Cadets "Sakti" from Timor

In a close combat, the East Timorese officer was not shot by a Dutch patrol. Considered sacred.

Julius Henuhili is one of the few sons from Rote Island who has had a successful career in the Indonesian National Armed Forces (TNI). With the last rank of lieutenant general, Julius has certainly received various assignments and held various positions from the lowest to the highest military commander.

His career started after the Dutch army left the Motherland in 1950. As an anti-air attack artillery (ARSU) officer, Julius was entrusted with being the commander of the ARSU battalion from 1952 to 1954. From there his assignment shifted to SUAD and then the High Operations Command (KOTI). According to Harsya Bachtiar in Who Is a High Officer of the Indonesian National Armed Forces , from 1962 to 1965 Julius was entrusted with being the head of the Air Defense Command Staff in the Army.

Julius' highest position in the land dimension is commander of the Merdeka Military Command in North Sulawesi. He occupied this position from December 1971 to January 1974. Julius was then assigned to become the Commander General of the Indonesian Armed Forces Academy (Akabri) from December 1980 to June 1983. This position was his last position in military service. After that, he "followed" General M. Jusuf for five years who was asked to lead the Supreme Audit Agency (BPK) after retiring from ABRI.

Julius' long military career was certainly not built in a year or two. He has built the foundation since he was young during the War of Independence. It was during the time of the national revolution that Julius entered the Yogyakarta Military Academy (AMY). He managed to graduate in 1948 as the first generation.

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Fulfilling the Sacred Call

Every Muslim hopes to perfect his Islam by means of happening a pilgrimage to Mecca. This is the history of Indonesian Muslims going to the Holy Land.

ALLAH has ordained that the holy area of Mecca could be visited with the aid of waves of people who will in no way subside. There, there's the Kaaba that is the route for Muslim prayers. Therefore, each Muslim wishes with a purpose to carry out the 5th pillar of Islam (pilgrimage) to Mecca. Indonesian Muslims aren't any exception.

The practice of pilgrimage via Indonesian Muslims has been recorded because the sixteenth century. The spirit of pilgrimage endured to boom in the course of the Dutch colonial period, although it changed into restricted by using numerous guidelines. Their passionate enthusiasm makes them do some thing: some shop for years, mortgage their possessions, to work in Singapore to repay debts to be able to satisfy God's call.

Their sacrifice did no longer give up there. The adventure to Mecca by means of boat took a long time, wherein the ferocity of the waves could have sunk the deliver. When switching to the plane, an twist of fate in no way passed off. However, all of that could be a take a look at and dying in the way of Allah is the goal. So, do not be amazed if many pilgrims from Indonesia are antique and antique: final their lives with pilgrimage.*

The following is a unique document on the history of the Indonesian Muslim pilgrimage.

Dutch Colonial Period Hajj Exam

Resolusi Membatasi Haji

Agen dan Calo Haji

Haji Kiblik vs Haji NICA

Jatuh Bangun Kelola Haji

Tenggelamnya Arafat

Bukan Sekadar Perjalanan Rohani

Haji dan Akomodasi Politik

Telantar di Makkah

Berakhir di Perawan Tujuh

Tragedi yang Terulang

Kudeta Berdarah di Makkah

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Snouck Hurgronje's Two Sides

