It’s a measure of our times of political transition that the debate about Pancasila as state identity (dasar negara) continues even after President Yudhoyono’s reaffirmation of the precepts as the “fundamental basis of our national life” on June 1, 2006, at the 61st anniversary of the birth of Pancasila speech proclaimed by the late President Soekarno on June 1, 1945, a few months before Indonesia’s declaration of independence on August 17, 1945. President Yudhoyono emphasized the need to fulfill the basic consensus since 1945: Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, The Unitary State of Indonesia, Diversity in Unity.
Some Islamist groups had alarmed minority and non-Islamic communities with their fervent call for a stricter adherence to a more Islamic precept of social, economic and political life by pushing for an all-encompassing official restriction on “amoral and lewd” behavior, giving rise to fears that other communities will have to be subjected to legal norms contravening their respective personal and public code of conduct. Several regional governments have issued edicts applying shariah law for public behavior. The Ministry of Home Affairs is reviewing some of these edicts, which may directly contravene basic provisions of the Indonesian Constitution of 1945.
The Declaration on Indonesian-ness (Maklumat Ke-Indonesiaan) which was read in front of President Yudhoyono and cabinet ministers on the June 1, 2006, anniversary celebrations recently drew reaction from a member of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (Majelis Ulama Indonesia), who derided the petitioners of Indonesian-ness as being “overly fearful of Islam” and in danger of propounding “outright secularism nationalism.”
The fact of the matter is that Soekarno on June 1, 1945, affirmed that Indonesia’s state identity was not overly secular (as in India), nor was it strictly theocratic (as in Saudi Arabia). Soekarno had appealed to Islamic participants in the Preparatory Committee to Prepare Indonesian Independence to accept the fact that the Indonesian state was to be established based on “an agreement on fundamentals” by all ethnic, racial, provincial as well as religious groups across the former Netherlands Indies who had fought for founding the Indonesian Republic. Soekarno also emphasized that there is an enduring “mythical unity” in the consciousness of all Indonesians that pluralism was an important feature of “being Indonesian”. Nationalist, Islamist and all other beliefs and faiths would be united through a “sublime union of all Indonesians.”
Being an Indonesian Muslim, therefore, necessitates a wider and more tolerant _expression of one’s sense of being Indonesian with all its rich impulses arising from family, ethnicity, provincial identity, racial heritage and the “enrichment of Islam through understanding the beliefs and and precepts of other faiths.” Throughout Muslim Indonesia, therefore, there are diverse interpretations of precepts, of application and indeed of rituals among Javanese (Central and East Java) just as there would be variations among Sundanese, Minangkabau/Padang, Makassar and Bugis as indeed among Acehnese themselves. Likewise with Indonesian Protestantism (Batak Church, Baptist, Methodist) and significant though less pronounced variations of Catholicism, Budhism, Hinduism, as well as Confucianism. Eclectism and syncretism were the keys to healthy pluralism and mutual tolerance.
It is also important to remember that Indonesia, though the country with largest number of Muslims” is not “an Islamic state”, a distinction clearly made when Indonesia was accepted as a member of the Organization of Islamic Conference. (Indonesians take note of the fact that the OIC was never set up as an organization in which each state had implanted the Islamic faith as its sole basis of state identity).
In the event, the recent debates resurfaced on the question of emphasis. Non-Muslims and minority groups adherence to the “plurality and tolerant values” is seen as affirming the need to remind Islamist groups of the origins of Indonesian identity; Islamist groups, on the other hand, perceive increase of “market globalization, secularization and loss of moral values” as encroachments on their notion of ” the central message of Islam, which is social justice ” for the vast majority who remain poor and desperate” and to which Islam “provide outreach and solace.”
Doubtless the debates on these issues will be discussed in the upcoming International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) in Jakarta, June 20-21, which will be officially opened by President Yudhoyono at the Jakarta Convention Center. My own feeling is that the rehashing of philosophical and values debates urgently need to be followed on by something more tangible on the ground. Inter-faith dialogues, including matters relating to “Islam-West relations”, have had considerable play in many forums across the Middle East, North America, Europe and Asia.
How about following up these dialogue forums with “projects on inter-faith employment” funded jointly by Islamic and Western multilateral aid agencies and donor governments. After all, when all the debates and discussions are said and done, what young people especially poor Muslims across the developing world__ really need are jobs, jobs, jobs. Jobs will to retain their sense of identity and regain their dignity. Employment will readily reduce their sense of humiliation and enhance their sense of individual self-worth.
Saya bangga menjadi warga negara Indonesia yang memiliki Pancasila. Semoga segala semboyan untuk mempersatukan semua etnis dan keanekaragaman budaya yang kita miliki tidak hanya menjadi retorika semata
I don’t believe that every single Indonesian has accepted Pancasila as his/her ideology. There is no data or statistics on that such matter.
