Muhammad Nafik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
Jihad is sometimes an awful, feared and notorious word to many
Indonesians, who generally know it only as a holy war against
non-Muslims.
Such a meaning has largely been influenced by the translation
of the term by Western literature and media.
But actually, the concept of jihad seems to be, at least in
terms of its intentions, in the Christian and Islamic holy books
mostly positive.
It carries a value-added spirit and great expectation for both
Muslims and Christians to promote religious tolerance and develop
a heterogeneous nation which is partly being torn by sectarian
conflict here.
In practice, a holy war is merely one of many other meanings
intended by the term jihad in Islam and its parallels in
Christianity.
Jihad was derived from the Arabic word juhd for effort,
exertion, zeal and diligence, difficulty, affliction or misery. In
the widest sense, it means all action performed to establish
balance in life according to the Islamic norms.
Priest Josias J. Lengkong, head of Jakarta's Kalimatullah
Theological Institute (ITK), and Muslim scholar Ahmad Syafii
Maarif both claimed that jihad, as a concept, had parallel
meanings in the Koran and the Bible intended as a positive spirit
of struggle to foster a harmonious, egalitarian and progressive
society.
Both Syafii and Josias were among the speakers in a seminar
entitled "The Concept of Jihad and the Perspectives of Islam
and Christianity" organized by ITK on May 20, 2002, in
Jakarta.
In the seminar, Josias called for the establishment of a joint
study center for Muslims and Christians to explore parallel
religious values significant to nurture religious harmony and
tolerance in the predominantly Muslim country.
They said that based on the two holy books, jihad generally
means embarking on an endeavor with maximum power to carry out
permitted deeds and to prevent evil deeds from sidetracking noble
goals.
As an example, Josias cited the Koran's Al-Ankabut 29:6 that
teaches the need to work hard and exert all efforts (jihad) to
achieve a goal. This could mean self-restraint or control of
passions.
The verse was compatible with Romans 12:11 in the Bible (the
New Testament was originally written in Greek and does not contain
the word jihad, but a similar concept) which requires hard work,
diligence, and a sincere spirit of dedication, he added.
"Jihad should therefore not be feared, it should even be
loved to undertake good things. It has extraordinary potential to
develop the nation," said Josias.
He said Christians and Muslims should accommodate and accept
the concept of jihad in its contextual and exegetical meanings.
Such a view of jihad should encourage Muslims and Christians to
become diligent workers to create a new Indonesia, Josias said.
"We believe the role of jihad's spirit should be promoted
in all aspects of life. It would be better if its potential was
optimized synergetically to develop our nation," he said.
In the Bible, Josias said the jihad parallel covered wide
spectrums and aspects of human life, including the spirit of hard
work, discipline, productivity, solidarity, peace, moderation,
competition, initiative, unity and self-restraint.
He said that if perceived and implemented properly, the
principles of jihad would help eradicate the practices of
corruption, collusion and nepotism as well as discrimination
against rival groups.
Syafii said that jihad, which is also called qotlu (war
or killing) in the Koran, was only intended for defense against
attacks by the enemies of Islam (infidels).
He said the divine order for a minority Muslim community to
wage jihad or holy war was issued to defend and protect themselves
from aggression and brutality by their enemies in Mecca, when they
were forced to flee to Medina in miserable and difficult
conditions.
"The aim was to ensure that this new community remained
resolute and stiff and was not destroyed in a brutal and rough
atmosphere filled with hatred and hostility," added Syafii,
chairman of the nation's second largest Muslim organization
Muhammadiyah.
Apart from the defensive meaning however, Syafii said jihad in
the sense of offensive purposes was also allowed in the Koran as
long as it aimed to fight against destructive forces on earth,
safeguard houses of worship and to develop civilization.
He stressed that in the Indonesian context, holy war as many
people have mostly perceived jihad, was not relevant any longer.
What should be promoted now was the doctrine of jihad, which
encourages Muslims to create a socio-political system that
respected egalitarianism, justice, morality and
anti-discrimination, Syafii added.