Jaringan Islam Liberal (JIL) or the Liberal Islam Network is a loose forum for discussing and disseminating the concept of

Islamic liberalism Liberal and progressive ideas within Islam is a range of interpretation of Islamic understanding and practice, ranging from centrist to left-wing perspectives. Some Muslims have created a considerable body of progressive interpretation of I ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania, between the Indian Ocean, Indian and Pacific Ocean, Pacific oceans. Comprising over List of islands of Indonesia, 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, ...

. One reason for its establishment is to counter the growing influence and activism of

militant The English word ''militant'' is both an adjective and a noun, and it is generally used to mean vigorously active, combative and/or aggressive, especially in support of a cause, as in "militant reformers". It comes from the 15th century Lat ...

and

Islamic extremism Islamic extremism refers to extremist beliefs, behaviors and ideologies adhered to by some Muslims within Islam. The term 'Islamic extremism' is contentious, encompassing a spectrum of definitions, ranging from academic interpretations of Is ...

in Indonesia. The "official" description of JIL is ''"a community which is studying and bringing forth a discourse on Islamic vision that is tolerant, open and supportive for the strengthening of Indonesian democratization."'' It was started from several meetings and discussions among young Muslim intellectuals in ISAI (''Institut Studi Arus Informasi''; Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information),

Jakarta Jakarta (; , Betawi language, Betawi: ''Jakartè''), officially the Special Capital Region of Jakarta (; ''DKI Jakarta'') and formerly known as Batavia, Dutch East Indies, Batavia until 1949, is the capital and largest city of Indonesia and ...

, and then extended through discussion using a mailing list in early 2001. The founders held the first discussion on February 21, 2001, at '' Teater Utan Kayu'', Jakarta, on ''Akar-Akar Liberalisme Islam: Pengalaman Timur Tengah'' (''The Roots of Islamic Liberalism: The Middle East Experience''), presented by a young progressive scholar,

Luthfi Assyaukanie Luthfi Assyaukanie (27 August 1967), is a cofounder of the Liberal Islam Network (Jaringan Islam Liberal, JIL) in Indonesia, a lecturer at Paramadina University, and a research associate at the Freedom Institute. Biography Born in Jakarta, Indone ...

. That meeting was followed by other discussions, either in the form of face-to-face meetings or through the mailing list. Since mid-2001, the "official" name of Jaringan Islam Liberal has been used on their website , which displays their activities, articles, discussions, and relevant sources for the dissemination of liberal Islam. Their place of meeting and secretariat is at Teater Utan Kayu, Jakarta, a complex owned by

Goenawan Mohamad Goenawan Mohamad (born 29 July 1941) is an Indonesian poet, essayist, playwright and editor. He is the founder and editor of the Indonesian magazine ''Tempo''. Mohamad is a vocal critic of the Indonesian government, and his magazine was periodi ...

, a leading journalist and author, and used for arts performances and by non-governmental organizations. By now, the network is led by liberal young thinker, Ulil Abshar Abdalla, who is also the director of ICRP - Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace.

Mission

JIL interpretation of Islam is based on the principles follows: # Open to all forms of intellectual exploration on all dimensions of Islam # Prioritizing religion ethics, not literal textual readings # Believing that truth is relative, open for interpretations and plural # Siding with oppressed minorities # Believing in the freedom to practice religious beliefs # Separation of world and heavenly authorities, religious and political authorities For the proponents of JIL, using liberal Islam in the name of their forum is intended to make a clear point. Liberal Islam represents an Islam that emphasizes individual freedom in accordance with the

Mu'tazila Mu'tazilism (, singular ) is an Islamic theological school that appeared in early Islamic history and flourished in Basra and Baghdad. Its adherents, the Mu'tazilites, were known for their neutrality in the dispute between Ali and his opponents ...

doctrine of human freedom and liberation of socio-political structure from

oppressive Oppression is malicious or unjust treatment of, or exercise of power over, a group of individuals, often in the form of governmental authority. Oppression may be overt or covert, depending on how it is practiced. No universally accepted model ...

and undemocratic domination. The adjective "liberal" for the activists in JIL has two meanings: "being

liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

" and " liberating." Islam has always many different interpretations, so

liberal Islam Liberal and progressive ideas within Islam is a range of interpretation of Islamic understanding and practice, ranging from centrist to left-wing perspectives. Some Muslims have created a considerable body of progressive interpretation of I ...

is another variant of Islam and an alternative to literal Islam,

Islamic fundamentalism Islamic fundamentalism has been defined as a revivalist and reform movement of Muslims who aim to return to the founding scriptures of Islam. The term has been used interchangeably with similar terms such as Islamism, Islamic revivalism, Qut ...