Snouck Hurgronje is better known as a controversial figure than as an academic and scientist.
MOST Indonesians view Snouck Hurgronje as a controversial figure. Snouck's role in trying to extinguish the resistance of the Acehnese people made him considered an antagonist in the Aceh War (1873–1914).
On the other hand, the man who was born on February 8, 1857 was also known as a respected academic and orientalist. Wim van den Doel, author of the book Snouck: Biography of a Scientist Christian Snouck Hurgronje said that not a few people saw Snouck as a progressive thinker.
MOST Indonesians view Snouck Hurgronje as a controversial figure. Snouck's role in trying to extinguish the resistance of the Acehnese people made him considered an antagonist in the Aceh War (1873–1914).
On the other hand, the man who was born on February 8, 1857 was also known as a respected academic and orientalist. Wim van den Doel, author of the book Snouck: Biography of a Scientist Christian Snouck Hurgronje said that not a few people saw Snouck as a progressive thinker.
The discussion on the two sides of Snouck Hurgronje became the main theme in the book launch, mini symposium and photo exhibition titled "Admired and Despised: The Life and Works of Snouck Hurgronje" which was held at the National Library, Jakarta, Saturday (13/5/2022) . A photo exhibition featuring photos from the digital collection of the Leiden University Library, The Netherlands, will take place from 13 to 25 May 2023.
A number of figures attended as speakers at the event, including Jajat Burhanuddin, panelist from UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta, Jajang A. Rohmana, panelist from UIN Sunan Gunung Jati Bandung, Bonnie Triyana, panelist and chief editor of Historia.ID, and Wim van den Doel , author of the book Snouck: A Biography of Scientist Christian Snouck Hurgronje .
According to Jajat Burhanuddin, the presence of  Snouck's book: Biography of Scientist Christian Snouck Hurgronje  not only enriches the Indonesian archipelago's historical literature in general, but can also become an additional reference for Dutch scientists who research Islam in the archipelago, especially Snouck Hurgronje.
"Apart from providing advice to the Dutch Colonial government, including intelligence briefings on military surprise attacks in Aceh, Snouck Hurgronje's career is also related to his understanding of Islam," said Jajat.
Jajat added, "Starting from his encounters with a number of Indonesian Muslims, Snouck continued his research by observing the ways in which Javanese clerics practiced Islamic teachings until they developed into an established system. Through these observations, the level of penetration of Islam in the lives of Muslims can be measured."
Meanwhile, Jajang revealed that Snouck Hurgronje received assistance from a number of people in conducting research related to Islam in the archipelago. One of them is Haji Hasan Mustapa who is known as a famous scholar and poet in the land of Pasundan.
“Snouck and Hasan Mustapa first met in Mecca. Communication between the two continued after Snouck lived in the Dutch East Indies," said Jajang.
Hasan Mustapa was not just a brainstorming partner for Snouck. His ability to write and read Arabic script made him an important informant for Snouck and the Dutch colonial government. He also served as head of the chief princes in Kutaraja (1893–1895) and Bandung (1895–1917).
Wim van den Doel said that Snouck Hurgronje's discussion was not only about his role as an aide to the Dutch colonial government in quelling the resistance of the Acehnese people, which then made Snouck's figure often considered controversial because of his connection with colonialism in the past.
"Apart from his role as a state official who was sent to the colony, one of the reasons for research on Islam that Snouck studied was out of curiosity as a scientist and academic," said Van den Doel.
Meanwhile, Bonnie Triyana said that the interesting thing related to the discussion on Snouck Hurgronje is how today's society, especially the Indonesian people, see the figure of Snouck. He said that in a  poll  on social media, most of the public saw Snouck Hurgronje as a Dutch colonial spy, in addition to several others seeing Snouck as an academic and figure who played a role in reducing the resistance of the Acehnese people.
"Our need to see Snouck today may be different from several decades which were colored and influenced by very nationalistic and patriotic historiographical traditions, so that we often forget that in certain cases there are areas that we really need to explore in more detail," said Bonnie.
Bonnie emphasizes the importance of viewing history contextually as an effort to minimize views that generalize certain figures in history. "And what is more important is how to share this knowledge with the public so that the stigma does not continue," said Bonnie.
In line with Bonnie, Jajang also revealed that reading history needs to be done chronologically. "Don't jump, don't position figures in the past with our point of view in the present," said Jajang. "Because our perspective in the present is different from the past."
In this regard, Jajang said that  Snouck's book: Scientist Biography Christian Snouck Hurgronje  contributed to describing Snouck Hurgronje's complex life.*

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Dutch Colonial Period Hajj Exam

Those returning from the pilgrimage are required to take exams. Those who pass the exam are allowed to wear the title and hajj dress.

Pilgrims from various regions in Indonesia have departed for Mecca to perform the pilgrimage. The departure of the pilgrims this year was divided into two waves. The first batch ends on 16 June 2023, while the second batch starts from 7 to 22 June 2023.

