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owadays, people are witnessing the Holy Koran being corrupted not only on the interpretation of its content, but also on its procurement.

The Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) has named Golkar lawmaker Zulkarnaen Djabar a suspect in the alleged corruption of the Koran procurement project at the Religious Affairs Ministry.
The scandal may implicate other lawmakers.

Last year, the KPK released a survey stating that the ministry was among the most corrupt government institutions, reminding the public of a long list of graft scandals in an institution that has repeatedly been led by so-called “devout people”. Kyais and ulemas have headed the institution, such as Wahid Hasyim, Mukti Ali, Munawir Sadzali, Tolchah Hasan, Quraish Shihab and Said Agil Husin Al Munawar.

 However, the Jakarta Corruption Court sentenced Said Agil Husin Al Munawar, who is known as a hafiz (a person who has memorized the entire contents of the Koran), to five years’ imprisonment in 2006 for his involvement in a graft scandal in managing the Dana Abadi Umat trust fund, or haj fund of the past.

The KPK had earlier warned the ministry over dozens of graft-rampant blackspots, including the management of the trust fund, which reached Rp 40 trillion (US$4.5 billion).

Using the bank interest from the trust fund, the ministry financed state officials and lawmakers to go to Saudi Arabia for a haj pilgrimage every year. It also used the fund for the procurement of copies of the Koran, which was then corrupted.

Criticism and regret about the Koran procurement graft scandal have come from a wide range of people. Din Syamsuddin, chairman of the country’s second-largest Muslim organization Muhammadiyah, deplored the scandal, saying it was a very shameful act.

Actually, corruption scandals inside the religious ministry do not surprise the public; although perhaps the Koran procurement graft is an exception. People might think if civil servants dare to corrupt the Koran, they’re not liable to care much about stealing anything else.

A friend once told me a joke about why there are no pianos in a mosque. The answer? “[Cheap] sandals are stolen, why not a piano?”

The Koran procurement graft scandal will certainly tarnish the image of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono’s administration, which always portrays itself as clean and campaigns for clean government. Religious Affairs Ministry officials and the Golkar Party politician, members of Yudhoyono’s coalition partner, are believed to have been involved in the scandal.

The scandal was made public at about the same time as the publication of a report in Foreign Policy magazine on a survey conducted by the Fund for Peace on the Failed States Index 2012. The survey placed Indonesia in 63rd place out of 171 surveyed countries, branding the country as “in danger” for several reasons, including its poor treatment toward minorities.

The survey must have talked about discrimination and violence against religious minorities in the country, such as Syiah and Ahmadiyah Islamic minority groups and Christian groups. Instead of protecting these groups, the government has habitually taken the side of radical groups.

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali once said that Syiah and Ahmadiyah are heretical sects. His statement and the radical groups’ actions against these minorities may lead to the conclusion that Indonesia is no longer categorized as a free and tolerant country.

If the country fails to stop violence against religious minorities, it will only speed the entry of Indonesia into the category of a failed state. Replacing the minister is one option, while improving the management of the ministry is also urgent.

People expect officials working for the ministry to be “holy men and women” since they know best what is sinful or not. Corruption in the procurement of the Koran is a crime both in this world and the akhirat (afterlife), and the perpetrators should be punished with heavy sentences.

People should also consider the Koran procurement graft as blasphemy as it corrupts noble religious values. Perhaps Islamic organizations, such as Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), could file a report against the suspects in court for defaming Islam?

Those suspects involved in the Koran procurement graft are the real blasphemers, not groups, such as Ahmadiyah and Syiah, or individuals like Alexander Aan (an atheist in West Sumatra who was recently sentenced to 2.5 years in jail for defaming Islam).

In the wake of the Koran procurement graft and other scandals, we need to question the relevance of the Religious Affairs Ministry, as it has turned out to be a symbol of hypocrisy.

If we fail to tackle the issue, people may apologetically say (while quoting a song): Rocker juga manusia (A rock singer is also human). Those officials at the ministry are human that can also do wrong. If that is the case, Indonesia will soon see itself included on the list of failed states.

The author is a staff writer at The Jakarta Post.