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Ma'arif School of Thought: An 'Indonesian' Islam
The face of Islam in Indonesia has changed to fit in with negative stereotypes of Islam: conservative, Wahabi-inspired, more Arabized (in attire and culture) and using rigid, intolerant interpretations of Islamic doctrine.
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Etched in memory: A student takes notes on teacher's explanation during a lesson at the Pesantren Libroyo Islamic boarding school in Kediri, East Java. (JP/Sigit Pamungkas)
“Islam brings hope and comfort to millions of people in my country, and to more than a billion people worldwide.”
Who said this? You’ll never guess! George W. Bush, that’s who!
He said it in his Idul Fitri greeting in December 2002 to Muslims everywhere — yes, just over a year after the attack on the World Trade Center on Sept. 11. When Bush was president, he said some really wonderful things about Islam every Idul Fitri that really captured the essence of what the religion of almost a quarter of the world’s population (now 1.6 billion) truly is.
Trump should really take not just a page, but several pages out of Bush’s book on Islam. And maybe, so should Muslims, because it seems many of us have descended into a deep amnesia.
