My experience attending one of International seminar in Kuala Lumpur has been rise up my curiosity on identity of local culture that was exist long time before Islam come and spread out in Nusantara. The bases of my curiosity was when the presenters brought the concept of science that refers to Islamic history and intensively mention that is Islamization of science as main thing in Islam and seems no space for local context. Science in this conversation means the Middle East history that own by various figure in past time such as Ibnu Rusyd, Ibnu Sina or Al-Ghozali. This discussion actually increased my self experience and sensitivity on locality where I belongs. This discussion touch my identity as comprehensive human that is not only shaped by Islamic history and Islamic values. This discussion also reflected my experience on Islam and Science that is in some levels collaborated with my Cultural Identity. There was a joke in this seminar mentioned that is in Indonesia have three times of I'ed that make funny for some participants and laughing on Indonesia cases. I am as participant was really aware, this feeling kinds of superiority of Individual that make us as Muslim feel that we are better than another Muslim or people. That situation are intensively exist in out society today, some how, some people try to show that some people understanding to this religion seems final truth that  are not denied. This kind of approach are not my experience and history of Islam in Nusantara, where Islam was coming to Nusantara civilization by peace and soft way. Event, as part of Nusantara history, we know that some people use Islam as tool to reach power and public trust, until now. My personal opinion, This soft way and peace method that brought Islam as Identity of majority in Nusantara. People acceptance to Islam was not only because of its scientific point of view or rational tradition. But oppositely, it is because of the value of humanity that consider weakness, sensitivity, and way of life that need to be completed. Again, I see that Islam increase our expectation toward better future and world, indeed, Islam means self learning from when we were born to time of return to Akhirah. This process are not final process when we come to Islam everything are final and stop. The more I know about Islam the more i learn to be a Muslim that give benefit to another Muslim.In cases of Nusantara, this the time to seek scientific tradition of local people who was also contribute to civilization and society today. When we were not bring it to be part of our history so as people we will loss our own identity as we feel when meet people in various forum where locality are not considered as part of Islam history in Nusantara. (rn)  

Photo: http://www.islamtimes.org                 

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As Indonesian citizen who was born on 1970 era, writer had seen many statements come from Indonesia Ulema Council (MUI). The Organization established on 1970 under Suharto regime play urgent role in Indonesia Muslim society, especially when the fatwa were coming to response certain issue related to unrest situation in grass root level. This significant role is realized by grass root organization that represent Muslim group in Indonesia. The basic goal of this organization is to extend government intervention and control to society was said as successfully strategy. Most of critical way of thinking to government at that time was resolved by using the fatwa that was coming from MUI. We can said the contribution of Suharto order is also came from MUI. But since 1998, a reformation momentum, when Suharto regime had been collapsed . MUI seem lose the power and control, the critical role as mass organization that should be adapting with socio-political situation are not fulfilled. Most of the Ulema who are placed is MUI organization structure, just live in euphoria momentum of time, when they think, they are as the only represents of Muslim Society. By playing organization claim as represent of all Muslim society in Indonesia, they produce most of the fatwa is tending to stand on political or economical interest. And leave the idea of environmental interest shall be consider as aspect of society development. Writer is aware, the Islamic religion has not only talk on fatwa and fiq'h, but is also talk about a broader thing on human development. Than since reformation in 1998 to 2013, MUI did not show its urgent role on securing human life, especially, Indonesian people as his responsible. If so MUI want to fully represent Indonesian Muslim Society, the first think have to take is to increase its own capacity of Ulema as member and organization structure on implication from policy and legislation development or production in context of Fatwa. So MUI as Muslim society representation did not shame their own self, by miss-produce of Fatwa. Writer believe after that MUI will consider any statement and Fatwa under the precautionary principle. (rn)
Source of photo: http://www.riaupos.co           

