The Attitude of PKS on the Implementation of Sharia in Democratic Indonesia by Raden Cecep Lukman Yasin, MA Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Deakin University November 6, 2017 Publication: Political Economy of the Islamist Party in a Muslim Democracy. The Experience of PKS of Indonesia Research Journal of Politics, Economics, and Management Volume 4, Number 4 (2016): October 2016 http://www.siyasetekonomiyonetim.org/index.php/seyad Abstract In its struggle to realize Sharia in a democratic system, the PKS is fully aware that the majority of Indonesian Muslims do not support the Islamist agenda, especially the ideals to implement Sharia and to Islamize the state and the constitution. Some degree of compromise between the party’s principles and general public demand cannot be avoided if the party is to win the mass support. Consequently, the party downplays its Sharia agenda by promoting issues which are appealing to a broader constituency. The party describes this approach as being intrinsic to its da’wa (dakwah) strategy and was intended to bring the party closer to its potential constituents and sympathizers. TABLE OF CONTENT CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION A. Background of the Study 1 B. Literature Review 6 C. Research Objectives and Questions 9 D. Methodology 10 E. Structure of the Thesis 14 CHAPTER TWO THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK 16 A. Political Ideology 18 B. PKS as A Social Movement 27 CHAPTER THREE THE CAUSE OF DA’WA AS A DISCURSIVE SUPERSTRUCTURE 44 A. PKS’ Shared Values 44 B. Preserving Party Cohesion 54 CHAPTER FOUR THE SURVIVAL OF A DA’WA PARTY AND THE MOBILIZATION OF ITS BASE 70 A. Building Party Cohesion 72 B. Social Engagement 83 C. Ideological Framing and Opportunity Structure 91 D. Political Moderation and Electoral Gain 95 CHAPTER FIVE DA’WA AND POLITICS 99 A. Engaging Da’wa in Politics 99 B. Da’wa Before Daulah (Islamic State) 104 C. Da’wa and the Recent Election 121 CHAPTER SIX NEGOTIATING SHARIA 130 A. Misunderstanding and the Shift in Understanding Sharia 130 B. PKS’ Understanding of Sharia 141 C. Perda: A Means of Shariatization 158 CHAPTER SEVEN SHARIA AND THE STATE 168 A. Islam-State Relation in the New Order 170 B. Sharia in a National Context 179 C. Constitutional Debate on Sharia 187 CHAPTER EIGHT PKS’ LONG-TERM STRUGGLE FOR THE APPLICATION OF SHARIA 196 A. Sharia at the Heart of Islamist Movement 196 B. Sharia as Muslim Identity 202 C. Gradualist Approach on Sharia 208 D. Struggle Toward the Middle 214 CONCLUSION 229 BIBLIOGRAPHY 237 CHAPTER ONE INTRODUCTION A. Background of the study Initially launched as an Islamist party modeled on the Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood and named Partai Keadilan (PK the Justice Party)1 defined its mission as striving for the enforcement of Islamic law and the creation of an Islamic state in Indonesia. Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS – the Prosperous Justice Party), as it is now known, presents itself as a moderate party whose political manifesto states that the party is focused on promoting religious piety – da’wa.2 In its platform, PKS no longer aspires to achieve an Islamic state in Indonesia but rather seeks to restore the influence of Islam in the country. According to its platform, the Republic Indonesia cannot be separated from Islam. Rather than working to achieve an Islamic State, PKS now says 1 Islamism applies to discourses and projects that conceive of Islam not merely as religion, but also as a comprehensive political ideology that provides both a template and a means of changing the entirety of society from the ‘top down’ via legislation that requires people to conform with ‘Sharia’, or ‘Islamic law’, as interpreted and applied by contempory Islamist thinkers. From the Islamist perspective, politics should aim to establish a complete comprehensive system of government that is regulated by Sharia. In scholarly work, Islamism is often used interchangeably with “political Islam,” and PKS represents the strongest political Islam in the country’s political landscape. It should be noted, however, that many political parties, particularly in Indonesia, drawing on mass-based Islamic support are not Islamist parties, even if their political rhetoric used appears to superficially resonate with Islamist rhetoric. In Indonesia, for example, parties such as PKB and PAN – appealing to the masses of Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah respectively – are not Islamist parties. True Islamist parties, by definition, hold to a radical agenda in that they aspire to the complete transformation of the political system from ‘root to branch’. PKB and PAN, in contrast, are clear in the position in supporting Pancasila-based pluralist political in the Republic, and contest any attempt at replacing the current constitutional arrangement with one that forces, top-down, piety upon Indonesians. Importantly, however, today’s PKS, unlike under its founding generation of Islamists, has embarked on a new approach to Islamism with a much longer-term vision of social and political reform. Tactically, it supports a democratic government and pragmatic approach, that advocates taking part in electoral, power-sharing politics. In this way, the party is open to collaborate with other political force and non-Muslims as equal partners in advancing the national interest, at least in the short to medium term. As this dissertation will argue, it justifies this by arguing that the priority must be the implementation of Sharia and that to achieve this a gradualist approach is a sure and more effective approach. 