Ahmad Basarah: Currently, It Is Not Relevant To The Mendichotomize Nationalism And Religion

Deputy Chairman of the MPR RI Ahmad Basarah. (Photo: Doc. Antara)

JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly Ahmad Basarah assessed that currently it is no longer relevant to demothomizing nationalism and religion.

"It is no longer appropriate to demotomize nationalism with religion, religion with nationalism, because in essence Indonesia's nationalism is a religious nationalism," Basarah said in a statement in Jakarta, quoted from Antara, Saturday, March 30.

According to him, Bung Karno as the founder of the nation also left many stories about Islam even though he was known as a nationalist figure.

"Bung Karno, who is referred to by a number of groups as a nationalist figure, in his thoughts and legacy, shows that the religious dimension is very strong," he said.

Basarah explained that Bung Karno had studied Islam deeply since he was a teenager or to be precise when the Proclaimer was entrusted to the house of the Islamic leader, Haji Umar Said Tjokroaminoto.

"That's where Bung Karno was trained on Islamic teachings and thoughts," said Basarah during the commemoration of the Nuzulul Quran held by Baitul Muslimin Indonesia (Bamusi), a PDIP wing organization, at the At Taufiq Mosque, Jakarta, Friday, March 29.

Bung Karno also, he continued, acknowledged that Kiai Ahmad Dahlan as the founder of Muhammadiyah was the main teacher he participated in.

Then, Bung Karno also studied with Kiai Ahmad Hasan in Bandung.

"When Bung Karno was dumped by the Dutch to Ende, the quiet beach, Bung Karno continued his Islamic thoughts by making jurisprudence with Kyai Ahmad Hasan in Bandung, whose letters have now been recorded," he added.

Then, when Bung Karno was exiled to Bengkulu, he also met many Islamic figures there. As for the first time Soekarno decided to join the Muhammadiyah organization.

It is known that Bung Karno was appointed chairman of the teaching assembly in Muhammadiyah Bengkulu in 1938-1942.

The Islamic concept, which Bung Karno studied deeply since he was a teenager, was then used to formulate the basis of the state ahead of Indonesia's independence.

"When he proposed the basis for Indonesia's independence, Bung Karno proposed the basis of the One Godhead as the fundamental basis for the Indonesian nation at that time," he said.

Bung Karno's thinking, which is a nationalist and religious figure, can also be a middle ground.

This is because the 66 figures who are members of the Investigating Agency for the Preparation of Indonesian Independence (BPUPKI) are divided into two groups.

There are groups that want Indonesia to become a secular nationalist country and there are groups that want Indonesia to become an Islamic state.

"As the last speaker, Bung Karno proposed a middle ground, not a secular nationalist state, but not an Islamic state. Bung Karno proposed a one-year Godhead state, in which all religious people are recognized within the framework of Pancasila state law," he said.