Politicization of Mosques Harms the Implementation of 2019 Elections

The politicization of religion is indeed poisonous in democracy, but this cannot be denied that this political model is considered effective in winning a candidate. The use of places of worship in the campaign proved to be minimal and quite efficient. This is because the voice slave does not need to spend extra energy to lead the public masses to the mosque.
The size of the Muslim population in Indonesia makes the country that upholds democracy as one of the countries that has so many mosques, there are more than 800,000 mosques in Indonesia that are spread from Sabang to Merauke. The great potential possessed by mosques seems to be ogled by politicians who do not know themselves, they use places of worship such as mosques as a political vehicle to satisfy their desires.
Just say PKS DPP Chair Mardani Ali Sera, in a campaign video for his party that wants a mosque as a political base. Aside from Mardani, Amien Rais even suggested that in the recitations and lectures at mosques or in other religious activities they should be tucked into something politically charged.
The politicization of mosques is not just a discourse, how many mosques today have political sermons, examples of cases leading up to the DKI Pilkada, the Friday sermon stage and lectures played a major role in framing Ahok as religious opponents and forbidden to vote, not only there , when the last period leading up to the election even led to a campaign that voiced ‘it is unlawful to observe Ahok’s voting body’.
In 2018, a case appeared, namely a giant billboard with the inscription # 2019. The President’s residence was installed right in front of the mosque in Sumatra. This certainly raises the question, can politics enter into the mosque or recitation? Of course this is permissible, but what kind of politics is it? If what is meant is practical politics, which has the potential to divide the people, of course this is not justified, especially Indonesia is a country that upholds diversity.
In response to this, Prof. Dr. H. Ahmad Syafii Ma’arif or who is familiarly called Buya Syafii said, “If politics is high politics (no problem). But if politics is aimed at linking elections, finding followers is not true. “
According to Minister of Religion Lukman Hakim Syaifudin, there are two things that must be understood from politics. First, substantive politics in this case religion has a close relationship with politics, because in politics it discusses social justice and fulfillment of basic human rights, this is the kind of politics that must be delivered at various pulpits of mosques and other religious events.
Second, practical politics whose purpose is to win – lose, support candidate pair A and Paslon B, this type of politics is very dangerous if it enters the mosque.
First, if we look back on the function of the mosque in the Qur’an and hadith. In the Qur’an surah An – Nurayat 36-37 Allah SWT says which means:
“In the house there God has commanded to be glorified and called His name in it, there is His rosary (cleansing) in the morning and evening. Men who are not neglected by commerce and not (also) by the sale and purchase of remembering God, establishing prayer, and paying zakat. They were afraid one day (on that day) day and vision became shaken. “
In that verse Allah explained that the main function of the mosque is to worship, and to be a place to make dhikr and celebrate purify Him. Not to be used as a place to promote candidates who are fighting in the practical political arena.
The first real threat from the politicization of mosques is the division of the ummah, a place that should be able to reassure the soul becomes a place for each other to fall between the combatant who is fighting, the person who should worship instead focuses on winning, which should make dhikr and even curse. Even worse, the politicians who want to make the mosque as a campaign stage also usually cite verses and hadith to support their interests.
The next threat is the loss of the sanctity of the mosque itself. The politicization of mosques is a real form of defamation of Islam, because people who use mosques as a stage of campaign means manipulating mosques for their own personal interests, meaning that these people no longer consider mosques to be sacred and sacred places of worship. Ahead of the democratic party in April, we as citizens must certainly be intelligent in distinguishing between politicization for the benefit of all people or politicization for the benefit of their own group.

Hal yang juga tak kalah penting adalah upaya untuk membangun literasi politik masyarakat. Karena dengan literasi politik yang mumpuni, maka perlahan akan menggeser pembicaraan mengenai pro dan anti kubu – kubu tertentu menjadi pembicaraan yang membahas mengenai kebijakan publik.

Apabila masyarakat memiliki literasi politik yang baik, maka dengan sendirinya upaya fitnah dan black campaign akan sirna dari mimbar masjid. Pada akhirnya, masyarakat akan terfokus pada isu substansial mengenai apa yang bisa mereka peroleh sebagai warga negara.