Bung Imam

Imam Shofwan In August 2002, a number of Islam-based political parties demanded the Jakarta Charter be included in the Constitution, which would mean that Muslims in Indonesia would have the obligation to live according to the prescriptions of Shariah law.   The effort was supported by a large number of — mainly hard-line — Islamic organizations, but nevertheless failed to pass through the House of Representatives, in part due to opposition from the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) and the — also Islam-based — National Awakening Party (PKB).   The Islamists had to change strategy. In 2004 a new law on regional autonomy gave them the opportunity they had been hoping for. They set about implementing “Shariah from below” by advocating across the archipelago local Shariah laws, which often included rules such as women being required to wear the hijab, and couples wanting to marry needing to read the Koran.   Islamic groups have long argued that their brand of “Shariah from

Imam Shofwan PADA AGUSTUS 2002, Partai Persatuan Pembangunan dan Partai Bulan Bintang mengusulkan pencantuman Piagam Jakarta dalam UUD 1945. Mereka hendak memasukkan lagi tujuh kata dalam Pancasila: ‘Ketuhanan yang Maha Esa  dengan kewajiban menjalankan syariat Islam bagi pemeluk-pemeluknya .’ Tuntutan tersebut didukung Front Pembela Islam, Kesatuan Aksi Mahasiswa Muslim, Gerakan Pemuda Islam, Pelajar Islam Indonesia, Himpunan Mahasiswa Islam, Komite Indonesia Untuk Solidaritas Islam, dan Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia. Mereka menuntut syariah Islam dijalankan di Indonesia. Namun perjuangan pada aras nasional tersebut tak membuahkan hasil.Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat tak setuju dengan perubahan. Mereka dilawan oleh partai lain, termasuk Partai Demokrasi Indonesia Perjuangan maupun Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa. Maka strategi kaum Islamis diubah jadi ‘syariatisasi dari bawah’ dengan memanfaatkan UU No. 32 Tahun 2004 tentang Otonomi Daerah. Lalu kabupaten demi kabupaten, terutam