Majelis Ulama

… help in the job of encouraging them to repent. antara

Ikhwan Syam

On 3rd November Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) General Secretary, Ikhwan/Ichwan Syam/Sam, said that it appeared that intelligence services, either foreign or Indonesian, had constructed a "factory" to create and spread heretical forms of Islam, like Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah, in order to destroy Indonesia, and done in cooperation with former members of the Islamic State Movement, Negara Islam Indonesia (NII). …

Comment by Janma: … of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) said on 3rd November that …

Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama

Another new political party, the Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama (PKNU), a split off from the PKB.

As if 27 new political parties were not enough, and hot on the heels of another new Muslim-based party, the Partai Matahari Bangsa, now comes the formation of the Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama (PKNU), the National Clerics' Awakening Party, or perhaps more correctly, the Clerics' National Awakening Party.

The birth of the PKNU is the result …

Majelis Mujahidin Unhappy

The Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia, MMI, have issued a "summons" to the police, claiming there is a witch-hunt against the Muslim community.

The Mujahidin Council, long fond of the summons tactic, (see their summons of the leaders of Bali ), filed their complaint to the police special anti-terrorist unit, Detachment 88 (Densus 88) specifically over the raid on a terrorist hideout in central …

Nahdlatul Ulama Moving Rightwards

Voices have been raised that the largest Muslim organisation in the country, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), is moving towards intolerance.

Nahdlatul Ulama, whose name means something like "the awakening of the traditional Islamic teachers and scholars", has recently demonstrated its support both for the Indonesian Ulema Council's (MUI) fatwa which declares the Jamaah Ahmadiyah sect heretical and and for Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni's statement that the Ahmadiyah …

Comment by Karlira Kanakahuko: … To all Nahdlatul Ulama members, do you want more …

Offensive Cartoons on Websites

… of various political and religious authorities in Indonesia, such as the Clerics' Council/Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) and the Justice Party/Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS).

Ikhwan Syam of MUI asked the Department of Communications to take action against the site okezone , while President of PKS Tifatul Sembiring said the PKS may stage public demonstrations okezone [both speaking before the site shut down].

Currently the home page of this site contains a message …

Single Mothers in Yogya

… the whole Western Capitalist deal in one gulp; does it? Drink, drugs, promiscuity; are these all necessarily part of modernity?

Comment by Purba Negoro: … incite violence. Majelis Ulama and the Catholic Church …

Pujiono Cahyo & Underage Lust

… you like but you can't have relations with her until she starts menstruating.

Clerics' Council/Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Umar Shihab condemned the marriage to Ulfa:

Men should marry adults, there are a lot of other prospective brides around. Why has he married a 12 year old? The poor girl.

His actions have been mostly condemned in other quarters, with some saying that he has broken the Marriage Law, and is liable to criminal prosecution. lampungpost detik …

Comment by Alf Janszoon: … former? Has the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) become …

Muslim Dating & Courting Rituals

… Maybe we'll get to know each other better when we're married.

Taaruf, online version.

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidhan suggests the way that Hidayat and Diana became known to each other and thereafter married is a good example of the Islamic way of courting and marriage. In Islam, he says, there is no such thing as dating or going steady, and by following the taaruf method couples keep away from sin. detik

Comment by Yalun: … in Islam? Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader …

Effeminate Men

… male roles.

In reviewing the fare on television this Ramadan the Muslim clerical body Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), in cooperation with the Department of Communications (Badan Informasi Pubik Depkominfo) and the Broadcasting Commission (Komisi Penyiaran Indonesia, KPI), managed to find 805 inappropriate scenes on television, featuring:

violence
mysticism
indecency

The checking of television content was done between 1-8 September 2008 at the key times of …

Dedi Mulyadi

… or metaphorically, not literally.

In response the Purwakarta branch of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), sprang into action, holding an urgent meeting at which many leading religious figures attended. MUI Purwakarta boss Abdullah AR Joban, later accused Dedi of blasphemy against Islam.

This a serious matter. If it's allowed to stand we're worried the Muslim community will become upset/confused. If the Regent doesn't apologise we will report him to the police. …

Ryan of Jombang

… just been arrested, there has been much speculation over what punishment is suitable for him.

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Mar'uf Amin weighed in to the debate saying that even though Ryan seemed to suffer from some sort of mental disturbance he should be sentenced to death. inilah

An official psychiatric examination of Ryan however found that he did not suffer from any mental "disease", but suffered from a sexual disturbance (homosexuality) and had an ultra-sensitive …

Comment by Pena Budaya: … Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader …

ML, Mau Lagi

… scheduled for release on 15th May but now appears to have been delayed.

