Indonesia: Pluralism and the Fatwa Against Pluralism
Satu bagian dari bangunan dalam komplek Masjid Niujie, Beijing, Tionkok. (Foto: Dok, Des 2015) June 28, 2006 Indonesia: Pluralism and the Fatwa Against Pluralism By Diana L. Eck I spent ten days in late August in Indonesia at the invitation of the U.S. State Department, giving lectures and participating in public forums in connection with the translation of A New Religious America into Indonesian (Amerika Baru Yang Religius, published by Pustaka Sinar Harapan). My visit came at a time of intense public discussion of pluralism in Indonesia and as Director of the Pluralism Project it was a wonderful opportunity both to participate in the discussion and to learn about the shape of these issues in another multireligious democracy. In late July, the Ulama Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) issued a fatwa denouncing pluralism, secularism, liberal forms of Islam, along with interfaith marriage and interfaith prayer. Yet in mid-August, Ind