Azyumardi Azra Wants Corruptors To Be Sentenced To Life And Impoverished

People who attended the funeral of Azyumardi Azra at TMP Kalibata, South Jakarta on Tuesday, September 20, 202 paid their last respects. (Antara/Galih Pradipta)

JAKARTA - Azyumardi Azra often sees corruption as a form of setbacks. The Muslim scholar could not contain his indignation to see that the eradication of corruption had not been completed. Alias, die one, grows a thousand.

This phenomenon made him regard corruption as a big sin whose effects are miserable for many people. No apologies for the corrupt. The punishment cannot be light. For him, corruptors should be sentenced to life in prison and have their property confiscated. In simple language: impoverished.

The man who is familiarly called Azra is a figure who has an influence on the development of the Islamic world of Nusantara. He mastered many things. From history to the development of Islam in the country and the world. His thoughts on many things cannot be underestimated. Regarding corruption, for example.

He considers corruption as one of the obstacles to Indonesia's progress. For him, corruption is a form of decline. Greed is the main factor. Azra considers there is no longer the main reason for corruption other than greed. After all, many public officials get high salaries and many facilities. That should be more than enough.

The mourners fill out the guest book provided at the residence of Azyumardi Azra, who died in Selangor, Malaysia on Sunday 18 September 2022. (Antara/Muhammad Iqbal)

In the context of Islam, Azra called corruption a major sin. However, Azra does not agree that the high number of corruption cases is solely due to the failure of religious education. Many other factors that lead to this unscrupulous behavior are repeatedly shown. He highlighted the weakness of law enforcement.

The government is considered less involved in eradicating corruption. Alias ​​is still half-hearted. The sentence imposed is relatively light imprisonment. Not to mention that the punishment will eventually get remission. Therefore, corruptors can walk out of prison.

“Azyumardi Azra emphatically said; any religion, especially Islam strongly condemns acts of corruption in any form. The Prophet's words: la'natullahi 'ala al-raasyi wa al-murtasyi (God's curse on those who give bribes and those who accept bribes) is a necessity of that firmness. The term 'al raasyi' comes from the root word 'risıyuah' which in modern Arabic dictionaries means not only 'bribery' (bribery) but also corruption and dishonesty (dishonesty).”

“In the wider context of Islamic teachings, corruption is an act that is contrary to the principles of justice, accountability, and responsibility. Corruption with all its negative impacts that cause various distortions in the life of the state and society can be categorized as an act that is forbidden and includes a major sin, even under Islamic law it can be included in the type of khiyanah (treason),” said Masduki Duryat in the book Pendidikan (Islam) dan Logika Interpretasi (2021).

Life Sentence

The deterrent effect on corruptors - from the past - is considered by Azra to be weak. He often voiced this, even until January 31, 2022. The professor of UIN Syarif Hidayatullah conveyed this when he was a resource for a virtual discussion via the YouTube Partnership for Governance Reform entitled: Eradication of Corruption.

Eradication of corruption, said Azra, was not taken seriously. Those in power who occupy the top of power tend not to have the ability to deal with corruption issues. Moreover, corruption is included in extraordinary crime.

The effects are everywhere. The negative impact is accepted by all Indonesian people. People's welfare is down, infrastructure development is disrupted, so injustice is increasingly rampant.

Azra also asked the policymakers to give punishments that have a big deterrent effect. In this case, the government must be bolder in applying life sentences to corruptors. If necessary and if necessary, corruptors are also impoverished. So that the same thing doesn't happen again.

The late Azyumardi Azra once suggested that corruptors be sentenced to life imprisonment and impoverished. (Instagram/@prof.azyumardi)

Azra's criticism is still exactly the same as his previous criticism regarding corruption. The similarity is only one, the criticism was never really accepted as input by the government. In fact, he often gives constructive criticism.

"Therefore, various unconventional methods are needed in an effort to deter public officials who are perpetrators of corruption. Among the unconventional punishments include the death penalty, life imprisonment, confiscation of all property, and the obligation to perform social services. For the latter, for example, corruptors are required to carry out certain social work, such as cleaning public toilets for a certain period of time, and if necessary, the clothes in question are equipped with the words of the corruptor.”

“No less important are punishments and social sanctions such as exclusion from the community. Now is the time for society to eliminate permissive attitudes toward corruption and corruptors, and instead strengthen resistance and anti-corruption attitudes starting from the smallest social environment. This is where the role of figures who have integrity in various social institutions and mass organizations becomes very important to continue to take initiatives in consolidating and empowering the community against corruption," explained Azyumardi Azra in the book Relevansi Islam Wasathiyah (2020).

Goodbye Prof. Azyumardi Azra.