The Beautifulness of Islam and Democracy in Indonesia

It has been apparent in recent years that the issues surrounding Islam and democracy are becoming the crucial and critical issues. The implementation of democracy has been succeed in many countries arround the world. It has been implemented not only in western countries but also in the middle east, Africa, and South Asia as well. In fact, some of countries which are the homes of the largest muslim community such as Turkey and Indonesia has used this political tool in order to built their state as well as to get the independence from colonialism and imperialism. The differing opinions which exist on when a country with a majority of Muslim community applied democracy system in their nation linked with several differing arguments of Islamic thinkers and nationalist thinkers as well as the history of the country. Because according to some of radicalist figures those two aspects (democracy and religion) can not be reconciled in the political system of a country. Contrary, I believe  when democracy is reconciled with the condition of a state, those two aspects may be seen as playing a vital role in the process of establishing a country. In this essay the issues surrounding Islam and Democracy in Indonesia will be elaborated. 
 

Indonesia has been implementing the system of democracy since the first time the scholars and the founding father of Indonesia gathered in one place to prepare the independence of Indonesia. Arround June 1994, the scholars and founding father of Indonesia are divided in two groups, firstly the secular nationalist and secondly the Islamic thinker. At the time Both of these groups had joined in a debate forum which discussed about the choices to establish a nationalist state or Islamic state. In one hand, the Indonesian Islamic thinker belief that the state have to be based upon the rule of Shariah because the vast majority of population in Indonesia is muslim and the other religion such as Christian, Buddha, and Hindu only became the minority. On the other hand, the secular nationalsit thinker revealed their argument that if Indonesia accept shariah as the rule system, they can not unify the diversity of religion, race and culture in Indonesia. Becuase in fact every people, every group and every community have their own paradigm about the values of life. However the debate became the critical issue which is very debatable at that time, but finally the issue has been overcame and obtained the last decision that  Indonesia is a religiously neutral country.

 Democracy and Islam had lead to several improvement in political system in Indonesia. Democracy is a way of life and it have a principle from people to people which give freedom to everybody, freedom to speak, freedom to engaged in the election and voting process, it also offer the public cooperation in order to fulfill the justice for all of society clusters. Same as democracy, Islam also give the equal chance for every member of the community to involve in the political system as well as protecting woman and give them the equal position same as men.  It was likely that at that time, the founding father want to establish Indonesia as a neutral country which became the bridge for the democracy system and all religion principles rather than Islamic state. 

The condition which had been mentioned above revealed that the founding father of Indonesia was established a great combination system, they have encouraged and built a strong nation which was adapted a pluralistic society fragment in Indonesia. However, Indonesia has implemented democracy system, but this country is not neglect the the existing of God.  Furthermore, the diversity of religion and various cultures have been united in the spirit of democracy in Indonesia. The existing of various religion in Indonesia was reflected in the first principle of Pancasila (panca means  principles and sila menas five), it is Believe in one sovereignity God, which means that all citizens have their own freedom to embrace their religion and to do their worship method.  

The Muslim community in Indonesia is classified as Islam moderate, it has been proven by the recieving of democracy system by the member of society. The Muslim society in Indonesia has been given two choices, it was the implementation of shari’a system (a rule of life based upon Islam religion) and the democracy system, and finally almost 80% of Muslim community choose democracy system. They tend to choose this system because it offer a freedom and equal chance for both of men and women to be the participant in the election. It gives the same oppourtunity for every member in the community to contribute their self in the parliement, government institution and every formal or non formal institution without exception.

In my point of view, Indonesia was combined democracy values and religion values in the state’s system, it was described clearly in pancasila, which was not only confess in the supreme God, but also based upon the humanism and nationalism. A part from this, nowadays as the changing and improvement in the political concept in Indonesia,  the Islam moderate tend to believe that a muslim person should create a balance relationship between God and human. when people can built and  tied in harmonist life between theirself and the society, it means they do the command’s of God. However, democracy is a secular product which is brought up by the liberal country, but it was not impossible to apply it in the largest muslim country. the founding father of Indonesia did not put all of the democracy system which is totally similar with the democracy system in western country, but they adopt in and adjust it with the condition in Indonesia. I think as long as it is good and give beneficial for all of the citizens, why do not they implement it ?, but the government of the state who want to implement it should adjust the system with the local condition, before they want to harmonized it in their country. In order to create a peacefull and harmonized society, I strongly believe that democracy should be implemented in Indonesia and in the other country based upon their condition and necessity.