TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The arrival of King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud was like a goodwill visit from someone in fairyland. With a gold-plated escalator, a 1,500-member delegation, 14 ministers and 25 princes transported in a fleet of seven wide-bodied Boeing jets, a helicopter and dozens of Mercedes-Benz cars, it was difficult not to hope that the Saudi king would announce a massive package investment: US$25 billion, or about Rp332.5 trillion, spread around the country.
Indonesia, which is desperate for investment, is easily dazzled by high hopes from such large-scale visit. There is little awareness of how the economy of the oil-rich state has yet to recover from the collapse in oil prices since 2014—which has resulted in Saudi Arabia having a US$89 billion deficit last year. The country must live without depending on revenue from oil sales—despite 80 percent of its income coming from oil exports, and the oil sector contributing 75 percent of state revenues.
Some people also had high hopes that the visit of the royal delegation known as the custodian of the two holy Islamic shrines (Mecca and Medina) would offer support to their groups. Since Iran stopped trying to export its revolution to Islamic nations and became embroiled in the 1980-1988 war with Iraq, Saudi Arabia has rapidly filled the ‘leadership’ role. Those involved in the sectarian political crisis in Indonesia have not ignored the visit of the Saudi Arabian delegation to support their vested interests.
Unfortunately for them, this hope may come to nothing. It is difficult to avoid concluding this visit is aimed at improving the rather poor image of Wahhabi Islam, which has recently been linked with terrorism, intolerance, and violence. Wahhabism, which was developed by Muhammad bin Abdul Wahhab in the 18th century, is a teaching focused on religious purity and is the all-pervasive influence in Saudi Arabia.
There was a political message last week when the Saudi monarchy extended a special invitation for the families of the Detachment 88 anti-terror unit who had been killed in action, to go to Mecca. Indirectly, Saudi Arabia was demonstrating its solidarity with the eradication of terrorism, not support for it. The pinnacle of this was reached at a meeting in Jakarta last week, at which Indonesia and Saudi Arabia signed an agreement to jointly fight terrorism.
There was a time when the rivalry with Iran brought Saudi Arabia close to extreme sectarian Wahhabi groups that were strongly anti-Shia. Like several Arab and western nations, for many years the nation established by the Ibn Saud dynasty used the Islamic State, or ISIS, to attack Shias in Syria and Iraq. But ISIS is like a mad dog that will one day turn on its owner. Last July, ISIS was behind an attack that killed four Saudi security officials at the Nabawi Mosque complex in the holy city of Medina.
Many are worried that the Wahhabi influence will pervade over elements of conservatism, intolerance, and sectarianism currently growing in Indonesia. The return of Indonesian graduates from studying religion in Saudi universities has brought a desire for purity, as well as a conflict with traditional religious groups. Now is the time for Saudi Arabia to prove that Wahhabi Islam does not justify intolerance, extremism, violence nor sectarianism. (*)
Read the full story in this week's edition of Tempo English Magazine
