By: Muhammad Zaki )*
Sooner or later the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) will immediately replace the general chair (Ketum) after the appointment of Ma’ruf Amin as Vice President 2019-2024 accompanying President Jokowi for the second period. Until now Ma’ruf Amin still serves as Chairman of the MUI.
Ma’ruf Amin himself said that he would resign from the position of Chairman of the MUI after being appointed as vice president 2019-2024.
He also explained, institutionally the replacement of the Ketum position would be transferred to the Deputy Chairperson (Waketum) of the Indonesian Ulema Council. However, he admitted that currently the Waketum position was occupied by two people, so the election would be held in a plenary meeting.
Nevertheless, of course the Indonesian people hope that in the future Ma’ruf Amin will not be a radical figure, so that the highest position in MUI should be filled by moderate Islamic leaders.
Radical behavior is an act that contains elements of violence. Whereas verbal statements fall into the radical category of all forms of discursive thought and contain elements of intolerance towards different groups.
At the level of verbal behavior, people can easily blame others and be intolerant of differences, attack and blame others verbally, and spread hateful news and content to others, especially if they contain elements of hoaxes.
Thus one of the important things that became a reference for the MUI to elect the Chairperson of the MUI, was a moderate Islamic figure who had a tolerance for differences.
In addition, the Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council must also have scientific expertise, at least a cleric is able to answer the problems of the people.
The number of problems of the people today certainly requires the thought of figures who are able to unravel the existing social problems.
MUI Chairperson must also be ukhrawi oriented and only seek the pleasure of Allah SWT. This has been exemplified by the Prophet Muhammad who did not sell religion to seek the interests of the world. So that there must not be unscrupulous fatwa sellers to search the world.
Previously we already knew that an attitude of tolerance towards differences must exist within the MUI chairman. This is intended so that scholars can be familiar with small communities. This is a form of role model from the Prophet, so do not get far from the weak and close to the ruler.
Earlier, Yenny Wahid had said that most Muslims in Indonesia who had moderate ideology did not dare to voice their opinions in public. During this time, the flow of the majority of Muslims was silent and did not respond to the emergence of various demands of a handful of radical groups who wanted to establish a khilafah state in Indonesia.
Yenny also believes that moderate Muslims are outdone by a handful of radical groups who are good at expressing their aspirations to establish an Islamic state in Indonesia.
As a result there is an assumption that Muslims in Indonesia are known as radicals who are violent and intolerant. This is because many moderate figures rarely voice their opinions for fear of losing supporters.
From this statement, it certainly does not deny that the Chairman of the MUI replaces Ma’ruf Amin must be a moderate Islamic figure and dare to express tolerance without hesitation.
We certainly know that the demands of radical groups are unreasonable, they are the cause of much violence in Indonesia. Though Islam is a religion that loves peace, not religion that destroys restaurants with the sentence takbir.
The Indonesian Ulema Council must not be filled by officials who have radicalism in mind. Especially to have the desire to establish a khilafah state.
MUI Chair replacement for Ma’ruf Amin must understand and be able to apply moderate Islamic values. Moderate Islam itself is in accordance with the needs of the present, because it encourages the harmony of humanity despite having different backgrounds and does not exclude other parties who are different.
In addition, the Chairman of the MUI must also have the courage to assert himself as a Muslim who is anti-terrorism. Because by becoming a moderate Islam, its true service at MUI is not only for Muslims, but also for non-Muslims.
Hopefully after Ma’ruf Amin resigns from his position as Chairman of the MUI, we can find a moderate Islamic figure replacing Ma’ruf Amin, and of course have undoubted credibility.
)* The author is a sociopolitical observer