Protests

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidhan said in Jakarta on 13th May that "ML" should be banned from cinema screens, because it had pornographic overtones and was insulting to women. The MUI had already sent its request to the Department of Culture and the Lembaga Sensor Film (LSF).

Amidhan says he hasn't seen the film yet, but he has read a book with the same title, and it's bad. antara …

Conspiracy Theories

… intervene militarily. beritasore

British Conspiracies

In West Sumatra the head of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI, Buya Masoed Abidin, recently said the Ahmadiyah sect had been created by Britain as a means of dividing Muslims and ensuring the success of their colonisation of the Indian sub-continent in the 19th century.

Buya Masoed Abidin, who incidentally is an internet geek, see http://hmasoed.wordpress.com/ and http://masoedabidin.blogspot.com/

Therefore …

Amrozi Execution

… for Law.

Method

Mahendradatta of the TPM had requested clarification from the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) on whether death by firing squad was a legitimate method of capital punishment within Islam. detik

After a person has been shot they don't die for 5 minutes, so it's torture, but if firing squads are deemed within the bounds of Islamic law [by the MUI], well then that's it.

Impatient

Another TPM lawyer, Achmad Midhan, says he can't understand what …

Comment by Andrew: … from the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) on …

Julia Perez & Kamasutra

… (100 Ways to Make Love) but she was forced to drop the idea.

Goyang Fatwa

Meanwhile the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) in South Sumatra, Sumatera Selatan (Sumsel), have issued a fatwa, essentially directed against eight Jakarta based performers who are known to jiggle and gyrate themselves around too much on stage, they being: detik

Dewi Persik
Annisa Bahar
Inul Daratista
Julia Perez
Uut Permatasari
Trio Macan
Ira Swara
Nita Thalia

These singers …

Impatient People

… Cirebon

However a group of senior clerics from the "Forum Kyai Peduli Khittah Nahdatul Ulama" in Cirebon rejected Bakor Pakem's recommendation that Ahmadiyah be banned and promised to ready 20,000 Islamic students and banser to protect the Ahmadiyah.

Syarif Usman Yahya from the Forum said Pakem didn't know how to determine whether a group was heretical or not: detik

Don't let them later say that all other streams of Islamic thought are heretical as well.

Komnas …

Comment by Patung: … activity - by the Majelis Ulama Indonesia, the Forum …

Ahmadiyah (Nearly) Banned

… Supandji said the decree would not outlaw the group. tempo

Trials

Maruf Amin of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) recommends the Ahmadiyah leadership be put on trial. Their three month period of grace was over and now they could be charged with deliberately and systematically blaspheming against Islam.

He asked people not to use violence against Ahmadiyah followers and any Ahmadiyah members who agreed to repent should be allowed to claim their property. inilah

Show of …

Ketika Cinta Bertasbih

… seeking advice on how to handle the Islamic aspects of the film.

On 1st April they met with Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Umar Shihab, who advised producer Heru Hendriyanto and director Chaerul Umam to avoid SARA issues, things that might upset minorities in Indonesia or cause division.

Another MUI official present, Anwar Abbas, said the example of Ayat Ayat Cinta should be followed. When the character of Maria ( Carissa Putri ) converts from Christianity to Islam the …

Battle of the Islam Movies

… Islam, Dutch politician Geert Wilders' Fitna , has provoked a rather different reaction.

A Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader, Kholil Ridwan, says the government should try to block access to the film on the internet.

He also advised Indonesians to boycott Dutch products.

MS Kaban of the Partai Bulan Bintang (PBB) said Wilders should study Islam and learn the correct form. antara

Abdillah Toha of the Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN) said he had already contacted the …

Easter Militancy & Mayhem

… to complain to the local government and not take things into their own hands. tempo

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Umar Shihab said the MUI had never instructed that the services of other religions should be broken up and his organisation did not tolerate violence or intimidation. tempo

"Bloody Easter" in Atambua

In Atambua, the capital of Belu regency in East Nusa Tenggara, near the border with East Timor, a gang of "drunken youths" were making a nuisance of …

Comment by Deng Xiao Phing: “Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader …

Religious Cults & Religious Freedoms

… Laws
On March 7th at the Islamic Book Fair in Jakarta Kholil Ridwan of the Clerics' Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI), while discussing a newly released book called "Nabi-Nabi Palsu" (False Prophets), said the government needed to make a law against deviant Islamic sects.
There should be a special law for this, so that sects can't develop.
He said the Department of Religion should take the lead in preparing such a law, and once it was promulgated if there were any reports …

Comment by Rob: … and Nahdlatul Ulama. Going beyond the borders of …

Nyepi in Bali

… prayer, and the roughly 5% of the population who are Muslims are being instructed by the MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia) to only visit a mosque that is nearby their homes, and go there on foot, and not to use the mosque's loudspeaker for the call to prayer.

