Islam in Indonesia…

Two years ago, I had the opportunity to study Islam and spirituality in Java as a Fulbright scholar in Indonesia — the most populous Muslim nation in the world. So I was intrigued to see a NYTimes article this week discussing how a group of Muslim scholars in Indonesia are using media to challenge the ideology of the Islamic State. For example, Nadhlatul Ulama (a group with more than 50 million members) just released a 90 minute video with interviews of Islamic scholars from inside and outside of Indonesia.

In the video, former Indonesian president, Abdurrahman Wahid, sings from a mystical Javanese poem: “Many who memorize the Quran and Hadith love to condemn others as infidels while ignoring their own infidelity to God, their hearts and minds still mired in filth.” According to the leader of the group, A. Mustofa Bisri, “every aspect and expression of religion should be imbued with love and compassion, and foster the perfection of human nature.” These scholars have every reason to be worried — Indonesia was just forced to increase security after a militant video called for an attack. Having been immersed in Javanese culture for fifteen years, I sincerely hope that Indonesia stays safe from the violence currently affecting so many other places in the world…