islamic power: the pulls of reformism and fundamentalism

7/25/2019 Islamic Power: The Pulls of Reformism and Fundamentalism

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Chapter 10

Islamic Power: The Pulls ofReformism andFundamentalism

Azmi MuharomMA Asia201!201"

Higher School of Economics , Moscow, 2015

www.hse.ru


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#istorical $ac%&round

The sultans, nizams, and

princes

as Modernist

The lama

!s partenship of local

Muslim rulers and colonialis


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From Muslim rulers to 'ecularAuthorities

Edward Mortimer

The fall of "aghdad to the Mongols #1$%&, which ended thepossi'ilit( that the caliphate could claim to trace its line

'ac) to Muhammad*s rule from Medina, forced +slam to

ac)nowledge that sacred and secular authorit(

could not 'e one.

Muslim Ruler(Political and

Reli&ious)

*esternColonialism

('ecular

Authorities)

'ense of'pecialities

(Muslem Politicaland Reli&ious)


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Sa((id !hmad hanmodern science was really

the study of the laws of

nature, and since nature was

the work of God, which was

revealed through the Word ofthe Prophet, therefore Islam

and science were as one.

+reformers+and the more orthodo, ulamaIndia and Indonesia

"( contrast, the orthodo-Muslims were increasingl(

drien into the odd situation

of 'ecoming more anti/

estern, hence anticolonial,

'ut without a solid iew ofwhat nationalism should

represent.


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+reformers+and the more orthodo, ulamaIndia and Indonesia

the -irth of theIndonesian

independence

mo.ement waswedded to the ideals

of Islam/

$udi tomo (the o-lendea.or)+ founded in 1304

'are%at Islam (the Islamic5ea&ue)+ founded in 1312

Muhamadiyahfounded in

1312 as reformistsocioreli&ious mo.ement

Indonesian Communist part6(P7I) founded in 1320

In 132 the 8utch passed the

9uru ;rdinance+9 whichre


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Potencial for ,plosion

In Islam+ lama are notpriests

who ma6 inter.ene -etweenthe -elie.er and the di.ine+-ut rather the6 are teachers

whose tas% it is to instruct+to clarif6 doctrine+ and to

preser.e the purit6 of rituals/

Failed

7artosuwir6o (Indonesia)and 8r/ Al!#em6$arhanuddin (Mala6sia)

Succes

Muhammad Ali =innah+ A-ulA>la Maududi (Pa%istan) and

The -asis of this potentialfor e,plosion is twofold/

The ?rst factor is theappearance of a leaderwho is read6 to

sacri?ce himself in a#ol6 *ar for mmatIslam

The second factor is

the potentialfollowership+ usuall6rural people who aredistressed a-out

modern societ6


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First Factor

The relationship-etween teacherand student can

-e of a -indin&nature+ callin& fortotal o-edienceand lifelon&

lo6alt6/ ot same in

Chinese guanxi,=apanese on-giriand Indonesia

The power of theulama can at an6moment mo.e

into the seculardomain

an e,plosion can

come if reli&iousteachers areinspired tocollecti.e action


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'econd Factor

Muslim -eha.iortends to -e polarized/

And this apparentstate of calm can -esuddenl6 -ro%en -6collecti.e ra&e+

Much of the timethere is a fatalistic

acceptance ofwhate.er happens

as when racial riotserupted in 7uala5umpur in 13"3+ andwhen Pa%istani mo-s

-urned down theAmerican m-ass6 inIslama-ad in 13@3+

Modernization+ with itssecular .alues andur-an life!st6les+ caneasil6 pro.o%ed suchra&e/


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i(a3at !li han, 4uring his

'rief premiership from 167

to 151, he was franticall(tr(ing 'etween conseratie

lama and "ritish

Standards.

Then+ how is relation satisfactor6 ofnation -uildin& and economicde.elopment

8rom the time the "ritish oerthrew the Moguls. ntil+ndia/9a)istan case

9a)istan was founded on +slamic ideals, 'ut it was not

clear in 167, or (ears later, what those ideals were.

:innah died less than a (ear after he had achieed hisgoal; a


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Islamic Power as Personal Girtue

In Pa%istan+ $an&ladesh+Indonesia+ and Mala6sia+

1/ Traditional rulers+

2/ Modernist+

D/ Fundamentalist+/ Traditional lama and

/ ;rthodo, Muslim

. Muslim nations of Asia isstill ha.e feelin& that

there is and should -e anummat, a Muslimcommunit6/

. Islamic political cultures isstill hi&hl6 personalized/

The leader is supposedto appro,imate

1. jalal, $rilliance+

&reatness+ superiorit6+manliness+ or maHest6+andjamal,softness+


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Islamic Power as Personal Girtue

The Islamic ideal leader is

therefore a man who is not perfect

-only uhammad achie!ed perfection-

but whose di!inely inspired "uality ofblessedness

can bring blessings on his followers when,

as brothers, all stri!e to perfect their waysand obey the obligations re"uired by

membership

in the Islamic community, the umma.#

$ucian %. & e


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20+ M6asnits%a6a str/+ Moscow+ Russia+ 101000

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islamic power: the pulls of reformism and fundamentalism

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