Muslims have to respect Hindus observing Nyepi.

Says MUI Bali chief Hasan Ali. beritabali

Comment by Enigmatic: … by the MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia) to only visit …

Female Genital Mutilation

… MUI

Prof Dr Chuzaimah T Yanggo, the head of the Youth and Women's section of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), said of the United Nations:

What do they think they're doing, it's not their business. Religion cannot be interfered with by men.

He She said the Health Department had already agreed with the MUI that there was a right way, and several wrong ways, to carry out "khitan". The right way was to "open" the "upper part", the clitoris, a little, by making a …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … Mullahs, Imams and Ulama is hand-picked by the powerful …

New Order Relics

… that the government should not give any special credence or weight to fatwas issued by the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).

This country is based on the 1945 constitution and the basic law.

The fatwa against Ahmadiyah, and presumably the fatwas against other other Islamic sects, were based on a particular religious viewpoint, which the government should not heed, he said.

Adnan Buyung Nasution

A member of the Presidential Advisory Council, Adnan Buyung Nasution, …

Comment by Rob Baiton: … powers of the Majelis Ulema Indonesia. The MUI is …

Jewish Conspiracy

… Mas'oed Abidin, the chairman of the West Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Clerics' Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) complained on 12th February that the celebration of Valentine's Day was proof that Indonesia was more and more subject to foreign, global culture.

We have to stop it, it's not appropriate in our culture.

The celebration of lover's day was proof that the youth of today had lost their love for Indonesia and its culture, he said.

In the original Republika …

Kontes Kecantikan Miss Indonesia

… banyak penolakan dalam beberapa pihak Muslim tertentu. Sejak awal perwakilan lokal dari Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) tidak menyetujui rencana tersebut, begitu juga dengan Golkar dan PKS. Ketua MUI Sumatra Selatan Drs KH Sodikun mengatakan:

"Grand final Miss Indonesia 2008 banyak maksiatnya sehingga kami khawatir akan mendatangkan musibah dan bala bencana."

Indonesia sudah dikenali sebagai Negara nomor dua untuk pornografi dan maksiat, ujarnya:

"Kalau bisa Sumsel tidak …

Comment by Haryo: … diri bahwa mereka ulama kelas wahid pret……. Bencana …

Miss Indonesia

… had aroused a lot of opposition in some Islamic circles. From the outset the local office of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) opposed it, as did the Golkar and Justice (PKS) parties. MUI chairman Drs KH Sodikun said:

There is a lot of sin in Miss Indonesia and we're worried that it will bring disaster.

Indonesia was already known as the number two country in the world for pornography and immorality, he said:

Let's keep South Sumatra out of it if possible.

Other parts of …

Ahmadiyyah

… Keagamaan, memutuskan pada tanggal 15 Januari untuk tidak melarang berdirinya Ahmadiyyah, walaupun Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) telah mengeluarkan fatwa yang menyatakan Ahmadiyah sebagai aliran sesat.

Guru bukan Nabi

Keputusan untuk tidak melarang Ahmadiyyah dibuat setelah para pemimpin aliran tersebut memberikan 12 pernyataan yang menyebutkan bahwa mereka mengakui Muhammad sebagai nabi terakhir dan bahwa Mirza Ghulam Ahmad hanyalah seorang guru.

Meskipun begitu, Bakorpakem …

Ahmadiyya

… said:

The Ahmadiyah organization is as heretical as Al-Qiyadah al-Islamiyah.

And the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Ma'ruf Amin said Ahmadiyya's decision to acknowledge Muhammad as the final prophet was not enough to lift the fatwa from the group. Saying that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was simply a teacher could be interpreted in various ways, worried Maruf. republika

This article in Indonesian - Ahmadiyyah .

Comment by Abu khurshid: … sect, Nadhvathul Ulama sect, Salfiya sect and many other …

Islam Lunak

… sebagai dalang dari kebanyakan kerusuhan yang telah terjadi, begitu juga dengan Hizb-ut-Tahrir dan Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) yang terkenal getol mengeluarkan fatwa.