To end the debate on the acceptance of Pancasila, a referendum asking every citizen wheter he/she accepts or does not has to be done.
I myself see that Pancasila is not implementable. Maswadi Rauf said that he saw that the implementation of Sila IV Pancasila was not in the shape like what our democracy has shown. What kind of shape? Maswadi Rauf still did not know.
Then, what kind of Indonesian people that suit Sila II? What kind of people that so called equal and civilized?
And, when will we meet what so called social equality as described by Sila V?
Pancasila is a week ideology. We have been proven by comments on this blog asking about the power of Pancasila in freeing up this country from corruptors. I don’t believe Pancasila has the power. What I believe is Pancasila has successfully created corruptors and injected corruption mindset into the brain of Indonesian people.
Selamat pagi Pak,
Salah satu cara mengurangi atau bahkan mengakhiri debat mengenai Pancasila adalah dengan mendukung pengiriman PASUKAN BOM JIHAD PALESTINA.
Anda bisa baca alasannya di sini , saya sungguh berharap, Bapak sebagai salah satu yang paling bertanggung jawab atas persatuan negeri ini bisa menindak lanjuti ide mulia itu.
menurut ane, pancasila adalah final. yang masih ngimpi mau berdasar selain pancasila lebih baik out dari ini bumi. korupsi en nepotisme dan laen-laen harusnya dipulangkan pada diri kite masing-masing, karena dengan mayoritas umat islam, harusnya korupsi itu sudah enyah dari muka bumi kita ini. jangan-jangan diganti ideologi lain, model apa saje juga kembali ke laut.
mending dari pada berebut bikin idelogi baru, lebih baik kita menjalankan ibadah sesuai agama masing-masing, jalankan dengan baik tunjukkan dengan perbuatan, dan amalkan dengan hati yang tulus. sekali lagi, pancasila adalah final, dan yang masih mimpi jualan idelogi lain semisal kifalah and sejenisnya mending deh membantu kiri kanannya dulu, menjadikan dirinya bermanfaat bagi sekitarnya, jangan eksklusif apalagi membikin masjid untuk golongannya saja. kalau sudah begitu ame saja bohong. contoh tuh ulama-ulama NU beliau sudah memiliki kontribusi yang jelas pada saat republik ini berdiri, sementara ente-ente yang mau membikin negara berbasis syariah atawa kilafah, gue mau tanye apa sih yang engkau sudah berikan pada republik ini ? jawab dulu baru mimpi.
Salut buat Pak Mentri….
Blognya bagus banget..
Menurutku Pancasila tu maknanya sangat luar biasaaaaa……… dalem banget.. Apalagi kalo Lagu Kebangsaan Indonesia Raya… Bergetar Nie Dada..
very good, Mr.Juwono Sudarsono. I hope all Indonesian people must hold on Pancasila as The Basic Prinsip of Our Laws and Constitution. I see there’s a perfect ideas in Panca Sila, so why we must abandon this Princips. Yea, let’s we accept Panca Sila as Our Way of Life. Okaaaayyy ???
Sayang sekali Bangsa kita sudah tidak mau mengerti bahasa kita sendiri yang mestinya kita pelihara yaitu Bahasa Indonesia.mungkin karena mental Inlander seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Bung Karno.Kita Bangsa Indonesia,hidup di Indonesia harus menggunakan Bahasa kita sendiri,harus banggakan bahasa kita sendiri,kalau kita ke Inggris ya kita pake Bahasa Inggris.
Kalau Bangsa Indonesia masih juga mempersoalkan Pancasila berarti menghina bangsanya sendiri,karena itulah pedoman hidup berkebangsaan kita,dasar negara kita,ideologi bangsa yang harus dipatuhi oleh seluruh bangsa Indonesia.Merubah dasar negara ini berarti mengkhianati cita cita Proklamasi 1945.
Kesalahan masa lalu adalah selalu memperdebatkan ideologi bangsa ini,meragukan Pancasila dan ingin merubah dengan ideologi lain yang tidak sesuai dengan bangsa kita, Bahkan sampai sekarangpun masih juga diperdebatkan oleh orang orang yang tidak senang dengan Pancasila dan sayangnya mereka menduduki jabatan2 penting dinegara ini,mereka yang Amerika sentris karena mereka memang antek Nekolim.
I Like this blog but follow me if many people want to give the comment must follow the rule to use english although we are indonesian. But I feel proud of student in indonesia because they still want to visit this Blog. For Mr.Juwono I think you are the good Minister, and your blog will be better if another minister want to give comment in this Blog. Thanx Mr. Juwono I hope U Look my Comment And give the feed back, Key…!!!! Sincerely, Niken in Tangerang City(PRUDENT SCHOOL)