Jilbab (جلباب) is a term frequently used to refer to long and loose garment worn by some muslimah (muslim women) to cover entire body except for hand, feet, face and head. The practice of wearing the jilbab is based on Qur'an 33: 59:
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
In Indonesia, however, jilbab is much more designated to headscarf. The verse does not state explicitly how the jilbab does look like. Therefore, various interpretations on the model associated with jilbab are expected.
Well, here I will not plunge into sorts of exegesis controversy. I just want to express my opinion on the issue of jilbab and politics which has currently become a hot topic approaching the presidential election due on 8 July 2009.
We know already three candidates will compete in the incoming presidential election. They are SBY-Boediono, JK-Wiranto and Mega-Prabowo. The jilbab has attracted some observers and commentators due to the fact that the wive of JK-Wiranto is the only who wears jilbab. Some, notably PD cadres and their allies, asserted that Islamic symbols, in this case jilbab, should not be manipulated for political purposes.
To some, the issue appears to be manipulating jilbab as political commodity. However, deep underneath the issue lays down the question of muslim representation. The three candidates hardly represent muslim constituents who casted their votes in the national legislative election on 9 April 2009 for Islamic parties, i.e. PKS, PAN, PPP and PKB which have altogether contributed to 24% of the total vote. The PKS has recently publicly grumbled that none of the figure represented ummah, a term used to refer muslim community.
While the PKS along with PAN, PPP and PKS is officially in coalition with the PD thank to accorded platform conspicuously economic and political reform, some of their cadres and supporters across archipelago have undeniably called into question on ummah which has no representation on either candidate. To use Geertz term, SBY-Boediono is a representation of priyayi, Mega-Prabowo is of abangan and JK-Wiranto is mixed of priyayi and abangan.
It is pitiful that the Islamic parties could not make their own alliance to hold presidential candidate who is a representation of the ummah. Yet, the muslim constituents do not want to lose their vote. They are always excited to cast their vote, not to mention they are politically-oriented. Here is then a journey for them to find out a figure which has at least a taste of Islam through which ummah can identity themselves with and rely their hope to have their Islamic aspiration heard. Among the three candidates, JK is known to be close to ummah. He was once a chair of NU (Nahdhatul Ulama') in South Sulawesi and his father was a long patron of the organization, which claims to have some 40 million members. In addition, his wife (Ibu JK) and his running mate wife (Ibu Wiranto) have been wearing jilbab tens of years before their husband run for presidential bid --hardly identified as political commodity-- due to willingness to observe Islam seriously.
Therefore, it is indeed obvious if some cadres and supporters of Islamic parties have posted a question on representation of Islam and find the answer at least on JK-Wiranto rather than the other two figures, i.e. SBY-Boediono and Mega-Prabowo. Who will appear to be the winner? We will witness the fight between Islamic identification (JK-Wiranto) on hand one and program preference, i.e. neo-lib (SBY-Boediono) and post-lib (Mega-Prabowo), on the other.
So, will the Islamic constituents tend to identify their faith with one of the figures or to orient towards economic reform? If they are inclined toward faith identification, they are likely to vote for JK-Wiranto. On the contrary, if they orient toward the economic reform, they are possibly to split their vote to either SBY-Boediono or Mega-Prabowo. The first is portrayed as a supporter of neo-liberalism (top down economic approach, market-oriented and thus less state control), whereas the latter is post-liberalism (bottom-up economic approach, people-oriented and thus much state control). In this regard, JK-Wiranto is advantaged.
يَا أَيُّهَا النَّبِيُّ قُل لِّأَزْوَاجِكَ وَبَنَاتِكَ وَنِسَاءِ الْمُؤْمِنِينَ يُدْنِينَ عَلَيْهِنَّ مِن جَلَابِيبِهِنَّ ذَلِكَ أَدْنَى أَن يُعْرَفْنَ فَلَا يُؤْذَيْنَ وَكَانَ اللَّهُ غَفُورًا رَّحِيمًا
In Indonesia, however, jilbab is much more designated to headscarf. The verse does not state explicitly how the jilbab does look like. Therefore, various interpretations on the model associated with jilbab are expected.
Well, here I will not plunge into sorts of exegesis controversy. I just want to express my opinion on the issue of jilbab and politics which has currently become a hot topic approaching the presidential election due on 8 July 2009.
We know already three candidates will compete in the incoming presidential election. They are SBY-Boediono, JK-Wiranto and Mega-Prabowo. The jilbab has attracted some observers and commentators due to the fact that the wive of JK-Wiranto is the only who wears jilbab. Some, notably PD cadres and their allies, asserted that Islamic symbols, in this case jilbab, should not be manipulated for political purposes.
To some, the issue appears to be manipulating jilbab as political commodity. However, deep underneath the issue lays down the question of muslim representation. The three candidates hardly represent muslim constituents who casted their votes in the national legislative election on 9 April 2009 for Islamic parties, i.e. PKS, PAN, PPP and PKB which have altogether contributed to 24% of the total vote. The PKS has recently publicly grumbled that none of the figure represented ummah, a term used to refer muslim community.
While the PKS along with PAN, PPP and PKS is officially in coalition with the PD thank to accorded platform conspicuously economic and political reform, some of their cadres and supporters across archipelago have undeniably called into question on ummah which has no representation on either candidate. To use Geertz term, SBY-Boediono is a representation of priyayi, Mega-Prabowo is of abangan and JK-Wiranto is mixed of priyayi and abangan.
It is pitiful that the Islamic parties could not make their own alliance to hold presidential candidate who is a representation of the ummah. Yet, the muslim constituents do not want to lose their vote. They are always excited to cast their vote, not to mention they are politically-oriented. Here is then a journey for them to find out a figure which has at least a taste of Islam through which ummah can identity themselves with and rely their hope to have their Islamic aspiration heard. Among the three candidates, JK is known to be close to ummah. He was once a chair of NU (Nahdhatul Ulama') in South Sulawesi and his father was a long patron of the organization, which claims to have some 40 million members. In addition, his wife (Ibu JK) and his running mate wife (Ibu Wiranto) have been wearing jilbab tens of years before their husband run for presidential bid --hardly identified as political commodity-- due to willingness to observe Islam seriously.
Therefore, it is indeed obvious if some cadres and supporters of Islamic parties have posted a question on representation of Islam and find the answer at least on JK-Wiranto rather than the other two figures, i.e. SBY-Boediono and Mega-Prabowo. Who will appear to be the winner? We will witness the fight between Islamic identification (JK-Wiranto) on hand one and program preference, i.e. neo-lib (SBY-Boediono) and post-lib (Mega-Prabowo), on the other.
So, will the Islamic constituents tend to identify their faith with one of the figures or to orient towards economic reform? If they are inclined toward faith identification, they are likely to vote for JK-Wiranto. On the contrary, if they orient toward the economic reform, they are possibly to split their vote to either SBY-Boediono or Mega-Prabowo. The first is portrayed as a supporter of neo-liberalism (top down economic approach, market-oriented and thus less state control), whereas the latter is post-liberalism (bottom-up economic approach, people-oriented and thus much state control). In this regard, JK-Wiranto is advantaged.