TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Political analyst, Boni Hargens, said that tolerant Islam was one of the elements that had shaped Indonesia long before Sumpah Pemuda (Youth Pledge) was declared.
“Indonesian-ism can’t be separated from Islam which was the driving force in shaping Indonesia long before the 1928 Youth Pledge. But tha was the inclusive and tolerant Islam,” Boni said in a National Discussion held by the Indonesian Voters Institution (LPI) on Tuesday, January 24, 2017.
Boni explained that after Indonesia declared its independence in 1945, the idea of a Jakarta Charter emerged in order to reform the Pancasila (Five Principles). At the time, according to him, the Islamic groups were the ones that attempted to defend the original Pancasila formulation.
Chaos emerged lately that was caused by radical and hardline groups that intend to destroy Indonesian-ism by using the momentum of Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama’s case. The group made Ahok as their Trojan Horse in order to create a sharia Indonesia.
“If someone intends to reinstate the Jakarta Charter or establish a sharia Indonesia, that means the person lacks the knowledge of Indonesia’s history. What also must be understood is that the current groups who are actively trying to create chaos aren’t Islamic groups but are more of hardline groups,” he explained.
Boni hopes that the hardliners would explain their views of Pancasila and Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI) that they are fighting for. If it opposes the Pancasila that was created by the founding fathers, then the hardliners should be viewed as Indonesia’s common enemy.
ANTARA
