The Role of Sarekat Islam in Promoting the Idea of Muslim World in Indonesia (1912-1925)
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MEIS__________________Jurnal Middle East and Islamic Studies, Volume 6 No. 2 Juli – Desember 2019 The Role of Sarekat Islam in Promoting the Idea of Muslim World in Indonesia (1912-1925) Apipudin Program Studi Arab, Fakultas Ilmu Pengetahuan Budaya, Universitas Indonesia E-mail: [email protected] Abstract The idea of Muslim world has developed rapidly since the year of 1880’s. The racist treatment and pressure of Western imperialism towards Muslims around the world becomes one of factors which caused the emergence of idea that Muslim world is a solution to the failing of Western imperialism order. The role of the Ottoman Sultan as a khalifa (caliph) in Istanbul becomes an important key in encouraging the emergence of Muslim world idea. Sarekat Islam (SI) is one of the modern Islamic organizations in Indonesia which is actively promoting the idea of Muslim world. The role of SI in promoting the idea of Muslim world reached its peak when the Ottoman Sultan declared a great jihad to Muslims around the world in World War 1. In this article, the author would like to argue that, at least before 1925, the vision of Sarekat Islam was not to initiate nationalism, but to mobilize Muslim solidarity globally through various kinds of ideas published in SI newspaper. Keywords: Sarekat Islam, Muslim World, Indonesia, Global, Ottoman, Newspaper INTRODUCTION addition, some others said that SI is a Sarekat Islam (SI) is the earliest socialist organization which defends the modern Islamic organization in Indonesia. people's economy from the bondage of This organization has a very important role European capitalists. For me pesonally, in both Indonesian history and global various views regading SI are quite history. Many experts claimed that SI is interesting because this organization has a the first modern organization which vision which is adequately diverse initiated the anti-colonialism movement. In economically, politically and religiously. addition, many people also believed that SI Seeing SI from only one perspective is an was an organization which initiated proto erroneous thing because SI is an nationalism for Indonesia (Kartodirdjo organization which has members with dkk, 1975). The role of SI in criticizing the diverse backgrounds. oppression carried out by the colonial In this paper, the author will try to government toward Indonesian people put SI in global intellectual history becomes one of SI characteristics. In perspective because of its significant role 135 MEIS__________________Jurnal Middle East and Islamic Studies, Volume 6 No. 2 Juli – Desember 2019 in promoting ideas about Muslim world in to launch an armed rebellion or revolution. Indonesia at the beginning of the 20th Evidently, Pan-Islamism which was rolled century. The idea of Muslim world is a out by the Ottoman State did not trigger vision of solidarity which is built to any revolution against the Dutch colonial counteract the flow of racialization and government in Indonesia. Instead, Pan- inferiorization carried out by the Islamism encouraged the present of Europeans towards Muslims around the modernization in Indonesia. In addition, it world. Cemil Aydın’s work is a very is supported by Sultan Abdulhamid II by important source in terms of examining the providing learning opportunities to jawi origin of the idea about Muslim world. students in Istanbul (Supratman, 2016). According to Cemil, the idea of Muslim Therefore, we can see that the idea of the world was born in the 1880s, when the Muslim world was more inclined to the Europeans racalized Muslims. At that intellectual movement than to the anti- time, the Europeans did not consider colonial revolution in colonial countries. Muslims a cosmopolitan community but, Indonesia (before independence in instead, as a separate and divided entity, 1945 was called as the Dutch East Indies) such as, Central Asian Muslims, South is one of the countries which experienced Asian Muslim, Southeast AsianMuslims, oppression from the colonial government. etc. Seeing this situation, Sultan The idea of Muslim world began to appear Abdulhamid II, whose entitled caliph in Indonesia, actually, before the 1880s. It (Khalifa) and Amirul Mukminin (Muslim was triggered by a letter requesting leader), tried to stop the flow of military assistance written by Sultan racialization towards Muslims through Mansur Syah's from Aceh Sultanate to Pan-Islamism ideology. Unfortunately, this Sultan Abdulmecid of the Ottoman State Pan-Islamism ideology was not necessarily in 1849. The idea of Muslim world came able to counteract this racialization flow to the fore with the outbreak of World War (Aydin, 2017). I and the emergence of SI as the first With the idea of Muslim world, modern Islamic organization in Indonesia. Pan-Islamist activists and intellectuals This paper will examine how SI expected that Muslim unity throughout the plays important