Dur exemplifies that defending the Ahmadiyah (and other groups) doesn’t require becoming an Ahmadiyah. Nor does it require acknowledging their truth. Fundamentally, we are different, and those who are different shouldn’t be forced to be treated the same. Awareness of difference exists. And, in Gus Dur’s example, we combine this awareness with a sense of humanity, which helps us accept Indonesia as our shared home.
Indonesia Shared Home
The majoritarian perspective, which assumes that only the majority have the right to rule Indonesia, is completely at odds with the example set by Gus Dur. For Gus Dur, Indonesia is a shared home, where every citizen has the right to live justly and equally.
Why was Gus Dur willing to defend those who were different from him? Why was Gus Dur, who had the privilege of being a majority figure, willing to share his living space with minorities in Indonesia?
This is inseparable from his understanding of Islam. As in his book *My Islam, Your Islam, Our Islam*, Gus Dur explains, “Our tolerance is dictated by the holy book we believe in, that Islam is a protector for all people, including non-Muslims.”
According to Gus Dur, his views are in line with the message of the Koran in surah al-Anbiya verse 107: wa ma arsalnaka illa rahmatan li al-alamin. Gus Dur interpreted the word al-alamin in this verse as humanity in general. Therefore, in Gus Dur’s teachings this verse sounds; “I have not sent you except as a link to the ties of brotherhood with fellow human beings.”
Gus Dur’s pluralism, in this case, stems not only from humanity but also from monotheism. It stems from religion, which he believed was the path to salvation. And, in Gus Dur’s teachings, salvation in this world extends beyond fellow Muslims. Islamic love transcends communal boundaries. It transcends boundaries, reaching people of different faiths.
Islam, as Gus Dur understood it, fostered an awareness of Indonesia as a shared home. It fostered an awareness that our society is not homogeneous. Although Indonesia is predominantly Muslim, our society is heterogeneous. There are communities of different religions, and even communities with different religious beliefs.
In these diverse conditions, Gus Dur exemplifies Islam which brings blessings to all the inhabitants of the house we call Indonesia. []
Tags: 9 Values of Gus DurIndonesia Shared HomeDiversity of IndonesiaGus Dur’s role modelGUSDURian Shoots
Moh. Rivaldi Abdul
Bachelor of Islamic Education (PAI) from IAIN Sultan Amai Gorontalo in 2019. Master of Interdisciplinary Islamic Studies Study Program with a concentration in Nusantara Islam at the Postgraduate Program of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta. Currently, pursuing a Doctoral (S3) degree in Islamic Studies Study Program with a concentration in Islamic Cultural History at the Postgraduate Program of UIN Sunan Kalijaga Yogyakarta.
SOURCE https://mubadalah.id/gus-dur-mengajarkan-indonesia-rumah-bersama/
Categories: Ahmadis, Ahmadiyyat: True Islam, Asia, Human Rights, Indonesia, The Muslim Times
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