Sebuah penyelidikan di tahun 2006 yang dapat dilihat disini, sini, sini, atau bahkan disini, menunjukkan bahwa satu dari sepuluh orang Indonesia mendukung penyerangan teroris, seperti pengeboman di Bali 2002, jika tindakan tersebut dimaksudkan untuk "melindungi agama [Islam]".

Setelah Soeharto jatuh, susunan …

Banning Islamic Sects

… asking for Ahmadiyah to be banned.

One member of the delegation, Amin Djamaludin, from the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), says the sect needs to be banned not because it is heretical but because the world leadership of Ahmadiyah intends to make Indonesia their base. He knows this because he read it in editions 12, 13, and 20 of "Al Fadhl International" in the year 2000, apparently a British magazine put out by Ahmadiyah.

But besides that he said the FUI had gathered a lot of proof …

Comment by Teng: … put into force the Majelis Ulama Indonesia’s (MUI) fatwa …

Pelarangan Sekte-sekte Islam

… agar Ahmadiyah segera ditutup.

Salah satu anggota dari delegasi tersebut, Amin Djamaludin dari Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), mengatakan bahwa Ahmadiyah harus dilarang bukan karena ajarannya sesat, namun karena pimpinan mancanegara Ahmadiyah hendak menjadikan Indonesia sebagai pusat kegiatannya. Beliau mengetahui hal ini dari "Al- Fadhl International" jilid 13, 14 dan 20 di tahun 2000, yakni sebuah majalah Ahmadiyah yang diterbitkan di Inggris.

Selain itu, ia juga menyatakan kalau FUI …

Pesta Tahun Baru

… tidaknya perayaan tahun baru di Indonesia.

Maksiat

Pada tanggal 16 Desember, Ketua Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) Amidan menyuarakan kekhawatirannya akan pesta-pesta tahun baru yang cenderung terlalu 'bebas' dan bahaya malam tahun baru yang mampu menjadi malam maksiat.

Pelarangan

Walaupun Amidan tidak menyetujui dilarangnya perayaan-perayaan tersebut, Zulfikar, seorang anggota PKS (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera) mengatakan bahwa pemerintah biasa memberhentikan pesta-pesta …

New Year’s Eve Parties

Whether New Year's Eve parties are inappropriate in Indonesia.

Sin

On 16th December Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidan worried that New Year's Eve celebrations were often too "free" and that New Year's Eve would become known as a night of sin. detik

Ban

While Amidan didn't recommend banning such parties a member of the PKS (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera), Zulfikar, said the government could ban wild New Year's Eve parties, as long as they provided some …

Comment by Antonio: The Majilis Ulama have no credibility in my eyes! …

Religious Intolerance

… not taking action against Ahmadiyah and other heretical sects, especially considering that the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) had declared Ahmadiyah to be beyond the pale two years ago. l6

Bogor

In Bogor, West Java on 12th December members of the Gerakan Umat Islam (GUI) protested outside the secretariat office of Ahmadiyah in the centre of Bogor, and shouted "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar".

Those inside the Ahmadiyah office had been pre-warned about the demonstration and they …

Comment by iamisaid: … that the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) had …

Smoking Sin

… is high, providing a living for millions, and consumption also high, the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), is having a difficult time deciding whether to issue a fatwa against smoking, or make it haram within Islam.

Maruf Amin of the MUI said on 25th October that the fate of the farmers who grow tobacco and the workers in cigarette factories had to be considered, and this would make an anti-smoking fatwa unlikely.

In countries like Saudi Arabia, where fatwas have …

Comment by cokki: … Country. as Ulama and their corps cant force any …

Muslim Beliefs

… Citizen's arrest of Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah member in Sleman, Central Java. l6

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidhan complained that the government was too weak in handling the problem of heresy. However he said militant Islamic groups that attacked heretics had to be reined in, and said policemen were often afraid of facing such groups. He urged people to not attack sect members. If Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah members were arrested it was not to put them in jail but …

Grand Mufti

… doesn't need a Grand Mufti, the MUI is enough.

Chairman of Indonesian Ulema Council, (Majelis Ulama, MUI) Ma'ruf Amien says the country does not need a middle eastern style Mufti Council of Muslim clerics, with a Grand Mufti at the head of it, to issue binding rulings on Islamic law.

Maruf Amin, not a mufti.

Maruf says the MUI already does the job of issuing fatwas, and it is an independent body, whereas a Mufti Council would be under the government. In any case he says …

Religious TV

… month of Ramadan.

