3-7 June 1996
Leiden, The Netherlands
By Mohan K. Gautam
Since the INIS has been serving as a bridge between Indonesia
in Southeast Asia and the Middle Eastern and North African
countries in the West, the Conference invited more than
150 scholars representing about 25 countries (Japan, the
Philippines, Brunei, Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand,Malaysia,
India, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel, Egypt, Tunisia,
Algeria, Morocco, South Africa, Russia, Germany, the
Netherlands, Belgium, France, Canada, and The United States).
The main theme of the conference was divided into three
categories: 1) Islam and the Global community: new
interactions between Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and
Europe. 2) Islam and Development: Muslim views on population,
resources, and social justice. 3) Islam and Education: recent
developments in the Muslim World and Europe.
The opening plenary session was chaired by Prof. L.
Leertouwer, Vice-Chancellor (Rector Magnificus) of Leiden
University in the auditorium of the main university building.
In his inaugural speech he welcomed the national and
international scholars and emphasized the need for scientific
deliberations in which mutual trust in the sphere of tolerance
would enrich not only the scientific discussions but also
attempt to conceptualize the theoretical framework of Islamic
Studies. The second speaker was Hon. Minister of Religious
Affairs of Indonesia, Dr. H.Tarmizi Taher, who stressed the
importance of cooperation in Islamic Studies on a global scale
and emphasized the role of Leiden University in this. From the
western part of the Muslim world the Hon. Minister of
Religious Affairs of Morocco, Mr. Abdelkabir el Alaoui
M'Daghri, spoke in Arabic and stressed the need to have
academic meetings for understanding the universal elements of
Islam. An English translation was provided for those who could
not understand Arabic. The next speaker was Dr. P.A.J.
Tindemans, representing the Dutch Minister of Education,
Culture, and Sciences, the Hon. Dr. J. Ritzen. In his address
he reminded the audience that Islam is the second religion in
the Netherlands and the study of Islam is inevitable for any
smooth integration process of the Dutch Muslims into the Dutch
society. Islam is not only a religion, it is also a social
system. Empirical research is necessary to correct the
sensational, biased image of Islam which is often reflected
in public opinion and in media. He expressed his wish that a
day would come when Leiden University would develop into a
centre of Islamic Studies.
Education will bring knowledge and community together. Finally
the keynote address was delivered by Prof. Riffat Hassan,
University of Louisville, Kentucky, USA. In her speech she
raised the topic "What does it mean to be a Muslim in 21st
century?" Adducing Quranic arguments she argued that being a
Muslim does not mean to be a conservative and a fanatic
person. She characterized the Quranic message as the Magna
Charta of human freedom, constantly concerned with the
fundamental rights of human beings beyond the so-called
barriers of traditionalism, political or economic
authoritarianism, tribalism, racism, slavery, sexism, and
class boundaries. To cope with the modern era specially the
non-Muslim countries will need ijtihad (independent
interpretation of the classic Islamic literature). By quoting
the philosopher and poet Iqbal, she justified the
reinterpretation of legal principles of Islam in the light of
experiences of the people and the ways with which their life
styles are changed. Prof. Hassan's speech attracted a lively
discussion and raised many issues, such as, the guiding rules
and the Quranic interpretations, the ultimate authority in
Islam, the unity and the diversity of cultures in Islam,
linguistic and philosophical inconsistencies, the
understanding of Quran, Hadith, ijma, qiyas, and so
forth. Prof. Leertouwer rightly reminded the audience that the
lively discussions raised by the keynote speech had been a
good start for the conference which would offered promise for
the enrichment of the intellectual debate in the days ahead.
Regional Identity
In the afternoon the conference started in earnest. There were
two types of papers, those based on empirical research on
certain areas and the general philosophical-cum-theological
conceptual discussions. The deliberations attempted to
determine a global trend in Islamic research and compared the
facts with other findings. Since the papers were many, the
conference was divided into three parallel sessions on
globalization, development, and education, arranged by Dr. D.
