Pancasila and the Dignity of Humankind1
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International Journal of Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS) ISSN: 2654-2706, Volume I, Number 1, October 2018 PANCASILA AND THE DIGNITY OF HUMANKIND1 Dicky Sofjan Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), Graduate School, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) <[email protected]> Introduction Belief in the Unity of Deities; 2) Just I have been tasked today and civilized humanity; 3) Unity of to present my thoughts on the Indonesia; 4) Democracy led by wisdom correlation between Pancasila, which through deliberation of the elected is Indonesia’s state ideology, and representatives; 5) Social justice for human dignity. Indonesians, since all Indonesians. Invariably, Pancasila gaining independence in 1945, have has become Indonesia’s uniting force established Pancasila as their state for the 265 million people living on ideology and political philosophy, 3000 islands or so out of the more than which encompasses the rights and 17,000 islands. Out of the 265 million, responsibilities of its citizens without Indonesians are endowed with more discrimination based on religion than 500 ethno, psycholinguistic groups, or creed, gender, race or ethnicity, each having its own culture, language or socioeconomic status or whatsoever. dialect, tradition and custom. Derived from Sankrit, the name The ›ve main principles have —Pancasila“ means ”the ›ve main governed the people of Indonesia for 75 principles‘. The ›ve principles are: 1) years now, owing to the veracity of the universal message that Pancasila aspires 1 dZ]• ŒŸo Á• •µu]© } v ]vŒv}vo to. The founding ›gures of the nation }v(Œv /ZŒ]• /}ooPU hÆ(} Üv]ÀŒ•]šÇU 9vPovU vŸšo ^,µuv 5]Pv]Ç (} 9ÀŒÇ}v seemed mindful of the diversity of the 9ÀŒÇÁZW C}µv]vP C]Pµ•U C}µvŸ}v•U v Z people and their multitude of traditions h•• }( Iµuv 5]Pv]Ç_ }v !µPµ• ïrðU îìíôX L Á}µo o]l } Zvl Wv í]• }( .]PZu ò}µvP Üv]ÀŒ•]šÇU and beliefs. They were vehemently ÁZ} Z ‰‰Œ ]v Z •] }v(ŒvX anti-colonialism and anti-imperialism, 1 Pancasila and the Dignity of Humankind yet ardent supporters of the idea of country’s vast number of islands, oceans universalism and human dignity. Their and under its deep blue seas. With the vision of the state for Indonesia was diversity of its people, varied animal, based on an inclusive, plural, humane plant and tree species, and bountiful and just view of the world. Thus, they geography, Indonesia is undoubtedly did not bow to the political pressures one of the most intriguing places on and persuasion to turn Indonesia into an earth. Islamic Republic or to make Shari’a as the law of the land. Pancasila Knows No Othering If Pancasila’s political philosophy One of the appeals of Pancasila were to be scrutinized closely and resides in its humanism and objectively, it is clear that all its universalism. While its humanism principles and values are consistent draws on the varied race and ethnicities with the Indonesian nation’s religious and the time-honored practice of zeal or spiritual proclivity. Almost all cultural pluralism, its universal appeal kinds of “world religions” have been derives from the very essence of the fiourishing throughout the history of Indonesian spiritual and pluralistic the Indonesian archipelago, with people worldview. The successful fusion freely embracing the religion of their of culture, religion, spirituality and choosing. modernity has unmistakably placed Old sacrosanct temple structures Indonesia on the world map. It is (such as the 8-9th century Borobudur said that in one or two decades time, and Prambanan), the numerous Indonesia could be become the fourth or picturesque churches and spectacular ›fth largest economy of the world. mosques provide clear testimony There is therefore no reason why to the people’s varied religious and Indonesians should not be grateful or spiritual persuasion and expression. proud of the plentiful God-given gifts The blossoming of these major world in the form of their natural and spiritual religions of course run in parallel to endowments, which makeup for their the longstanding ‘local religions’ or unique position in the world. Having indigenous, tribal and ancestral beliefs. stated that, the building of con›dence The Indonesian Ministry of Religious among the rather timid and introverted Affairs has identi›ed almost 400 of such Indonesians is necessary to contribute to beliefs that exist across the archipelago. the upholding of human dignity. Such religious diversity and It could be argued that Pancasila richness in the multitude of spiritual has become a way for Indonesians to practices are perfectly congruent with perceive reality beyond their own. It the kind of biodiversity found in the is for the most part a manner in which 2 Dicky Sofjan individuals and groups perceive us ethnicity, gender, and all kinds of as them, and them as us. Pancasila personal preferences are part and parcel thus knows no ‘othering’, as it merely of Divine Will and Wisdom. To contest, compartmentalizes human beings into challenge and resist that would not only false classi›cation and polarization, prove futile, but would tantamount to and subsequently breeds unwarranted blasphemy. privileges and discrimination in society. Pancasila is henceforth not It was unequivocally designed against Islam nor any other religion or by the nation‘s founding ›gures as an beliefs. Pancasila assumes the absence inclusive and pluralistic ideology that of human dignity in colonialism, meant to protect and shelter minority feudalism, racism, corruption and groups and potentially vulnerable exploitation. It diametrically contradicts communities from the possibility of a the very logic of apartheid or any and wretched war of ‘all against all’. all forms of discrimination or violation Through the lens of Pancasila, against the rights of others. Indonesians are able to assume the Simply put, Pancasila promotes a worth and value of individuals and digni›ed way of life and living for all peoples as being necessary and beings, both humans and nonhumans. indispensable. It also helps them to gain Out of all the species in the planet, the realization that they are borne and we, humans with the perfect ability to bestowed by the Creator to humanity discern reality, should be the one to based on Divine Will and Wisdom. ›rst recognize that dignity should be In Islam, which is the religion most properly accorded to God, nature and professed by Indonesians, Quranic the entire created species on the planet, injunctions point to the necessity of including humankind. diversity as being part of Divine Will Despite the current challenge and :isdom. In Al-Maidah (5:48), the of religious conservatism, post-truth Quran states: —Had Allah willed, He society and the failure of global would have made you into a single Capitalism to bring equity, contentment nation.” and sense of wholesomeness, it is upon It is therefore almost imperative us as humankind to rethink how to build for Muslims to believe that diversity and sustain a digni›ed way of life for of religion, spiritual expressions, race, future generations to come.[] 3.