Ramadan, Religious Constitutionalization, and Authentic Nationalism
Ferdian Andi
Lecturer at the Faculty of Sharia and Law UIN Jakarta, Executive Director of the Center for Public Policy and Law Studies (Puskapkum)
Ramadan should give birth to a deep awareness to transform the noble values of religion in the public space of the state.
Ramadan fasting has entered its third week. In addition to spiritual aspects, various dimensions emerge from this religious ritual, such as social, economic, and even state aspects.
This is because this colossal act of worship that involves the community takes place in a country with the largest Muslim majority in the world. Of course, the socio-economic impact is inevitable, in line with the operation of economic law: supply and demand.
In addition, Ramadan fasting also has individual and social dimensions. The individual dimension is a manifestation of a servant's obedience to the commands of his Lord to achieve the highest degree as a pious human being.
On the other hand, Ramadan fasting also has a social dimension represented through a variety of actions that correlate with social aspects.
In addition to spiritual aspects, various dimensions emerge from this religious ritual, such as social, economic, and even state.
Indonesia makes religion one of the important issues in the constitution (constituzionalization of religion). This practice of constitutionalization of religion gives a strong message about the state's commitment through recognition, protection, as well as guarantees of freedom for religious people in embracing their religion and beliefs (Article 28E and Article 29 of the 1945 Constitution).
At this point, the existence of the state is not in a vacuum from religious values (divinity) in its activities in the public sphere. The intersection (actors) of the state and religion in reality goes hand in hand in a corridor that creates understanding and mutual understanding with one another.
This is inseparable from the construction of the Indonesian state which was designed not on the basis of religion, but at the same time Indonesia was not founded by separating religion from state life.
In this context, the implementation of Ramadan fasting is actually a showcase as well as a manifestation of the existence of religious constitutionalization in Indonesia. Religious adherents freely express their religious activities while remaining aware of the plurality of Indonesian society within the corridors of applicable laws and regulations.
The State of God
The constitutionalization of religion in the 1945 Constitution specifies the attitude and position of the state by making religion an important sector in governance. The existence of the Ministry of Religious Affairs (Kemenag), as mentioned by Dian Abdul Hamid Shah (2017), is the most visible manifestation of the state's commitment in the field of religion which makes it a nation with a religious character.
At this point, the relationship between the state and religion has two aspects at once, namely the formal aspect which intersects with the state's facilitation of all religions and their adherents in practicing their religions and beliefs. The state guarantees freedom in practicing religious beliefs and beliefs. The state also protects citizens in expressing their religious beliefs.
On the other hand, there is a material aspect in which the state places universal religious values into the material spirit of state administration. The spirit emitted from universal religious values is actually manifested through Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution. This material aspect has relevance for the state in the management of state administration.
The spirit emanating from universal religious values is actually manifested through Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.
In the discussion of the draft basic law (RUUD) in the meeting of the Independence Investigation Committee (BPUPK), June 1, 1945, at the discussion of the basis of the state, Bung Karno mentioned the importance of a deity that is cultural, which means the absence of religious egoism, a deity that is virtuous, and a deity that respects one another.
In practice, religious rules coexist with other rules, such as the rules of decency and the rules of decency which are material in the process of planning, discussing, and implementing legal norms that bind the public. In other words, religious values and values that grow in the community (living in law) serve as important elements in the formation of positive legal rules.
Authentic State
The relationship between the state and religion in the formal aspect places the state as a facilitator in state administration, especially in providing public services. Consequently, the state is active in facilitating the formal-ceremonial activities of religion and its adherents.
This is confirmed by the findings of Pew Research Center's 2020 research that Indonesia is ranked as the seventh most religious country in the world, with 98.7 percent of respondents considering religion important and 96 percent considering that one's morality is determined by faith in God.
These findings are unchanged from previous research (2007-2019).
Interestingly, the findings reveal that economic, educational and age factors influence perceptions of the existence of religion and faith in God. The lower a country's economic ability (gross domestic product) and access to education, and the older the age (over 50), the more it believes in the existence of God and religion. The ten most religious countries are developing countries.
However, the religiosity of the Indonesian people is in fact not confirmed in the practices of state administrators and the resulting policy products that are not yet oriented towards the public good. At this point, the state has merely placed and operationalized religion as a formal aspect of the state.
Religion has not become a material aspect that becomes a guiding value in the management of state administration to be better. This is confirmed in several findings.
A number of visitors take pictures and visit the mosque installation inside Senayan City Mall, Tanah Abang, Central Jakarta, Wednesday (20/3/2024). The shopping center made decorations in the form of mosque installations in order to welcome the holy month of Ramadan 1445 Hijri.
Indonesia's corruption perception index in 2023 ranked 115th out of 180 countries, with a score of 33 out of 100 or the same as the achievement in 2022. The rule of law index in 2023 also stagnated at 0.53 out of 1 (the highest), the same as the previous year's achievement.
Similarly, the democracy index in 2023 was 6.53 points, down from 6.71 points in 2022. This puts Indonesia in the category of flawed democracy.
This is an important note for state administrators as a basis for evaluation and improvement in various public sectors.
The findings also confirm the non-linearity of the formal aspects of religion with the material aspects of religion. The state has only fulfilled the formal aspects of religion and failed to make the material aspects an inspiration for values in state management.
The state has only fulfilled the formal aspects of religion and neglected to make the material aspects an inspiration for values in state management.
The noble values of religion, such as honesty, fairness, trustworthiness, and trustworthiness, have not been fully transformed through behavior, attitudes, actions, including in the process of forming public policies. As a result, anomalous and paradoxical events often become commonplace in the public sphere.
The constitutionalization of religion as stipulated in the 1945 Constitution should give birth to an authentic state practice, which displays the values of honesty, justice and trustworthiness derived from religious values. Not the other way around, a surplus in religious rituals, but a value deficit in the organization of the state.
Ramadan should be a contemplative moment to place religious values as a material aspect of state administration. As Matthew Arnold (1822-1888) stated, the true meaning of religion is thus not simply morality, but morality touched by emotion (Susan Ratcliffe, 2006).
Ramadan should give birth to a deep awareness to transform the noble values of religion into the public sphere of the state.
(This article was published on Kompas.id on March 25, 2024 05:45 WIB)