The creation of a pluralistic democratic state is an ideal that the Indonesian state strives for. In this article State Islamic University rector Azyumardi Azra examines the compatibility of pluralism and Islam, and looks at some of the roots of religious conflicts in the country.

Islam has basically recognized pluralism among peoples and nations. The search for authenticity among some Muslims, however, has led to the rise of religious literalism and radicalism. The proponents of such an interpretation of Islam even believe that there is only "one" Islam, a monolithic Islam; they maintain that different interpretations of Islam have corrupted Islam and weakened Muslims vis-…-vis the West.

Southeast Asian, or particularly Indonesian Islam has long adopted the Islamic paradigm of ummah wasat (the middle path). In the political field this has been translated into the adoption of the national ideology of Pancasila (five pillars).

The term "pluralism" is increasingly becoming one of the most important catchwords in the era of globalization.

The invocation of pluralism has become as much as a summons as a celebration; an urgent exhortation to the citizens of the world to come to terms with their increasing diversity.

All of these hard realities have imparted the urgent need for better recognition and management of religious pluralism. One of the main reasons is the recognition of religious pluralism among the followers of religions promises to advance the principle of inclusiveness, which would enhance accommodation, not conflict, among competing claims to religious truth in religiously and culturally heterogeneous societies. Such an inclusiveness, not exclusiveness, should lead to a sense of multiple and unique possibilities for enriching the human quest for spiritual and moral well-being.

Toleration does not require an active engagement with the other; it makes no inroads on mutual ignorance. In a world in which religious differences historically have been manipulated to burn bridges between communities, recognition and understanding of religious differences require all the believers to enter into knowledgeable dialogue with one another, even in the face of major disagreements.

Islamic pluralism

Historically and sociologically speaking, Islam and the Muslims have actually witnessed differences and pluralistic views among themselves. Theologically and doctrinally, there are many factors responsible for this; multiple, different and sometimes conflicting interpretations of the texts (the Koran and Hadith).

It would be wrong to assume that there is a single, monolithic view among Muslims concerning religious pluralism and other issues.

In is important to keep in mind that while the text of the Koran as a divine revelation is a source of different interpretations among Muslim scholars, it has justified differences, diversity and pluralism. To put it in a different way, the Koranic text itself is a main factor that establishes the legitimacy of differences, diversity, and pluralism.

Therefore, a forcible unification is not called for by the Koran. A number of verses of the Koran offer a distinctly modern perspective on tolerance, pluralism and mutual recognition in a multiethnic, multicultural and multi-community world.

This tension between the pluralist and exclusivist strains of Islam can be resolved only through the reexamination of the specific contexts of the rulings, the ways in which they were conditioned by the beliefs, desires, hopes and fears of the classical age, so that we might compare them with contemporary issues and reapply them with a refreshed historical perspective.

Muslim scholars should disentangle Koranic perspective on pluralism from medieval interpretation in order to elaborate and formulate new Muslim participation in plural global society.

Indonesian pluralism

Despite its religious diversity, Indonesia has until recently been generally known as a country where a number of great world religions meet and develop in peaceful co-existence.

It is important to point out that although the population of the archipelago converted for the most part to Islam, the region is known as one of the least Arabicized areas throughout the Muslim world.

Therefore, Islam in the archipelago was regarded by many outsiders as "marginal" or "peripheral" Islam, as "impure" or "syncretic" Islam. Furthermore, Islam in the archipelago was regarded as having little to do with Islamic orthodoxy attributed to Islam in Arabia, or as the region is known now, the Middle East as a whole.

Even though, Indonesia is increasingly known as the most populous Muslim nation in the world, it is not an Islamic state. Politically and ideologically, Indonesia is a state based on Pancasila. Pancasila was (and still is) a compromise between secular nationalists who advocated a secular state and Muslim leaders who demanded an Islamic state.

Therefore, Muslims' acceptance of Pancasila is no doubt one of the most important Indonesian Islamic roots of pluralism.

The eruption of communal violence in recent Indonesia was the tip of the iceberg of widespread political and social discontent since the mid 1990s not only among the lower classes of the population, but also among the middle classes.

It seems that this discontentment had its roots, at least in the initial phases, in the widespread economic injustices and deprivation that occurred even though Indonesia at that time continued to enjoy an economic boom. At a later phase this economic discontent amalgamated with political injustices and deprivation, which most Indonesians had suffered since the 1970s.

It is important to point out that one should be very cautious not to jump to the conclusion that most of the conflicts and violence in recent Indonesia are religiously motivated. In fact most of them are rooted in the economic and political problems that have not been solved since the time of Soeharto's New Order. Religion, or more appropriately religious symbols, came only later as a rallying point and rallying cry in the confrontation.

The Ambon communal violence, which erupted in January 1999 and worsened and spread to other parts of the Maluku province but now has largely stopped, is perhaps the most often quoted as a clear case of religious conflict in Indonesia in recent years.

It is no secret of course that Muslims and Christians in Maluku had long been involved in a sort of race to gain the upper hand in the religion, economics and politics of the region.

I would suggest though that the Ambon or Maluku communal riots have their root causes in the contest for economic resources and the increasingly disproportionate distribution of political power in the local bureaucracy between Muslims -- consisting of indigenous Maluku and migrants better known as the BBM (Buginese, Butonese and Makasarese) all from South Sulawesi -- and indigenous Christians over the last two decades at least.

Pluralism and democracy

Looking at the conflict and violence between Muslim and Christian groups in Indonesia, one should be aware that the case is far from a reflection of Indonesia as a whole.

Given the fact that Islam is the single largest religion in Indonesia, it is reasonable to expect that Islam and Muslims play a greater and more positive role in the development and enhancement of a democratic and multicultural Indonesia.

Indonesian Islam is essentially a tolerant, moderate, and "middle way" Islam given the history of its early spread, which was basically peaceful and had been integrated into diverse ethnic, cultural and social realities of Indonesia. The bulk of Indonesian Muslims belong to moderate mainstream organizations such as the Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah and many other regional organizations throughout Indonesia.

All of these Muslim organizations support modernity and democracy. They oppose the establishment of an Islamic state in Indonesia as well as the implementation of shariah in the current Indonesian nation-state.

There are a number of small or fringe groups of radical Muslims, which have captured the media's imagination. These groups have the potential to create tension not only among Muslims, but also with non-Muslim groups.

With the leadership mostly in the hands of non-native Indonesian Muslims, or more precisely figures of Yemeni origin, these groups have in fact very limited influence in Indonesian as a whole.

One should not exaggerate their influence. Moreover, following the bombings in Bali on October 12, 2002, most of these radical groups have either disbanded themselves or been forced to lay low.

In the end, I believe that one of the most important keys to address the tendency of radicalism among Indonesian Muslims is the strengthening of democracy, the enforcement of law and order, and economic recovery.

With the success of the 2004 general election, Indonesia as the world's most populous Muslim nation has shown the compatibility between Islam and democracy.

The article is an excerpt from his presentation at the ASEM Interfaith Dialog in Bali, July 2005.