Book:        My friend the fanatic: Travels with a radical Islamist
Author:     Sadanand Dhume
Publisher: Tranquebar Press
Pages:       271
Price:        395

The world may be in awe on the rising power of India and China due to their size but historically it has not proven any advantage to become a world power. Rome, Arab, British Empire or even USA were comparatively small nations when they ruled world affairs.  Indonesia is not billed as the next super power but there is something in ‘it’ that has prompted a keen American interest.

As a world’s largest archipelago and the most populous Muslim State Indonesia is considered a ‘tiger’ economy. In the ASEAN forum Indonesia has established itself as a Big Brother. Though it is a progressive country in the zone, but the propagation of Islamist ideas is worrying the West.

Sadanand Dhume’s book is one such attempt to trace the movement of Islamists. The country of 220 million of which 90 percent belong to Muslim faith, Indonesia today presents a complex look for West—democracy at one end and Islamist structure at the other. Post collapse of USSR and worldwide conflicts has given rise to the universal Islamic religious revival that has focused considerably on Indonesia as the country with the largest number of Muslims. Dhume is concerned with the rise of fundamentalism in a country which up to 1980s practiced a form of Islam mixed with animism and Hinduism. Indonesian Muslims still give their infants Hindu and Buddhist names but like their womenfolk to wear Jilbab—a headscarf. However, much to the chagrin of the author jilbab has caught the imagination of women across the archipelago.

Revival of Islam
The revival of Islam in Indonesia is different compared to other parts of Asia. Here the Islamists, after their initial defeat, busied themselves to make structure beneath the superstructure of the State. They do simple things. Construct a mosque; give Quranic teaching, build a modern school in the Mosque compound or vice versa, impart world knowledge and strictly enforce English or Arabic language. The knowledge is imparted free of cost and they ask even government to follow this policy. For, according to Dhume, they argue if Al Azhar University of Cairo can give free education why not Indonesian government.

In Herry—a young Islamist Dhume finds a guide, whose interests are diverse—from meeting Osama bin Laden and other hardcore terrorists to writing for newspaper, pen down books and desire to travel. In the company of Herry, Dhume goes from one island to another island in the archipelago nation looking for Islamists, who seem to be ubiquitous to fill the pages of his book. Although during his travel he meets artists, sex writers, sorcerers and plethora of other interesting characters. The author meets Islamists and records his impressions about Islamist who want to enforce the Sharia—Islamic jurisprudence. His fanatic friend never meets Osama and instead makes a career out of books. The first thing, however, you notice in the book is the picture of Osama Bin Laden as the cover design. But that is only a market gimmickry to sell the book. It has nothing to do with Laden baring the odd mention.

Striving for the new order
As a former colony of Dutch, Indonesia has long history of colonial rule—350 to be precise. Then it came under authoritarian rule which lasted nearly 50 years. Despite that the rise of Indonesia is an eye opener. At the time of its independence its literacy rate was a dismal 30 percent 60 years later it has notched up to 90 percent. Same is the case with poverty. In 1960 elder statesman of America Ellsworth Bunker was sent to Indonesia to investigate troubling conditions there. “The avowed Indonesian objective,” informed Bunker to Washington, “is to stand on their own feet in developing their economy, free from foreign, especially Western influence.” In September 1965 National Intelligence Estimate warned US that if the efforts of the mass based PKI “to energise and unite the Indonesian nation...succeeded, Indonesia would provide a powerful example for the underdeveloped world and hence a credit to communism and a setback for western prestige.” The threat was overcome few weeks later by instigating mass slaughter and the installation of the Suharto dictatorship.