The pilgrimage has been a dream for Muslims in the archipelago since ancient times. M. Dien Majid wrote in Hajj in the Colonial Period, at the end of the 19th and early 20th centuries, pilgrims from various regions in the archipelago made up more than 40 percent of all pilgrims from various countries in the world. The great interest of Indonesian Muslims in performing the pilgrimage became the focus of the attention of the Dutch colonial government, which was worried that it could disrupt their status quo as rulers in their colonial territories.

Therefore, the colonial government drew up a number of regulations related to the implementation of the pilgrimage. Kees van Dijk in "Sarong, Cloak, and Pants: Appearance as a Means of Discrimination and Discrimination", contained in Outward Appearances compiled by Henk Schulte Nordholt and M. Imam Aziz, said that in the mid-19th century the Dutch had considered the possibility of banning the use of the title of Hajj and prevent those who have traveled to the Holy Land from wearing special garments, which are described as the “Mohammedan costume and turban”.

Dutch Colonial Period Hajj Exam

However, the Indian Consul decided otherwise. “Unable to forbid hajjis from wearing their Arabic titles and attire, the colonial administration developed laws to ensure at least that all those who called themselves hajjis (and who dressed in such fashion) had indeed traveled to the Holy Land,” wrote Van Dijk. As such, Muslims cannot "call themselves the name of the hadji and adopt his costume without ever setting foot in the Holy Land".

Based on the regulations contained in the Staatsblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie 1859 number 42, people who return from the pilgrimage must take a kind of test held by the regent or regional head with equal status, and be assisted by one or more hajjis who have a good reputation. to find out if these people really went to Mecca. If these people pass the test, they will receive a certificate and be allowed to dress like a pilgrim.

Meanwhile, according to Dien Majid, if a person who takes the exam cannot prove that he has actually performed the pilgrimage in the Holy Land, then he is not entitled to receive a certificate and is not permitted to dress like a pilgrim. Not only that, the person is also threatened with fines ranging from f.25 to f. 100 for each violation.

Regulations related to the implementation of the pilgrimage compiled by the colonial government not only regulated the examination of the pilgrimage, but also required people who had just returned from the Holy Land to report to the local authorities when they first arrived to get a pass sign, which was valid for the next trip to the chosen place. In order to make this policy known to the public, the regulations contained in the Staatsblad voor Nederlandsch-Indie 1859 number 42 were translated into Malay and Chinese.

Over time, the regulations related to the implementation of the Hajj, including the obligation to take the Hajj exam, have drawn attention from a number of parties, one of which is Snouck Hurgronje. According to E. Gobée and C. Adriaanse in C. Snouck Hurgronje's Advice During his Service to the Dutch East Indies Government 1889–1936, Snouck expressed his criticism of the Hajj regulations drawn up by the colonial government in 1859 to the governor general. He considered that the examination and awarding of haj diplomas were unnecessary, moreover every haj exam could be passed with good results by a non-hajjan, while a hajj who was rather stupid would only pass with difficulty.

In addition, Snouck also said that the habit of using Hajj clothes by people who have not performed the pilgrimage is not a crime. “Firstly, Hajj clothing is very difficult to define; and upon analysis, there was nothing left but his turban. However, this headgear has been worn since ancient times, apart from the hajjis, by native officials in the two religious holidays, and also by many of the princes who are still functioning, even though they are not hajjis. The turban is also worn by Hadramaut Arabs, most of whom have not yet performed the pilgrimage," he said. Therefore, Snouck believes that the wearing of "Arab head covering" is sometimes seen by the local community as part of a custom.

Regarding the use of the title hajj, Wim van den Doel in Snouck: Biography of a Scientist Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje writes that the Dutch scientist and orientalist thought that it was the colonial government that unknowingly gave the honorary stamp to the title hajj. According to Snouck, the title's value of the word hajj was largely due to false fears on the part of the colonialists that the government protected the title and defended its misuse. Thus, Snouck not only pushed for the abolition of the hajj examination policy, he also concluded that placing the hajj title and attire outside the law was the only rational step that could be taken by the colonial government until the policy was abolished in 1902.*

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Islamic Civilization in a Collection of Archives

The history of Islamic civilization stretches long from the Arabian Peninsula to the Archipelago. Millions of archives scattered everywhere record his journey.