Boycott

In Sumenep, Madura, East Java, the local branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama vowed on 12th September to boycott all television during the hours of 5pm and 8pm, because watching television at these times interfered with Muslims' holy obligations. antara

The NU often threatens to boycott television, in the past over infotainment gossip shows.

SMS Gambling

The NU in Madura, and East Java as a whole, also in particular condemned the watching of …

Sex Cinemas

… cinemas, and how non-Muslims should behave during Ramadan.

The leader of the North Sumatra Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Lahmuddin Nasution, outlined on 12th September in Medan some basic rules for Ramadan observance for both Muslims and non-Muslims. antara

Cinemas should stop showing movies or advertisements of a sexual nature, because they would arouse sinful passions not appropriate during the fasting month.
Cafes, bars and discos should close down for the month. …

Wahidiyah

… Tasikmalaya.

Ajengan Asep is the leader of the West Java branch of the Mujahadin Council, Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI), who Wahid accuses of being behind the midnight attack on 12th September.

Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur).

Wahid also asked the police to arrest two of the leaders of the Tasikmalaya branch of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Saefudin Juhri and Dudung Akasah. The Tasikmalaya MUI recently condemned the Tasikmalaya Wahidiyah group as …

PLTN Muria

… for some.

Haram

Dozens of Muslim leaders from Jepara, Central Java branch of Nahdlatul Ulama gathered together on 1st and 2nd September and issued a fatwa declaring that nuclear energy is haram, or forbidden, because it is likely to cause more harm than good.

The government, for the past few years, has been planning to build several nuclear power plants, at least one of them in the Jepara district, at Mt. Muria (PLTN Muria). Under the government's plan, the project at Mt. …

Mixed Religion Marriages

… Farida Prihatini of the Islamic Law department at UI however says that the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), has made mixed-religion marriages haram, or forbidden, and in principle other religions, besides Islam, do not allow them either.

It's unacceptable, there is no [valid] marriage, it's living in sin.

Father Andang Binawan says the Catholic church has no problem with mixed-religion marriages, provided the non-Catholic partner is willing to submit to the …

Comment by Pakmantri: … the clerics, imam, ulama or mullah do? The same goes to …

Priyo Budi Santoso

… a delegation from the religion department of Golkar met with leaders of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), at the Istiqal mosque, Jakarta, to discuss how the MUI and Golkar could together develop strategies for ensuring religious harmony and preventing the break-up of the country into warring tribes.

Priyo Budi Santoso.

Priyo Budi Santoso of Golkar, who replaced the amorous Yahya Zaini as the head of the party's Religion section, says his party is worried …

Batam Nightlife

… nightspots of Batam are urged to close down for Ramadhan.

Chairman of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Ma'ruf Amin urged the owners of bars, discos, and probably brothels on the holiday island of Batam to close down entirely while Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadan.

They make plenty of profit over 11 months, it's not too much to ask them to close down for one month.

He advised the government of Batam on August 24th to think carefully over how …

Sharia Application

… and well-known figures such as Muhammadiyah leader Din Syamsuddin, NU leader Hasyim Muzadi, Majelis Ulama Indonesia leader Ma'ruf Amin, Siddiq Amin of Persatuan Islam (Persis), and representatives of Dewan Dakwah, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, Dewan Masjid Indonesia, Ikatan Wanita Muslimat Indonesia, and the Badan Komunikasi Pemuda Remaja Masjid Indonesia (BKPRMI), to attend a meeting in Bogor, 24-26th August.

During this meeting it is hoped that ways to apply sharia in all aspects of …

Sexy Dangdut

Dangdut dancing and singing in Cianjur for independence day.

The Clerics' Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI)) of Cianjur in West Java has issued a fatwa forbidding on-stage dangdut singing and dancing during celebrations for Indonesian independence day on August 17th. The fatwa firmly makes haram in particular the type of dangdut dancing which involves sexy or erotic movements, or any type of dangdut where the singer is female, (like Inul, who isn't welcome in Mataram …

Islam & Pork

… in view, or when the subject of pork eating or even touching of pork comes up. Abdullah Syah of Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), for example, said anyone who forced a Muslim to eat pork was committing an insult to the whole Muslim community and he hoped that Andi would be given a suitably severe punishment. republika

Meanwhile, in early August 2007, further south in Risma's home town of Palembang, South Sumatra province, an unrelated incident involving accusations that a producer of …

Heretic Outreach

… alone of North Bengkulu, called Sungai Hitam, there were 150 Ahmadiyah members, he worried. The Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) had already ruled that Ahmadiyah was unacceptable, he said, because Ahmadiyah recognised a prophet after Muhammad, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Pakistan, whereas in true Islam God had no more need of prophets after Muhammad bin Abdullah.