When Suharto was at the fag end of his long authoritarian rule the Islamist pressurised for a more open, transparent, and ‘strangely’ democratic society. These pressures created tensions which threatened to burst into a far greater crisis that could affect not only the country, but the entire South East region. But the Islamist, wise from their earlier experiences, didn’t show any inclination towards power. Their imperative goal was to create an Islamist structure where power is bestowed on them rather than showing themselves as hungry for it.  Dhume overlooks this aspect. Although he acclaims their piety and dedication but fails to give them the credit of building a structure on which the Indonesian democracy is flourishing.  Someone has rightly said” "Democracy is not a commodity which can be bought from the market. It is something that is built from within. It is evolutionary in nature and grows slowly and gradually."

They are not averse to modern things provided it does not violate Islamic beliefs. Four years ago the first Islamic fashion show took place in Jakarta.

Dhume tries to portray a frightful picture of a country to the West that has a very long history of colonial rule under the Dutch. But he doesn’t see that colonial past has left any bad legacy. He recounts some portion of history but then never goes beyond the 20th century and whatever history is presented that is to give a background of the persons or organisations they belong. The author, being journalist, has failed to notice that colonial powers have left countries and particularly Muslim ones in ruins. They still interfere in their domestic politics and support the corrupt regimes so that it is easy to deal with them while exploiting their natural resources. The rise of Islamists is no surprise then. Unlike other religions Islam, as Dhume confesses, “Gave you a glorious history, a great cause, a worthy adversary. Most of all it gave you order.” And it is this order that is threatening to the capitalist economy of the world.

Rather than changing the order and invoking wrath of international community the Islamists are setting a parallel order in accordance with the Francis Fukuyama’s theory. Fukuyama said: “Institutions must be in a place before a society can move from an amorphous longing for freedom to a well functioning, consolidate democratic political system with a modern economy.” The Indonesian Islamists have realised it and they are making a new order—a silent and away from the gaze of the world. The Indonesian Islamists understood the  importance of Masjid in propagating their socio-economic and political views.  They realised that Masjids are easy and cheap ways of mass and political mobilisation. That is the reason that many schools propped up in the Masjid vicinity.

Capitalism versus Islamic order
With the collapse of communism Islamic order is considered as the only threat to capitalism. Islam has a dynamic but a simple economic order and the Islamists in Indonesia are following it. Dhume has not given any graphic detail how Islamists are going to deal with world economic order which is based on interests and usury. 

The State or colonial powers or foreign intervention for that matter encourage Islam as a faith while suppressing it as an ideology. Fact of the matter is that all States allow and indirectly encourage preachers to have Muslims dreaming of a better life after death so that they wouldn't attempt to have good standards while still alive. These preachers increasingly make Muslims to take refugee in fatalism. So whenever Islam as an ideology takes root that challenges the existing world order forces are out to crush it down. As long as Islam remains religion no one has any problem. That was the reason of America’s antagonism towards USSR because communism challenged capitalism. Today Islamist Indonesia is the cause of concern. That is why Indonesia never goes off from their rudder. A number of writers, researchers and journalists like Dhume are now making money on this plank. 

Conclusion
The author bears a restraint while mentioning the targets achieved by Islamists. He fails to see that unlike other parts of world, where Islam is seeking revival, Indonesian Islamists have set no vague concepts. They are giving concrete programmes. Giving alternate setup to the people and it is because of them that democracy is having a smooth sail there. Of course that is not the whole picture there are some Islamists who try to impose their beliefs on people. The writer vividly puts it across when he is ordered by an Islamist to eat with his right hand. There are contradictions in these religious monks and then there is silent race going on between two sects of Islamists—one who see Islam as a religion of liberator from socio-political and economical oppression and tolerance and second who see Islam as supreme of all religions thus paving way for hatred and violence.

Increased political rights in Indonesia post 1997 meant increased ability to study and express religious faith in the world's largest Muslim population. The population of the country is increasingly becoming Islamists, social and collective. It has even led to a burst of Muslim pop culture. May be that is one of the reasons that Western countries do not want democracy to flourish in Muslim countries knowing well that it will only enhance the better understanding of Islamic order not rituals.

Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Aug 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 21 Aug 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 22 Aug 2010 00:00:00 IST