Islam Wasatiya

Nahdlatul Ulama also has a special branche in Europe, or more specific the Netherlands. In March 2017 they held a conference  to promote the concept of Islam Nusantara and in the earlier version of this blog I wrote some impressions of their conference in Amsterdam. This year the venue for their International Conference was at Radboud University, Nijmegen, 18-19 June 2019.
The concept of Islam Nusantara is still clear, but the central theme was Islam Wasatiya. The basic idea of the word wasat is middle, between two extremes, a middle course and in modern context als environment. It is in Qur'an 2:143 where the direction of prayer has been changed from north (Jerusalem) to south (Mecca), for the community in Medina. It indicates a distinct way from jews (and Christians) to an Arab Islam.
It is precisely this modern Arab or salafi Islam that is rejected by the concept of Islam Wasatiya.
There was more or less traditional music, singing of the Indonesian national anthem and the hymn of Nahdlatul Ulama, where the community showed their fists, prepared to fight for the traditional valus of their blend of Islam.

Below is the orchestra singing a mix of Indonesia gamelan music, Arab tunes and modern relipop. Above, in the centre is minister of religions, Lukman Hakim Saifudin singing, with his fists giving emphasis to the fighting spirit in this moderate style of Islam. In his speech he quoted the Abu Dhabi Declaration of the 'Human Fraternity doucment or Ukhuwah insaniya) of 4 February 2019 with Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Shaykh Ahmad el-Tayyeb as promotors of inter-religious harmony. The minister rejected extremism and respect not only for the major world religions, but especially local beliefs of the many tribes and regions of Indonesia. He quoted Qur'an 5:48: If Allah had pleased He could surely have made you opne people (professing one faith). But he wishes to try and etst you, so, try to excell in good deeds..

 From the European side the idea of Wasatiya was elaborated by Dr.Timothy Winter or Shaykh Abdul Hakim Murad from Cambridge (a complicated lecture about the 'green man' Hidr, Sura 18, Ahl al-Kahf) and Dr. Carool Kersten, now teaching at King's Copllege, London who gave an overview of the international use of the term.
After lunch there were many papers brought by Indonesians. Below is one presentation, showing how complex the moderate position can be.