The call had already been sent out:

We have already invited them to return to true Islam, but the problem is that whether they …

Comment by Shiva: … he worried. The Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) had …

Javanese Terrorists

The Javanese are more likely to become terrorists than other ethnic groups.

Professor Azyumardi Azra, a liberal Muslim intellectual and former rector of Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN; State Islamic University) in Jakarta, said on June 23rd how surprised he was that most terrorists in Indonesia were of Javanese origin, given the fact that the Javanese are often not known for their …

Comment by Shiva: … 1965 when Majelis Ulama Indonesia along with …

Sir Salman Rushdie

… to various Muslim leaders seeking reactions.

Sir Salman Rushdie.

First, on 21st June, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) chairman for Central Java, Ibnu Djarir, asked the government to seek an explanation from the British ambassador in Jakarta.

Britain has to understand the feelings of Muslims about "The Satanic Verses".

People who insulted holy books did not deserve to be called "Sir", he said. republika

Djarir's senior in Jakarta, Amidhan, complained:

For a long …

Comment by Arema: … of the Nahdlatul Ulama, in perhaps one of his more …

Environmental Fatwa

The environmentalist fatwa from the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).

The Central Kalimantan branch of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) last year issued a decree, or fatwa, against the burning down of forests or any area of land, thereby making unauthorised deforestation a haram, sinful matter for Muslims, or for those which accept the MUI's authority at any rate. On 19th June this year local MUI head Abdul Wahid Qosimy said …

Dark Rooms

… Islam sect is now said to exist in Nyompok village, Kopo, Serang, Banten, according to the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI). Like Islam Sejati this new sect, which doesn't seem to have a name yet, conducts some of their religious activities in dark rooms, or so it is said.

Syafe'i AN of the MUI Serang branch said on 15th June that a number of reports had been received from concerned residents of Nyompok village about the presence of a deviant religious group and the MUI was currently …

Hardline Islam

… the country.

On 9th June Ali Maschan Moesa, the head of the East Java branch of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said that today there were a great number of hardline Islamic groups in East Java which sought to establish an Islamic state or caliphate. He said this was disappointing and re-iterated NU's committment to Pancasila as the national ideology.

Ali Maschan Moesa

He also said that NU mosques, particularly in villages and out of the way places, were increasingly being …

Fraternizing

Young men and women are still mixing freely in Aceh.

The Majelis Permusyawaratan Ulama (MPU), a clerical body, said in May that "cafes" in the capital Banda Aceh, like roadside stalls and simple restaurants, were still allowing young girls and boys, who weren't related to each other or married, to fraternize unsupervised by sitting next to each other, even while it was time to pray.

Tengku Muktaruddin Bayan of the MPU said:

Because of this we …

Walisongo Massacre

… the Poso Walisongo Tragedy". Other figures in attendance were Abu Bakar Ba'asyir of the Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI), Habib Rizieq of the Front Pembela Islam (FPI), Ismail Yusanto of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), and Kholil Ridwan of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).

Apart from the rebuilding of the school Al Khathath asked that refugees from the conflict be given the opportunity to return to their areas of origin, that the government apologise to the families of the …

Pagan Rituals

… practice of Islam against accusations of paganism.

The leader of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), for Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) province in the east of the country, Syaiful Muslim, warned Muslims, particularly those on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, to be on guard against beliefs brought by people from the middle east. Some forms of Arab/middle eastern Islamic rituals and theology were not appropriate for Indonesian culture and people, he said, and were …

Comment by Achmad Sudarsono: … Nahdlatul Ulama, PKS, and, of course, the …

Preachers in Politics

… Boarding Schools, which is connected to the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Maftuh said that clerics' involvement in politics was only justified if they did so to improve the quality of education.

Maftuh Basyuni, pressing flesh.

The minister said Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, played a vital role in providing education for the poor.

A recent survey by the Islamic and Societal Research Centre found that Indonesians trusted Islamic …

Holy Books Mix Up

… Hadi urged Muslims to stay calm and not be influenced by events.

Syamsul Huda of the Jombang Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) complained that the holy books mix-up was an insult to Islam.

We urge the police to take action and deal firmly with those responsible.

N. Hidayat of the Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia said in Jakarta that the matter was an example of Christianisation. eramuslim

Recently dozens of members of the Barisan Serba Guna Anshor (Banser), the para-military …

Comment by Mohammed Khafi: … of the Jombang Majelis Ulama Indonesia, N. Hidayat of …

Nationalization

… Fatwa, who has a professional background in the religious organisations of Muhammadiyah and Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), echoed the oft-heard sentiments of his party's leader, Amien Rais of Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN), in saying that the current government did not have the courage to take back the natural resources wealth of the country from foreigners.