Douwes (INIS).
The most remarkable findings were those which were based on
area studies specially from the non-Muslim countries including
those in Europe and the Western hemisphere. The paper of Prof.
Van Koningsveld (whose illness prevented him from attending
but whose paper was distributed), by taking the Netherlands as
his example explained that the position of the Dutch Muslims
is beyond the traditional notions of Dar-al-Islam and
Dar-al-Herb because they are the settled, neutralized
citizens of a secular state and participate in the Dutch
political apparatus, serve in the army, and accept the Dutch
family law. However, the source of their unity has been the
classical notion of Islam, Al Ummah al Islamiyya (the
community of Islam) as has also been the case in Egypt,
Brunei (Talib), Malaysia (Syed Hassan), and Indonesia. The
practice of Islam outside the Middle East is not the same and
local, regional,
cultural, and religious elements are often incorporated in
it. This is evident in the case studies of the Cape Muslims
(Haron and February), Caribbean Muslims (Gautam), Thai Muslims
(Yusuf), Central Asian and Chinese Muslims (Naumkin, Heberer
and Gladney), Filipino Muslims (Mastura, Jundam) and many
other countries where the followers of Islam had either
emigrated and settled or been converted. In the due course,
the setting up of a plural society has consciously
incorporated local elements of the Little Tradition into the
Normative or High or Great Tradition (Gautam, Taufiq Abdullah
and Filali-Ansari). Since the local forms of regional Little
Tradition in a plural society are more or less incorporated
into the Great Tradition of Islam this has required that the
validity of Islam in terms of Islamic norms be proven. The
outcome is the creation of a different form of ijtihad
which has been responsible for identifying the Muslims in
terms of regional identities. These regional identities of
Islam are legitimized and have created a different picture in
the Central Asian countries (Harris, Heberer and Gladney),
Turkey, Europe, Canada, and the United States (Hassan,
Fiederspiel). Sometimes the character of the plural society
has motivated the rise of revival movements urging reformation
or has reverted to the fundamental classical roots (Azmi,
Abdillah, Malik, Layish, and Filali-Ansari). With the
disintegration of the communist block a new social order is
emerging in which the Islamic fire is either just being set
alight or has already assumed the proportions of a forest
fire. It could be claimed that on the eve of 21st century
there has been a resurgence of Islamic movements which are
trying to preserve the Islamic identity and developing some
sort of relations, either hostile or friendly, with the non-
Islamic world. These movements are labelled fundamentalist-
cum-traditionalist, moderates-cum-reformers, and the
democratic-cum-secularists. The influence of Westernization
and industrialization has meant that the identity of Muslims
has been limited by the regional boundaries. The Uighur, the
Kazaks, the Kirgiz and others in Central Asia now use Turkish
or Pan-Islamic terminology. The interpretation and
understanding of Islamic philosophy defines the Islamic
identity. The painting of Islam in rich regional colours on
the mundane canvas has made the picture more beautiful. This
beauty lies not in its homogeneity, but in the colours of
local regional differences.
Islam in the Eastern region is wide-spread not only in
Indonesia but also in the Philippines, Burma, Thailand,
Malaysia, Singapore, and other countries. Though the model of
these countries has been the classical Islam of the Middle
East, in practice regionalisms differentiate them from each
other. The process of legitimization and codification of Islam
has a different connotation. For example, the concepts of
Fatwa, Ifta and Ummah do not depend on
Mecca but consider the extent of their operation to be within
the confines of the entire Archipelago of Indonesia (Kaptein).
