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ugust 3, p6

Muhammadiyah, the country'€™s second largest Muslim organization, will hold its 47th national congress (muktamar) in Makassar, South Sulawesi, this week. The congress will set up a new agenda for the next five years, including electing a new leader who will replace two-time chairman Din Syamsuddin.

Muhammadiyah'€™s challenges and plans include internal consolidation of leadership, bureaucratic improvement and dealing with external issues of globalization, poverty and lack of education, low quality of human resources and the upcoming integrated ASEAN economic community. (By Ahmad Imam Mujadid Rais, Jakarta)

Your comments:

I am a Muslim from the West, and I find much to be suspicious about concerning Muhammadiyah'€™s activities.

And progressive policies, as stated in the article, are not a hallmark of Muhammadiyah. Both Muhammadiyah and NU are still largely (perhaps completely) Shafi'€™i jurists. They have a very specific lens of fiqh and rarely do they deviate from it.

I'€™d like to see examples of progressive attitudes from either organization. There are plenty of people talking about. But there is zero evidence of its existence.

Dani

Muhammadiyah is an excellent example of living Islam. I wish that Muslims here in the West had more exposure to its ideas.

Adrian Heath

Muhammadiyah should become the Islamic movement that exists in order to face the problems in this country and to solve them through good understanding of meaningful Islamic values. Muhammadiyah is for unity in diversity.

Ramdan Nugraha