A.M. Fatwa.

Foreigners had had control of the wealth of Indonesia for dozens of years now and Fatwa hoped that president …

Comment by DoOs: … Muhammadiyah and Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Lol …

World’s Tallest Statue

… Mark II, he said, ie. a scene of Christian-Muslim war. republika

Meanwhile chairman of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) in Medan, Ngadiman, said the MUI had already given a verbal instruction that the statue construction was not allowed, if it used the name of Noah. However if Noah's name was not used the MUI did not object. waspada

Pentecostal Church

… meeting was held in the neighbourhood hall attended by residents, representatives of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), policemen, local government officials, and some Pentecostal pastors. Those opposed to the church said that the Pentecostals were trying to build the church in a secretive, dishonest way. Originally they had said that the building was going to be a family home, but now wanted to turn it into a church, it was claimed.

One person, Rudi, complained that there were …

Model Village

Building a model or example Islamic village.

The East Java branch of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) hopes to build a model or example Islamic village in the town of Pamekasan on Madura island. Abdus Somad Bukhori of MUI says the model village will display Islamic concepts in economics, culture, social relations, and democracy put into action.

The Regent of Pamekasan, Ach Sayfi'ie, welcomed the plan:

Whatever the East Java MUI wishes is very good.

And he …

Islam is for Arabs

… mystical ceremonies and practices were seized as evidence by police.

The Pasuruan branch of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) is said to be speedily preparing a fatwa to condemn the ideas of Rochamim. Dhofir Azhari of the Pasuruan MUI has already paid a visit to the two men in custody and he reported that they had already apologised for their deviant Javanese ways. jawapos metrotv

Toyib has been charged under Article 156a of the criminal code dealing with blasphemy, while …

Anti Islam Video

… in Batu and Malang it was feared that such a sensitive matter would cause unrest in society. The Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) and the Batu branch of the Department of Religion first reported the case to the police. Then the Batu local government held a meeting with a local church body, the Badan Kerja Sama Gereja (BKSG), to get to the bottom of things.

The Batu office of the Nahdlatul Ulama pleaded with its followers to not react in a way that would discredit Muslims, while the Badan …

Halal Certification

… charged with halal certification of medicine and cosmetics companies, the LPPOM, a division of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), says there are 120 drugs' companies and seven make-up producers that have failed to obtain their halal certificate. Only five of the former and one of the latter have managed to get the certification from MUI, says Muhamad Nadratuzzaman Hosen of the LPPOM.

Muhamad said that producers of food, medicines and cosmetics are not obliged by the government to obtain the …

Comment by Dimp: Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), says …

Malayan Arabic

… in Aceh must learn Malayan Arabic.

Professor Muslim Ibrahim of the Aceh clerical council, Majelis Permusyawaratan Ulama (MPU) and a literature lecturer at the Ar-Raniry Islamic university, IAIN, in Banda Aceh, says it is vital that all Muslims in the province learn to read Malayan Arabic (Arab-Melayu), called locally jawoe ( jawi elsewhere in Indonesia). Malayan Arabic/ Jawoe is the written form of Arabic developed by Muslims in Aceh in the early stages of the religion's …

Sunni vs Shia

… plans to cool the Sunni vs Shia conflict in Iraq.

Hasyim Muzadi, the leader of Nahdlatul Ulama, says he wants to be the mediator in the Sunni versus Shia bloodbath in Iraq. In Jakarta in early April 2007 Hasyim will lead a conference which seeks to find the best solution to the conflict, a conference which will include participants from many Muslim countries in the world.

Hasyim Muzadi.

The most important thing is that we sit at one table. We would like to know directly …

Militants

… with militant Islamic preachers.

Maruf Amin, the head of the Fatwa Commission of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), admits there are still a fair number of militant Islamic preachers and fanatics who preach the "war verses" from the Quran and encourage hatred of non-Muslims.

Maruf was speaking in Jakarta on the 9th in respect of statements made by the visiting Islamic Affairs minister of Saudi Arabia, Sheikh Saleh bin Abdul Aziz bin Muhammad bin Ibrahim Al-Seikh. The Sheikh …

Lembaga Dakwah Islam

… Indonesia (LDII) is battling to avoid the heretic label.