2 Najwa Shihaband Yanuar Nugroho, “The Ties that Bind: Law, Islamisation and Indonesia's Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)”, in Asian Law, Vol. 10, 2008, p. 239. 1 that its goal is “the creation of a just and civil society that is blessed by God the Almighty within the framework of the Republic Indonesia.”3 However, with this new platform, PKS is still supportive of the gradual implementation of Sharia, saying that it would not make any sense for a party with a strong background of Islamist cadres to abandon the desire of incorporating Sharia into the legal system of the country. The party’s support to the gradual introduction of Sharia is clearly observed from its position in parliament to amend and propose legislation that uphold the Islamic values. For PKS, Sharia is not limited to the legal injunction and framework; it is a divine value that regulates all aspects of life. By this approach, proposing and supporting the promulgation of the Bill of Pornography and Pornographic Acts (Rancangan Undang-Undang Anti Pornografi dan Pornoaksi), and anti-Alcoholic Beverage is a part of the struggle to introduce Sharianorms through the legislative body of the state. Even though PKS has rarely directly initiated the application of Perda Syariah (Sharia Regional Regulation) itself, the party is undeniably a staunch supporter to the application of the Perda Sharia. When some members of parliament from different parties proposed a petition to annul the Perda Syariah, PKS legislators are quick to launch a counter petition against its removal.4 PKS believes that the practice of Sharia within the community must be supported by political structures. Any effort to influence the state must be carried out by an involvement in political activities. In this context, Rofi Munawar, the Chairman of PKS in East Java, said: “…we know that all policies are decided through political process, not through sermons. We cannot expect good policies if people who claim themselves clean just speak out in sermons or in raising criticism.”5 3Memperjuangkan Masyrakat Madani: Falsafah Dasar dan Platform Kebijakan Pembangunan PK Sejahtera, Jakarta: Majelis Pertimbangan Pusat Partai Keadilan Sejahtera, 2008, p. 4-5. 4 Najwa Shihab and Yanuar Nugroho, “The Ties that Bind: Law, Islamisation and Indonesia's Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)”, in Asian Law, Vol. 10, 2008, p. 242. 5 Yon Machmudi, Islamising Indonesia. The Rise of Jemaah Tarbiyah and the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), Canberra: ANU E Press, 2006, p. 204. 2 Regarding the stance of PKS on Sharia, the book entitled, Yang Nyata dari PK Sejahtera (What is obvious from PK Sejahtera) by a PKS activist, reads: “Shariah is mercy for all creatures and the proper implementation of Sharia will not bring discrimination. PKS believes that its implementation in Indonesia will provide the solution for the current multi-dimensional crisis. However, it must be done in a peaceful and constitutional way, not through violence or compulsion.”6 The same notion on Sharia is also voiced by Hidayat Nurwahid, former president of PKS as he said that: “The problem is that too many people talk about Sharia and what they mean is cutting off hands and wearing scarves. Our main program is how to make people better off and how to get justice. In order to make Indonesians comprehend the concept and essence of Sharia, I suggest three steps in socializing Sharia, namely educating Muslims, providing examples and creating dialogue.”7 According to Yon Machmudi, the attitude of PKS towards the formalization of Sharia in Indonesia is still ambivalent. This is because the party formally has no clear direction on Sharia and its core members have varied in their responses to the issues.8He argues that within the party, there are two distinct streams regarding this particular issue: the moderate-substantialist and the conservative-legal formalist. The alleged existence of these two camps with PKS elite, he concludes, has made the attitude of PKS towards Sharia indecisive. Having said that, what is clear from PKS is that to win the mass support, during its political campaign, Sharia has been reformulated by incorporating the spirit of Islam into secular issues, such as clean government and anti-corruption movement. In this way, Sharia has been secularized, i.e. secular issues are being framed within new paradigm to reveal their Islamic nature.