KEY GROUP OF MUSLIM CLERICS TRENDS CONSERVATIVE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 JAKARTA 002374

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR EAP, EAP/MTS, EAP/RSP, EAP/MLS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/29/2017
TAGS: PGOV KISL PHUM PINR ID
SUBJECT: KEY GROUP OF MUSLIM CLERICS TRENDS CONSERVATIVE
WHILE ADVOCATING NON-VIOLENCE

REF: A. A: JAKARTA 0060

B. B: 06 JAKARTA 03159

C. C: 05 JAKARTA 11875

Classified By: POL/C Joseph Legend Novak for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (C) Summary: Indonesia's Islamic Clerics' Council (MUI)
continues to make highly-publicized and intolerant edicts
about "moral" issues, including a recent announcement by a
regional council condemning a popular form of traditional
music. While rejecting violence, MUI nonetheless
categorically rejects liberal Islam. The group remains
locked in a turf battle with the Ministry of Religion as to
who is the final arbiter regarding Islam in the country.
Overall, MUI remains an influential group, though in need of
revitalization. End Summary.

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Background on MUI
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2. (C) MUI was founded in 1974 by the Ministry of Religion to
encourage unity among Indonesia's disparate mass-Muslim
organizations. In recent years, MUI has adopted a more
conservative bent that coincides with its expansion to
include representatives from fringe groups like Dewan Dakwah
Islamiyah Indonesia (DDII) (Ref A) and Hizbut Tahrir
Indonesia, in addition to traditional mainstream heavyweights
Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah. Today, MUI includes
representatives from 62 separate groups.


3. (C) While mainstream NU and Muhammadiyah leaders are
always given the highest positions of authority, in reality
they have ceded turf to fringe newcomers. MUI's General
Secretary, Ichwan Syam, has insisted that moderates within

SIPDIS
MUI continue to keep hardliners in check, but recently
admitted to POLOFF that Cholil Ridwan, DDII's representative
on the Council, was particularly vocal and radical. Many top
Muhammadiyah and NU leaders have distanced themselves from
the MUI over the past several years. Moreover, contacts say
the Muhammadiyah and NU representatives who are still active
tend to come from the more conservative wings of those groups.


4. (C) MUI's national body is currently holding a series of
regional meetings aimed at formalizing national control over
the provincial and local MUI branches. Until now, local MUIs
have not been under the control of the national MUI, which
only gets involved if two local branches issue divergent
edicts (fatwas). Syam, a key driver of these coordinating
meetings, noted to POLOFF that meetings have already taken
place in South Sulawesi, Yogyakarta, and East Java, and that
he will attend another next month in Bali.

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Pressing "Moral" Issues
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5. (C) MUI, which lacks a mechanism to enforce its fatwas
other than moral suasion, continues to push for what it
considers to be greater "public morality." As recently as
2005, MUI issued fatwas against liberalism and pluralism (Ref
C). More recently, a MUI council in West Java issued a
highly-publicized fatwa banning women from performing dangdut
(traditional Indonesian singing) on Independence Day.
Regarding public legislation, Syam of MUI noted to POLOFF
that his group supports the controversial anti-pornography
bill (Ref B),claiming that even the six female members of
MUI's national council supported the draft bill. (Note: The
draft bill has sparked outrage among women's groups and
Indonesia's arts community, who allege its extreme provisions
infringe on women's and artistic rights.)


6. (C) While defending its conservative stance in the moral
sphere, MUI is cognizant of the need to keep some distance
between itself and fringe groups with an extremist agenda.
When asked about the recent pro-"Caliphate" HTI conference,
Syam rejected HTI as naive and insisted that MUI firmly
supports Indonesian nationalism and Pancasila (a national
creed which respects tolerance and pluralism). Syam also
praised MUI's ability to engage Jemaah Islamiya co-founder

JAKARTA 00002374 002 OF 002


Abu Bakar Bashir, whom he characterized as advocating
violence and misinterpreting Islam.

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Defending Turf
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7. (C) MUI clearly prides itself as being a sort of "moral
compass" for Indonesia, and steadfastly tries to defend what
it sees as its turf. A Ministry of Religious Affairs
contact, Director General for Islamic Community Guidance
Nasruddin Umar, told POLOFF of a heated battle over the
Ministry's initiative to undercut MUI's monopoly on halal
certification (a means of ensuring that food is manufactured
or prepared in accord with Islamic edicts),a major source of
legitimacy for the Council in the eyes of the Indonesian
public. Umar, who characterized MUI as little more than an
NGO, made it clear that the Ministry of Religion, not MUI,
was the ultimate arbiter of Indonesian religious law. MUI,
however, does not accept this.

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Revitalization Needed
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8. (C) Contacts tell us that MUI's influence among the
Indonesian public is uneven. Competing as it does for
influence on a crowded playing field, MUI is also in need of
revitalization, both organizationally, and with respect to
membership--many of its leaders are aged in this nation where
30 percent of the population is under the age of 14. MUI
seems to be aware of this, though edicts--such as the one
banning dangdut (traditional singing)--subject it to some
ridicule and probably do not help draw in a younger crowd.


HUME