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October 10, 2009 - Interface of Religions in Islam Perspective
National Integration Movement Public Discussion
October 10, 2009
‘Interface of Religions in Islam Perspective’ with Prof. Amina Wadud as speaker.
This October, National Integration Movement managed to invite world class speaker in its Public Discussion. First female imam in the world, Islamic scholar whose already written many books and have it translated in 17 languages, Prof. Amina Wadud. 200 participants of this interreligious discussion consist of college students from Jakarta and Bandung, representations from NU (Nahdatul Ulama), and people from different religious background.
Prof. Amina Wadud has a calm and wise profile. She is an Afro-American and was born in a Christian family, whose began her spiritual journey since early age. Her journey mostly inspired by her father figure, whose a Christian priest. She described his father not only a priest who preaches in the church about love and compassion but also put love and compassion into practice in his daily life. Prof. Amina Wadud started her journey in a Buddhis ashram, praticed Buddhis life-style and learning about Buddhism for a year. And then her journey continued when she said the syahadat on 1972. Ever since, Islam is the path of her life, and also her choice in her education, which she got her PhD at University of Michigan, at 1988, on Arabic and Islamic study.
Universality in Islam according to Prof. Amina Wadud perspective is very much interesting, when she explained the relation between Allah, men and women. Not like the common understanding among our society, which placed women after men in the society structure of this world, Prof. Amina Wadud explained that men and women are equal and the only one above all man is Allah. So whomever consider their understanding is better than others is actually playing God. She also mentioned that the core of Islam is tawhid, complete with Allah’s attributes such as Allah is united and Allah unites. So according to Islam, in its real meaning which is enganged surrender towards Allah, all religions are leading to the same goal, Allah.
Prof. Amina Wadud is also mentioned about Indonesia in her persepective. She took Indonesia as a country which able to set a harmony living among its diverse society. So, if there is a person/group trying to stir us up to reject diversity, we should be able to say No rather than just stay silent. Because we know now, the true values of Islam, which are very universal and spiritual. Prof. Amina Wadud repeated this line several times, that whenever good people is silent, there are evil.
And then one of the participants asked her about how to deal with extrimists. And Prof. Amina Wadud’s answer depicted her calmness and wisdom. She realized that her understanding is different with those extrimists, and there are no reason for her to push what her beliefs to them. But her spirit to keep sharing her understanding about Islam never subsides.
And Bapak Anand Krishan also highlighted the importance of speaking up against the spread of radicalism in order to goal some political interests. He also mentioned the importance of mastering English and willingness to learn more about Al Quran and history related to it. Miss-translation can lead to a completely wrong understanding.
Both Prof Amina Wadud and Bapak Anand Krishna emphasize Islam is an act of surrender and the teaching of Islam is a peaceful and universal teaching.
In the end of discussion that afternoon, Ibu Maya Safira Muchtar, chairperson of Anand Ashram Foundation, showed a pre event video on Parliament of World's Religions which will be held in Melbourne, December 3 - 9, 2009, which Bapak Anand Krishna and Ibu Maya Safira Muchtar will be the ambassadors for the event and promote One Earth, One Sky, One Humankind and celebrate unity in diversity.
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