CMR volume 16: Indonesia in the 19th century

 

CMR, the great series on the bibliographical history of Christan-Muslim Relations has now published volume 16: 825 pages on  North America (54 entries, 430 pages! Islam is a global religion!), interesting articles on China, Japan, some on Australia and 16 on Southeast Asia. - I wrote here five articles, one on L.W./C. van den Berg, further three on colonial conflicts with religious implications (Paderi wars, Aceh, Banjar 1859- and one on Ahmed Ripangi. I write here short remarks on more authors who were important for Indonesia.

1. Ismail Hakki Göksoy from Isparta, Turkey, found in the Ottoman archives in Istanbul a rich documentation of the correspondance between the sultanate of Aceh and the Ottomans in Mecca and Istanbul between 1849 and 1873. The Acehnese sultan wanted to put Aceh as part of the Ottoman empire and asked for protection, especially warships: 'For if we do not expell them from the Muslim lands, we fear all the people of the island will apostasise and leave Islam once and for all' (583). The Ottoman government did not act positively in favour of Aceh.

2.  Thomas Stamford Raffles wrote 1807 in private letters very positive about Islam: 'Mohamed's mission does not invalidate our Saviour's. One [= Islam] has secured happiness to the Eastern and one [= Christianity] to the Western world, and both deserve our veneration.' (526). But at the end of his career in Asia, in 1823, has was very negative about the role of Islam.

3. Nico Kaptein wrote about Sayyid Uthman, the most prominent Arab scholar in the Dutch East Indies between 1850 until his death in 1914.  He defended the position that the Dutch rule gave safety and protection to the Muslims and therefore it was illegal to steal from them or take their property in any means. (550). Kaptein adds that also 'traditional fiqh might provide arguments in favour of harmonious Christian-Muslim relations. (550). Kaptein also wrote about the mufti of Mecca, Ahmad ibn Zayni Dahlan (1816-1886), who issued several fatawa in the same line, that Muslims should obey the infidel colonial rulers in everything and that also the appoinments of mosque leaders are legal (565).

4. A very interesting person is Abdullah Abdulkadir, usually called Abdullah Munshi, of mixed Arab (Hadramaut) and Tamil ancestry. He was born in Malacca and fluent in languages, teacher of missionaries and colonial officials. Although he received his salary from the British and Americans, he remained critical and independent and in translating the gospels: he defended his Muslim confession, although he also admired the dedication of the colonial administration. Finally, through this contact 'Malay Islam became more defensive due to the mossionary presence.' (535).

The project has also some missing issues: the Java War of 1825-1830 and the position and writings of Prince Dipanagara are not discussed here, but in such a work always some deficiences are left to be corrected by others later.