, and many others.

Activities

Since its inception, JIL has conducted many regular activities concerning public education. With the assistance from funding agencies such as

The Asia Foundation The Asia Foundation (TAF) is a nonprofit international development organization focused on improving lives across Asia. Its programs operate in various sectors, including governance, women's empowerment and gender equality, inclusive economic gr ...

, JIL is able to voice liberal, tolerant aspirations and interpretations of Islam in Indonesia. Activities and programs of JIL include: *Syndication of liberal Islam writers. This is the most important program undertaken by JIL. This program is intended to collect writings from authors who defend

pluralism Pluralism in general denotes a diversity of views or stands, rather than a single approach or method. Pluralism or pluralist may refer more specifically to: Politics and law * Pluralism (political philosophy), the acknowledgement of a diversi ...

and

inclusivism Inclusivism is one of several approaches in religious studies, anthropology, or civics to understand the relationship between different religions, societies, cultures, political factions etc. It asserts that there is beauty in the variety of diff ...

and disseminate them to local mass media which have difficulties in finding good writings and writers on those issues. This syndication provides selected articles, interviews, and sources every week for local newspapers. *Talk-shows in the news office of Radio 68H, Jakarta. The talk-show, which interviews those who promote pluralism and an inclusive understanding of religion, is broadcast through 40 radio stations on the Namlapanha radio network across Indonesia. This program is the most effective effort to disseminate liberal Islam. *Publication of books on liberal thoughts in religion. *Publication of booklets or leaflets which contain a short article, interview, or abstract from books on controversial issues in religion. *Publication of the JIL website, http://www.islamlib.com, which displays information and relevant writings on liberal Islam. *Public service advertisements on television which contain messages for religious toleration and peaceful co-existence among different religious followers and pluralism in Islam. *Discussion of Islam. With cooperation from other institutions, JIL arranges discussions on Islam with distinguished speakers from all over the world. *Road-show doctrinate the idea of liberal Islam which are held on campuses in Indonesia with the cooperation of student organizations. Some figures who support or follow liberalism are Ulil Abshar Abdalla, Nong Darol Mahmada, Burhanuddin, Hamid Basyaib, Taufiq Adnan Amal, Saiful Mujani, and Luthfi Assyaukanie.

Conflicts

Ulil in his book ''"Becoming Liberal Islam''" rejects the types of religious interpretation that are not pluralist, or against democracy which he said potentially undermines Islamic thinking. Ulil Abshar candidly criticizes the MUI has monopolized the interpretation of Islam in Indonesia. MUI fatwas stating that Pluralism, Liberalism, and Secularism are misguided ideologies and

Ahmadiyah Ahmadiyya, officially the Ahmadiyya Muslim Jama'at (AMJ), is an Islamic messianic movement originating in British India in the late 19th century. It was founded by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad (1835–1908), who said he had been divinely appointed a ...

is out of Islam, have kindled Ulil's emotion. Some Muslims respond to the emergence of liberal Islamic movement in various ways, either with no respond, respond and criticize it intellectually through medias, or with serious response because it has challenged the basic principles of Islam. There are even groups of radicals who justify killing of Ulil and other members of the Liberal Islam Network (JIL), such as Islamic

Ulema In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

Forum (''Forum Ulama Ummat Islam'', FUUI) in

Bandung Bandung is the capital city of the West Java province of Indonesia. Located on the island of Java, the city is the List of Indonesian cities by population, fourth-most populous city and fourth largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta, Surabay ...

which issued a death fatwa for Ulil Abshar as the chairman of JIL. Among other controversies deviating from mainstream Islam are JIL believes

al-Qur'an The Quran, also Romanization, romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a Waḥy, revelation directly from God in Islam, God (''Allah, Allāh''). It is organized in 114 chapters (, ) which ...

is a text needs to be studied

Hermeneutically Hermeneutics () is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. As necessary, hermeneutics may include the art of understanding and communication. ...

; exegesis based on classical

Tafsir Tafsir ( ; ) refers to an exegesis, or commentary, of the Quran. An author of a ''tafsir'' is a ' (; plural: ). A Quranic ''tafsir'' attempts to provide elucidation, explanation, interpretation, context or commentary for clear understanding ...

books is no longer needed;

polygamy Polygamy (from Late Greek , "state of marriage to many spouses") is the practice of marriage, marrying multiple spouses. When a man is married to more than one wife at the same time, it is called polygyny. When a woman is married to more tha ...

must be banned; dowry in marriage may be paid by either the husband or wife; prescribed period ('

Iddah In Islam, ’''iddah'' or ''iddat'' (; "period of waiting") is the period a woman must observe after the death of her husband or after a divorce, during which she may not marry another man. One of its main purposes is to remove any doubt as to ...