The Council of Muslim Clerics, (Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI)), has in the past viewed some practises of the LDII, the Indonesian Islamic Propagation League, a hardline group in the past linked to the Indonesian Islamic State movement, (Negara Islam Indonesia (NII)), as being "exclusivist" and therefore unacceptable.

The MUI's main objections to LDII concern the latter's worship or prayer routine, and its attitude to other …

Jihad Sin

… cleric.

Zainuddin Ali, the head of the Central Sulawesi branch of the Clerics' Council, (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI), said on the 31st in Palu during a meeting with police that the concept of jihad as found in the Koran was no longer entirely relevant today.

In the time of Muhammad there were many infidels who waged war against Islam. But today it's difficult, there are many people who follow different religions but they are not enemies to each other.
(Pada zaman Rasulullah …

Ahmadiyah & Human Rights

… much of its history in Indonesia was largely unmolested. However in 1980 the Council of Clerics (Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI)) issued a fatwa against the sect declaring their brand of Islam a heresy. A year later a letter from the embassy of Saudi Arabia in Jakarta was sent to the head of the Islam section of the Department of Religion recommending that Ahmadiyah be banned by the government - three years after this the head of the Islam section of the Department of Religion penned an edict …

Pamekasan Protest

… would be taken into consideration.

However Alwi, the Secretary of the local branch of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), the clerical council, said the proposed law was already the result of much thought and that it was flexible. He advised those who opposed the law to re-read it.

When questioned he did not deny that the law was part of the MUI's long term plan to apply Islamic law in the city. suarasurabaya

Sharia Wimps

… are urged not to be limp-wristed about encouraging local sharia laws.

Chairman of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Indonesian Clerics' Council, Ma'ruf Amin, says that leaders of regional branches of the MUI must support local governments in developing laws based on Islamic sharia law. Those who fail to do so he calls banci, wimpish or effeminate.

[Branches of] the MUI which don't push for the creation of regional sharia laws are wimps.
(MUI yang tidak bisa mendorong Pemda …

Bekasi PNS Scandal

… at the demonstration were Front Pembela Islam (FPI), Dewan Da'wah, Gabungan Remaja Islam, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI). Many carried posters threatening violators of good morality in Bekasi. kompas Some demonstrators were heard to say that the matter had insulted the Muslim community in Bekasi and that the two PNS were moral terrorists. metrotv

Abdul Qodir Djaelani of the Bekasi branch of the FPI said the two culprits had violated both Islamic and state law and therefore …

Erwin Arnada

… and politeness". He also pointed out that the publication of such material was in violation of a Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) fatwa of 2001. metrotv

Baharuzaman, or Bahar, went on: republika

I reported the magazine to the police because it did dirt on society, especially children.
(Saya laporkan pada polisi bahwa majalah ini meresahkan masyarakat terutama anak-anak.)

and:

The name "Playboy" means a man who likes to play around with women. It's an icon of world …

HIV/AIDS

… five years. antara

Meanwhile, Ma'ruf Amin, the head of the main Muslim clerical body, the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), blames the spread of the disease on poor standards of morality and the declining influence of religion.

The role of religious morality keeps weakening so that free sex, homosexual relations, and drug use have become the causes of a disease which has no treatment (sic).
(Peran moral agama yang semakin menurun seperti terjadinya pergaulan seks bebas dan juga …

Al Qadariah

The Al Qadariah sect in Gorontalo are pronounced heretical.

The Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) in the city of Gorontalo in Sulawesi has issued a fatwa declaring the Al Qadariah Muslim sect to be deviational from the Quran and hadiths on six points. Lukman Katili, head of the fatwa commission, told an anxiously awaiting group of Al Qadariah members: mediaindo

The six points are not to be found in the Quran and hadiths, they are at odds with Islamic …

Population Growth & Family Planning

… explosion under the reign of Yudhoyono. antara

Meanwhile the Muslim clerical body, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), says vasectomy for men and tubectomy for women are not forbidden according to Islam provided the procedures are reversible. It seems that the tube tying issue had been a matter of some debate among clerics, with many fearing that the procedures led to permanent sterility, and in general, some Muslim clerics seem to often worry about organised, sinister, attempts to …

Abortion

… but not in pregnancies resulting from adulterous liasons, says the MUI.

The head of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), the main clerical body in Indonesia, Ma'ruf Amin, says that women who have been raped and fallen pregnant are permitted to have an abortion up to the fortieth day of the pregnancy but not after. According to Ma'aruf a hadith, or a book recalling the words and deeds of Muhammad, says that at the fortieth day of pregnancy the unborn child receives its soul or spirit, …