Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, is in the midst of a growing Islamic fundamentalist movement, led by a small but vocal band of radical clerics. These mullahs, some of whom allegedly have links to terrorist groups, have called for an Islamic state with the full adoption of Sharia, including severe punishments for offenders. But those actually instituting religious law in isolated towns and villages in Java, Sumatra and Sulawesi aren’t new recruits to the radicals’ cause. Rather, they see the faith-based initiative as a way to confront three decades of government corruption and injustices under former dictator Suharto. “The morality campaign is driven by corruption and injustice,” says Haji Abdul Halim, head of the Indonesian Islamic Council in Cianjur. “There’s a lack of faith… in legal institutions.”
That may explain why, if anyone is being targeted by the introduction of Sharia, it’s civil servants–including the police and military. After decades of abuse during Suharto’s rule, many Indonesians believe government officials are more interested in lining their pockets than serving the public. The hope is that Sharia, rooted as it is in religious beliefs and principles, will check their petty corruption by shaming these civil servants into acting as the upright officials they are supposed to be. So, while all citizens are being encouraged to pray five times a day and go to the mosque, the morality campaign has higher expectations for local officials: they are also being asked to attend Qur’an study classes and wear traditional Muslim garb on Fridays. Female officials have been asked to wear a Muslim headscarf–called a jilbob–to work every day. (Sellers at Cianjur’s local market say jilbob sales have tripled this year.) There are–as of yet–no sanctions for not taking part, but local leaders insist they initiated the campaign only at the request of their Muslim citizens, many of whom seem to relish the thought of officials taking morality classes. “People began losing their faith in authority a long time ago, but maybe this Sharia campaign will help bring them back,” says Imas, a West Java market trader.
Others, however, fear there will be no turning back, especially if President Megawati Sukarnoputri allows Sharia to spread farther. Granting greater regional powers to places such as Garut and Cianjur runs the risk of having those local governments violate the country’s secular Constitution (which allows Sharia when approved by Jakarta). “This is a first step that might continue into a next step that is unpredictable,” says Ulil Abshar-Abdalla, director of the Liberal Islam Network. Many moderate Muslim leaders believe the campaign is a political stunt by provincial politicians to garner support for Islamic parties ahead of the next national election in 2004. One regency in South Sulawesi province that implemented Sharia earlier this year reportedly did authorize Islamic punishments–or kisas–including chopping off the hands of thieves. (The regency’s officials denied that Islamic punishments were being permitted.) In Garut, restaurant owners say they didn’t dare ignore the “friendly encouragement” from local officials to remain closed in the daytime during Ramadan out of respect for Muslims who were fasting. “Constitutionally, they are dead wrong if they legally mandate Sharia,” says J. E. Sahetapy, chairman of Indonesia’s National Law Commission. “But if you appeal to people to volunteer, and you have a stick behind your back, that’s not good either.”
The debate is likely to escalate in Jakarta. The Home Affairs Ministry is now examining whether the new religious laws comply with national laws. Local leaders, on the other hand, are already trumpeting their success: attendance at mosques in Cianjur and Garut is up, more people fasted during Ramadan and Muslims, they say, have been instilled with a new sense of pride. “Despite the bad conditions, being a good Muslim can cure the problems,” says Cianjur’s regent Swastomo. A moment later, a NEWSWEEK photographer walked into the regent’s office and announced that his shoes had been stolen at the mosque across the street. Clearly not everyone has gotten the message.