) should be imposed on men too, either because of divorce or death; predetermined period Marriage (

Nikah mut‘ah ''Nikah mut'ah'' , "pleasure marriage"; temporary marriage In 2003, Ulil Abshar is sentenced to death by a

fatwa A fatwa (; ; ; ) is a legal ruling on a point of Islamic law (sharia) given by a qualified Islamic jurist ('' faqih'') in response to a question posed by a private individual, judge or government. A jurist issuing fatwas is called a ''mufti'', ...

issued by several

ulama In Islam, the ''ulama'' ( ; also spelled ''ulema''; ; singular ; feminine singular , plural ) are scholars of Islamic doctrine and law. They are considered the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious knowledge in Islam. "Ulama ...

in ''FUUI'' declaring ''Liberal Islam'' has misguided and derailed from the teachings of Islam due to JIL's article which is considered an insult and distort the truth of religion. Habib Rizieq mentions that Liberal Islam is a " Plagiarist of thinking", because its ideas simply imitate the ideas of previous

orientalists In art history, literature, and cultural studies, Orientalism is the imitation or depiction of aspects of the Eastern world (or "Orient") by writers, designers, and artists from the Western world. Orientalist painting, particularly of the Middle ...

who began the

reforms Reform refers to the improvement or amendment of what is wrong, corrupt, unsatisfactory, etc. The modern usage of the word emerged in the late 18th century and is believed to have originated from Christopher Wyvill's Association movement, which ...

, especially in understanding and assessing Islam. According to Habib Rizieq, The Indonesian's Liberal Islam movement rants excitedly to the application of

Hermeneutics Hermeneutics () is the theory and methodology of interpretation, especially the interpretation of biblical texts, wisdom literature, and philosophical texts. As necessary, hermeneutics may include the art of understanding and communication. ...

in the studies of the Qur'an. In fact, long before JIL resonating the matter, an Assyrian reverend named

Alphonse Mingana Alphonse Mingana (), born Hurmiz Mingana (; 1878 – 5 December 1937), was an Assyrian theologian, historian, Syriacist, orientalist and a former priest who is best known for collecting and preserving the Mingana Collection, a collection of ...

(1881–1937), who was also a lecturer of Christian Theology at

Birmingham University The University of Birmingham (informally Birmingham University) is a Public university, public research university in Birmingham, England. It received its royal charter in 1900 as a successor to Queen's College, Birmingham (founded in 1825 as ...

, in his book "''Syriac Influence on The Style of The Koran''" published in 1927 states: "It is time to criticize the text of the Qur'an, as we have done to the Aramaic Jewish

Torah The Torah ( , "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. The Torah is also known as the Pentateuch () ...

and Greek Christian

bibles The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) biblical languages ...

." Rizieq furthermore says that the JIL is just a group of inferior people with "intellectual backwardness" disease, which according to him, has explained its various statements and actions that are often inconsequentially baseless, ignorant and even tend to get lost, like crazy lunatics. On May, 26 to July 29, 2005, the

Indonesian Ulema Council Indonesian Ulema Council (, , abbreviated MUI) is Indonesia's top Islamic scholars' body. MUI was founded in Jakarta on 26 July 1975 during the New Order era. The council comprises many Indonesian Muslim groups including Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), ...

(MUI) at its 7th ''Mu'tamar Nasional'' (مؤتمرالوطنية; National Conference) issued eleven non-legally-binding fatwas, where one of them is to forbid pluralism, secularism and liberalism in Indonesia. JIL responded by reasserting its position not to dissolve and stating the fatwas had restricted the freedom of speech in the democratic country. The JIL movement began to fade out with the departure of Ulil Abshar Abdalla to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

to continue his education, which also dampened the overreactions from its opposing parties. In mid 2005,

FPI FPI may refer to: Government and politics * Federal Prison Industries, a US government corporation which employs Penal labor in the United States, prison labor * Foreign Policy Initiative, an American think tank * Foreign Policy Institute, a Turk ...

attacked JIL headquarters due to the fatwa.

Founders

* Ulil Abshar Abdalla * Nong Darol Mahmada

References

External links

* {{Authority control Islamic organizations based in Indonesia Liberal and progressive movements within Islam