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The greatest opportunity when I visited Cambodia in 2010, it was a travel with very rich experiences and hospitality of Muslim community there. My personal contact with haji Musa, the owner of Muslim restaurant in Siem Reap, give me different understanding on culture diversity and enrich my perspective how Muslim is survive in Buddhist country and creating harmony with people who live with different believe. My personal touch has resulted an specific information of Muslim adaptation that I got from Muslim community of Siem Reap regarding floating Surau (mosque). The adaptation strategy that Islam as religion does not only have single interpretation and culture that the process of ijtihad has happened that showed by existence of floating surau (mosque). According to the oral history of Haji Musa and several respondents, they said, Muslim community that settled in seam reap or Kampong Champ was coming from Palembang, a part of Indonesia province. The exodus was happen in period of Sriwijaya Kingdom. Comparing to my research experience, in certain Muslim community in Indonesia, this adaptation strategy is the process of Muslim reflection toward their nature and environment. Various motivation became a background of those people, some was endorsed by nature condition and others endorsed by high reflection of human-ecology-religion relation and values. This process is not a simple process mechanical understanding but is more a process of organic understanding to see diversity and to create a harmony. I realized that, currently, Muslim in Indonesia faces difficult situation to understand their history on diversity and harmony, beside the impact of crystallization of shallow understanding on religious life.(rn)

Source of picture: Muslim Community of Siem Reap, Cambodia.          

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An research experience in Baso sub-district, Agam District, West Sumatra Province at 2009 had contributed very powerful input to my understanding on Islam as religion and way of life. It was beginning from my previous research on studying Articulation of Islamic values toward Sustainable of Natural Resources Management. The value of Mizan and Tauhid emerges on how community treat the water pond that support community agriculture and basic need of water distributing to more than 2000 household. Conditionally, local people acknowledges the existing fish that has myth background is part of the tradition that does not influence the Islamic faith. Local people through the elder express the position of myth as tradition and Islam as faith clear enough to diversification. Local people have reason to keep the myth as local tradition that transfers from old to young people attaching deep meaning of living appreciation. When Islam was coming and teach the value of nature and human connection that  integrated on understanding of concept of Tauhid and Mizan. The myth of fish does not  myth anymore in term of anthropological perspective but a myth become a tool of appreciation toward living thing that is also exist in Islamic understanding. (Google+)(www.irsad.org)

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The claim as the biggest country of Muslim, Indonesia today faces dilemma of religious value and practices. Since 1998, the reformation becomes the best icon of changing to shift Indonesia from authoritarian government to democracy government who stand for Justice and People. The Idea of democracy is not dividing with the idea and role of Islam as group of people and value of life. after the great momentum time, Indonesia's Islam tries to performs their government institution and court as trusted institution that also express Islamic value in term of universal value. Unfortunately, the momentum of reformation did not become a momentum of elimination of corruption. The phenomena of corruption does not match anymore with the claim as biggest country of Muslim that express through Indonesia public official behaviour and characteristics. Writer realized this situation since 2008, that inspired me to establish and organization that purpose religious values is walk side by side with the development interest. The organization also tries to develop the harmony of religious and development values become a tool to create welfare and stand the justice.(Google+) (www.Irsad.org)    

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This Nature reflection under concept of Islam is connection of people with nature that is determined by religious understanding influences culture heritage, nature condition and believe that interact in natural resources management arena. It clearly appear in cases of pervious research of ‘Articulation of Islamic values toward sustainability of natural resources management” a cases study of Sungai Pisang community, West Sumatra (Nurza, unpublished research 2007) that showed, how Islamic values endorse the natural resources sustainability through Islamic theological principles. The values are Tawhid (oneness), Mizan (balance), and Adl (justice) through three level of human-ecological interaction. Those are individual behavior, institutional role and local commitment agreement (individual-institutional interaction). Human-ecological connection is commonly named eco-people (Jyothi & M. C. Raj 2005: 10) that has unique understanding in term of developing meaning. The result of this connection has nature consequences such as sustainability nature that addressed nature as scared object.The concept of eco-religion emerges on practicing of forbidden area that is exist in Batang Gadis forest in North Sumatra, forbidden fish in West Sumatra, forbidden coral reef in Celebes. The interpretation of Malay people which passed administrative territory of countries that culturally share and spread out in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Philippine. However, the capacity that attached to Malay people as eco-people, where ecologically developed the strong connection among these community toward nature. (Google+)

Source of Photo: knowislam2012.com

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