The concepts of Ummah, Ulama, dakwah, adat, madhhab and
Jahiliyya in Indonesia strengthen the local Muslim
identity. They are given greater exposure through intellectual
publications (Peeters, Fadjar, Madjid). Because of the plural
cultural heritage of Indonesia and many other similar
countries the Council of Indonesian Ulama accepts inter-
religious harmony (Djamal). Intriguingly,
the Islamic diversities are unique which creates a global
Islamic identity, on one hand, and functional regional
identity on the other hand, such as, the Islamic identity of
Sundanese, Javanese. Minagkabau, and so forth (Taufiq
Abdullah). The regional organizations, though assiduous in
maintaining intellectual connections with the Middle East, are
also simultaneously busy developing global Islamic 'splinter'
movements, like Jama'ah Tabligh, the Darul Argam, the Hizb al
Tahrir and so on (Azra). The Middle East, secure in its
Quranic source, occupies a position of "purity" while
following this line of thought the other countries have
succumbed to "laxity" (Abaza). For example, the Muslim
Intellectual Society of Indonesia (ICMI) not only accepts the
Normative or High Islam of the Great Tradition but also
incorporates the local traditions (Nakumara, Madjid,
Federspiel).
Gender in Islam
Turning to the issue on gender in Islam in Indonesia, Central
Asia, and Caribbean countries, equality between men and women
is considered necessary (Hassan). In some cases the growing
use of the jilbab (veil) reveals a the Muslim
background and social status (Feillard). In Indonesian Islam
the women have freedom of movement, have social status, and
often reject polygyny. Such tendencies are more evident among
the overseas Islamic diaspora. The historical reason for this
has been the conversion to Islam of the local people. In India
and the Caribbean countries Islam still preserves Hindu
elements yet the followers perceive themselves as the
"good Muslims" (Gautam). In some cases the fusion of the
elements of Great Tradition and Little Tradition is such that
overtly what appears to be Normative Islam is inwardly
different. The question of how a man conceives his faith and
identifies himself with the local norms and the values of the
region has to be seen in the framework of his functional
surroundings (Filali-Ansari, Kettani, Kramer). In the
countries in which Islam enjoys a minority status, the process
of integration has already become an ongoing phenomenon. We
may not like it but it is a fact which cannot be ignored, as
it has been the case up to now in Western European countries
and North America. Even the non-Muslim festivals such as the
Sinterklaas, Christmas, Holi, and Devali are being accepted
and integrated. Certain reform movements such as the Ahmadiya,
though prohibited by certain Muslim countries, are still
existing side by side with the other classical forms of Islam
(Mahasin, De Groot).
With these new movements and developments in Islam the
perception and the self-assertion of the people on the issues
of gender, health, education are changing beyond all
recognition. The reform in the education system is inspired by
the very feeling of reinterpretation of the classical Islamic
literature, otherwise in practice the values become obsolete.
The need to modernize Islam, while yet believing in the
essence of Islam, has become a compulsion in most of the
countries (Farag). The problems of identity crises are being
faced by the middle-class (Mustafa, Abdel Fattah, Meuleman).
The rediscovery by the new generation of European Muslims of
the Quran and the Sunna has helped to promote
ijtihad and has influenced the Muslim thinkers
(Kettani, Machasin, Layish, Hisyam).
Finally, it was unanimously accepted that for understanding
Islam the institution of the school has to be used as an
instrument not only for the enrichment of Islam but also for a
European integration as has been the case of the Netherlands
(Van de Wetering, Van den Boom, Van Koningsveld).
The conference realized the dream of many scholars who were
waiting to find an opportunity to express their views about
Islam, its role and function in theory and practice. The
concluding panel consisted of Vitaly Naumkin (Russia), Atho
Mudzhar (Indonesia), Azza Karam (Amsterdam), Nico Kaptein
(chairman, INIS, Leiden), Johannes Jansen (Leiden), and Ali
Kettani (Rabat). It was accepted that the role played by
Leiden University through INIS should continue to encourage
international cooperation in the field of Islamic Studies, and
that Indonesia could serve as a bridge between East and West
including the Middle East and North African countries. The
dates of the next conference was decided for 1998 and was
promptly sponsored by Indonesia. The INIS will bring out a
publication of the selected papers of the conference in a very
near future.