Understanding the Diversity of the Nation

Al-Qur'an states, he created humans of different ethnic groups to know each other (lita’arafu). Diversity drives unity. Diversity is also a means for the advancement of civilization. Because civilization is created one of them with a wealth of perspectives and intellectuality of many humans and differences.

By knowing each other's differences, we can learn to build civilization. By knowing each other's differences, mutual respect and respect will develop, and a learning process will be created. Misunderstandings often occur because we do not yet know each other's diversity between us.

However, it is not enough interaction just to get to know others, they must also know us. Interaction of both parties will give birth not only to sympathy but also empathy. If we ask others to understand us, the other party also asks the same thing. The initial steps are exactly like the message of the Qur'an, getting to know each other.

The ancestors of the Nusantara community since centuries ago have sparked that even though they are different, we are still one (unity in diversity). The motto can be found in the Book of Sutasoma by Empu Tantular written in the 14th century during the era of the Majapahit Kingdom.

Indonesia is fortunate to have a single diversity philosophy since long ago when Western countries began to pay attention to the concept of diversity. Indonesia is a country that is very rich in diversity.

Cultural heritage that originated from the days of the Hindu kingdoms, Buddhism and Islam remains sustainable and rooted in society. On this basis, the founders of the state agreed to use a single bhinneka ika which means "different but still one" as the country's motto.

The Indonesian people have lived together for centuries with diversity and diversity. Differences in skin color, language, customs, religion, and various other differences. The difference was made by the ancestors as capital to build this nation into a large nation.

History records that all children of various nationalities and religions were all involved in fighting for Indonesian independence. All joined in fighting by taking their respective roles.

The harmony or harmony of the Republic of Indonesia which has been created for decades by an instrument called the Pancasila still continues to undermine several groups. To legitimize their movements, they even carried the banner of Islam so that they seemed to be able to ignite all the militancy of a person.

Related to this, the 4th President of the Republic of Indonesia KH Abdurrahman Wahid or Gus Dur often stressed, essentially intolerant mentality exists in every human being. This attitude will explode when it gets a little spark to undermine the basis of the country so that the understanding of anti-Pancasila burst. They consider that as a Muslim-majority country, the basic state that must be applied must also be based on Islamic law.

It is at this point that they understand Islam symbolically which must perch into the formalization of religion in the state system. Whereas Gus Dur (2012) himself said that Islam does not need to be hoisted into a flag. In the context of a pluralistic Indonesian nation, of course the arrogance of some Islamic groups which insisted on the khilafah would scatter the Indonesian nation.

Moreover, the group did not hesitate to act violently and eliminate human lives if they did not agree with it. This is what is called religious radicalism so that acts of terrorism emerge. Though terrorism itself has no religion. That is, any religion and belief does not teach violence, let alone kill fellow human beings.

This fact shows that the concept of the state among Muslims still has not yet been agreed upon. At least Muslims must realize and put Islam as the spirit of the life of the nation and state. Instead, religion tries to be formalized into the state system. Especially in a country as diverse as the Indonesian nation. Learning from Gus Dur, all nations only need to be empathetic to realize unity so as to strengthen the country.

Gus Dur (1991) provided a substantive explanation of what Nahdlatul Ulama had done. First, according to Gus Dur, NU was able to keep it straight in viewing the state as a nation. The terminology of the nation in this case is diversity, diversity, and differences that must continue to be maintained. Because according to Gus Dur, the more we are different, the more we know the points of our unity as a nation.

The view of the nation state (Nation state) that continues to be maintained by NU because there is a human tendency when becoming modern wants this country to be one of two: free from religion altogether (becoming a secular state) or a state motivated by religion such as the passion to establish an Islamic state. Of course this paradigm is inseparable from the increasingly modern life of the Indonesian nation.

In this context, becoming an Indonesian nation that is able to modernize traditionality and modernize modernity becomes important as NU's principle in responding to global change by sticking to, al-muhafadzah alal qadimis sholih, though akhdzu bil jadidil ashlah (maintaining good old traditions, and taking a stand for new traditions better).

Second, NU is able to maintain religion to continue to color the life of the nation and state. That is, religious life remains a pillar of national harmony because religion basically teaches goodness. It is at this point that Muslim society places importance on Islam as a public religion, that is, a religion capable of maintaining harmonization of social interactions among the nation's children.

Not the other way around, placing religion in the ivory tower so that it will be blind to togetherness which can actually be realized by fellow religious adherents on the basis of muwafaqah or similarity as a nation's child of a nation state.

Source: NU Online