roles in bringing up the world can counteract the inferiorization idea of Muslim world in Indonesia. There towards Muslims. This was not related to are many roles of SI in promoting the idea the anti-colonial movement which tended of Muslim world. However, the historian 136 MEIS__________________Jurnal Middle East and Islamic Studies, Volume 6 No. 2 Juli – Desember 2019 have been conveyed only few of them for to seek for assistance from the Ottoman several reasons. One of the reasons is the Sultanate, which was led by Sultan lack of global perspective in examining SI. Abdulmecid at that time. Sultan Mansyur In this paper, the author would like to Syah of Aceh Sultanate wrote several present a new perspective, which is a letters in Malay and Arabic to Sultan global perspective in examining SI at the Abdulmecid in Istanbul and requested to beginning of the 20th century. The author send military assistance to Aceh. The letter also argues that, at least, before 1925 the was sent in 1849-1850 through an vision of the Sarekat Islam was not to Acehnese envoy named Muhammad initiate nationalism, but to mobilize Gauth. In that letter, the Aceh Sultanate Muslim solidarity globally through various attached a map of Indonesian archipelago. kinds of ideas published in SI newspaper. This is because they wanted to show that the Ottoman State had the right to Indonesia and Muslim World intervene in the archipelago because Aceh To see the role of SI in promoting was a Ottoman subordinate territory (Kadi the idea of Muslim world, it will be better dkk, 2011). Sultan Abdulmecid did not if we are able to put Indonesia in the provide military assistance to Aceh. He dynamics of Muslim world context at the only issued two ferman which contained: end of the 19th century. So far, there are the Ottomans were responsible for many writers who see Islamic movement protecting Aceh; The Ottoman confirmed in Indonesia only in local and national their status of power in Aceh. Sultan perspectives. So that, the global dynamics Abdulmecid then ordered the Governor of are foreign to Muslims in Indonesia. Some Yemen to review regarding the Ottoman scholars, such as, Anthony Reid, Mehmet interests in Aceh (Reid, 1969). Although Özay, İsmail Hakkı Göksoy and Michael Sultan Abdulmecid have already issued Laffan, have tried to bring Indonesian two ferman, it did not give any history with a more global approach. significance meaning to Aceh's The initiative of Indonesia to geopolitical position against pressure from attract the attention of the Ottoman Sultan the Dutch. Thus, it can be concluded that in Istanbul actually appeared before the Aceh mission to ask for Ottoman establishment of the Ottoman Consulate in assistance was failed. Batavia in 1882. The Dutch invasion to Although this mission experienced Aceh was the main cause of Aceh's desire a failure and the Ottoman State never 137 MEIS__________________Jurnal Middle East and Islamic Studies, Volume 6 No. 2 Juli – Desember 2019 intervened militarily, the sending of as soon as the Minangkabawi King captured him and was Acehnese envoys to Istanbul had an taken to his land on 1253 (hijri) important meaning in generating ideas (Kadi dkk, 2011). about Muslim world. Cemil Aydın (2017) By explaining about the situation emphasized that the idea of Muslim world happen in this country which was invaded emerged in the 1880s along with the by the Dutch, Sultan Mansur Syah from racialization of Europe towards Muslims the Aceh Sultanate wanted The Ottoman (Aydin, 2017). Therefore, that year was Sultanate to make intervention byholding stated as the establishment of ideas about back the pace of Dutch colonialism in the Muslim world. However, if we look at it archipelago. One of the efforts played by from Indonesia perspective, the desire to Sultan Mansur Syah was to draw a present the idea of Muslim world has historical thread which stated that Aceh surfaced before the 1880's. Sultan Mansur was part of the Ottoman State. Mansur Syah of Aceh Sultanate tried to bring up Syah wanted to make sure that the Dutch ideas about Muslim world through his invasion in this country is part of the letter from 1849-1850. At first, Mansur conflict between Islam and European Syah explained to Sultan Abdulmecid Christianity, not geopolitical conflict about the condition of the archipelago between empires or kingdoms. As in his being surrounded by the Dutch invasion. letter Mansur Syah stated: Sultan Mansur Syah mentioned these And gave me the meaning followings in a letter written in Malay of Adam's presence now language: because of the present and the difficulties caused by the As for the issue of this Javanese state and the Bugis letter, we sent down the land and Burniu countries and the because first the land of Jawi state of Palembang and the was Muslim and strong in Minangkabau country worship and the religion of condemned by the Dutch, and it Islam and the happy life of the is very difficult for all Muslims poor and the poor and other to be a lack of Islam due to people.