In general, cooperation between countries with Muslim populations is established in the economic, scientific and cultural fields. However, it has never been established in the field of archives. In fact, the history of Islam that is preserved in archival records is also part of world civilization. It is for this reason that the heads of archives from countries with Muslim populations gathered for the first time.

"This meeting is an initial step to explore and explore the establishment of a national archive collaboration forum in all Muslim or Muslim-populated countries," said Head of the National Archives of the Republic of Indonesia (ANRI) Imam Gunarto in a preliminary meeting "National Archive Cooperation Forum of Populated Countries Muslim majority” at ANRI, South Jakarta on Wednesday 12 July 2023.

Apart from Indonesia as the host, the meeting was attended by representatives of nine other countries. They are: Saudi Arabia, Brunei Darussalam, Iraq, Kuwait, Malaysia, Morocco, Qatar, Palestine and Jordan. This forum is expected to preserve the collective memory of the long-standing history of Islam. And of course to increase the role of national archives in Muslim countries at the international level.

The pleasures of Cianjur

Indonesian Archives Ambassador Rieke Diah Pitaloka who is also a member of the DPR emphasized the same thing. Apart from serving as historical evidence, the historical archives of Islamic civilization are also a collective memory of the struggles of every nation which is dominated by Muslims. According to him, the thoughts of the leaders of Islamic countries are in line with the thoughts of the leaders at the Asian-African Conference (KAA). Work together for peace, justice and the welfare of mankind.

One of the important historical archives is related to the formation of the Organization of the Islamic Conference in 1969. It later changed its name to the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC). The formation of the OIC was spearheaded by King Hasan II from Morocco and King Faisal from Saudi Arabia.

“The archives reveal the fact that this organization is not only fighting to protect the holy places of Muslims, not only striving to increase cooperation among member countries. OIC also fights for international peace and security. In line with the spirit of the 1955 Asian Conference, the OIC is committed to helping the struggle for an independent and sovereign Palestinian state," Rieke added.

In Indonesia alone, historical archives on Islam are quite rich. It is scattered everywhere. Not only in archival institutions, but kept by clerics, Islamic boarding schools, and Islamic-based communities.

According to Oman Fathurrahman, professor of philology at the Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University, many archives in Indonesia are linked to the Arab world through tarekat and selawat manuscripts. This is because the network of Islamic civilization in the past was connected in such a way. Is it through trade, diplomacy, knowledge interaction, or religious interaction. This connected network makes Islam not only grow and develop in the Arabian Peninsula. Islamic civilization was born later in various areas that were originally called peripheral or periphery scholars.

However, Oman does not agree with the term peripheral as a suburb which has a low meaning. Peripherals show more places far from the center of Islamic development such as Mecca and Medina. But from the point of view of Islamic civilization, it is not actually in the sense that the quality of adab is low.

“Never see that Islamic archives and manuscripts written in non-Arabic languages are inferior. Absolutely not. That there is a translation, yes. Arabs also used to translate Greek archives and scholarship at Baitul Hikmah during the Abbasid Caliphate, for example," he said.

The spice route shows the route from Mecca and Medina to the archipelago through various regions. Starting from Aden in Yemen, Oman, to Sri Lanka. At least until the 19th century, these stopover points became the route for connecting Indonesian pilgrims to the holy land. Thus, Islamic civilization is actually very, very rich, not only in Arabia.

"We have Arab, African, Asian, Persian, Turkish, Ottoman and even European Islamic civilizations. If in the context of archives and manuscripts, we will find Islamic archives in countries in this region, including Southeast Asia (Nusantara). This is what is less known by the public about the complexity of the international relations of the Muslim world that connects it with us in Southeast Asia," explained Oman.

Besides Arab Islam influencing the culture of the Archipelago, continued Oman, it turns out that Nusantara Islam has also contributed to the Arab world. Lots of thoughts from Nusantara scholars whose books were printed in the Arab world. Some of them were Sheikh Abdurrauf Singkil (1615-1693) from Aceh, Sheikh Abdus Shamad al-Palimbani (1704-1789) from Palembang, and Sheikh Muhammad Arsyad al-Banjari (1710–1812) from Banjar. Their works were printed at Mustafa Al-Babi al-Halabi, the oldest printing house in Cairo, Egypt.

“You can see that there is a reciprocal relationship, a mutually beneficial connection. This relationship stimulated the birth of Islamic archives and manuscripts. So Nusantara scholars interacted with the Indian, Persian, Arab Muslim communities, met in Mecca and Medina, then gave birth to archives," he explained.

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Revealing Shia History

Exploring Shia History

Shia is said to have been present in the archipelago for a long time. Traces of history and its influence can be used to reduce Sunni-Shia conflicts.

The community's ignorance of history and Shia teachings is considered to have played a role in igniting the embers of the Sunni-Shia conflict in Indonesia until now. Because of this, this nation is easily unstable in responding to the differences between the two major streams of Islam. This was stated by Husain Heriyanto, a teaching staff at the University of Indonesia, in the "International Conference on Historical and Cultural Presence of Shias in Southeast Asia" at Gadjah Mada University, Yogyakarta.

Ignorance does not only affect ordinary people, but also religious leaders. When culturalist Agus Sunyoto was attending an Islamic boarding school, his teacher advised him to stay away from Shia teachings. “According to him, Shia is anti-mawlid, anti-wiridan, and anti-pilgrimage. Even though they are Wahhabism,” said Agus, author of the book Atlas Wali Songo. "The existence and influence of Shia has taken root in several parts of the archipelago since 1400 years ago."

In Central Maluku, this influence is manifested in the form of the Ma'atenu dance. This dance was introduced by the Hatuhaha people. "They are the oldest Muslim community in Maluku which was formed since the eighth century. Their leader has a lineage from Ali bin Abi Talib. Therefore, this dance is intended as a form of praise for the Prophet Muhammad, Ali, and his descendants."

The As Pelor gang

Ripping the body with a sharp object characterizes this dance. Exactly with the dance in the Shia tradition to commemorate the event of Karbala. Until now this dance is still sustainable. "Shia teachings have integrated with the ancestral culture of Moluccas Islam," said Yance Zadrak Rumahuru, teacher at the Ambon State Protestant Christian College (STAKPN). "Unfortunately, this contribution is often overlooked."

Shia influence is also found in Sumatra. Mohammad Ali Rabbani, attache to the Iranian Embassy, stated that traces of heritage from Indians in Sumatra are strong with Shiite influence, for example, tabuk and tombs dating from the 17th century.

“This is because the Indians who came to Sumatra were influenced by the Persians. Those people adhere to the Shiite sect," Rabbani said. On the other hand, the Persians and Indians also adopted the traditions of the Sumatran people. “This interaction benefits Muslims. One nation benefits from another nation.

Shia Begins from Veranda of Makkah

In Aceh the situation is somewhat different. The people there were first familiar with Persian traditions. "Before Shia became an official sect in Persia, the Acehnese had come into contact with Persian culture," said Kamaruzzaman Bustaman Ahmad, a lecturer at the State Islamic Institute (IAIN) Ar-Raniry, Aceh.

Because of this, it is difficult to dissect the traditions of Shia, Persia and Aceh. “All of this has been blended in the dayah (Islamic boarding school). The results are poured outside the dayah," said Kamaruzzaman. Even so, Shia-Sunni bloody conflict never occurred in Aceh in the 17th century. This was because extreme groups within Sunni or Shia dominated Aceh at that time. According to Azyumardi Azra, a professor at the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta, the long history of Shia history in the archipelago can be used to reduce Sunni-Shia conflict. “It is clear that Sunni-Shia can no longer be seen in black and white. The two influence each other.”*

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Alamsyah Arafi

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