Aceh Intellectual Movement

 By Thayeb Loh Angen

Uniting the two sides of the face of Acehnese civilization, dayah and campus. That was the impression after reading Teuku Zulkhairi's writing entitled Dayah and Campus Intellectualism” which was broadcast by Serambi Indonesia on Friday, November 27, 2015.

We are grateful for the increasing number of campuses and dayah. The Dayah Development and Education Agency has been established and is running with a large budget. Scholarships at home and abroad are also given. Unfortunately, at a time when educational institutions and the number of intellectuals (scholars) continue to grow, Aceh is still trapped in a state of stagnation (frozen). There are endemic problems in various fields. The burden of improving Aceh rests on the shoulders of the intellectuals. As a class of society whose advice must be heard by others, they bear the responsibility to improve the fate of the people as a whole.

Will people follow the advice of intellectuals? We must follow the advice of those who qualify as true scholars, namely- sincere, fear Allah, live simply, and act solely for the benefit of the people.

The people will follow their brave fatwas for the advancement of civilization, including advising the behavior of unjust and ignorant government officials to comply with the commands of Allah and the Messenger.

In order to advance civilization in Aceh, we question what steps have been taken by the intellectuals of the dayah and the campus to overcome this embarrassing fundamental problem.

Corruption

The financial disaster called corruption in Aceh is ranked second in Indonesia (Serambi Indonesia Daily Broadcast, 1 October 2012). What and how is the responsibility of the campus and the dayah - especially the graduates who are involved in the government - in protecting the people's property?

Why do people in the government - whether civil servants or not - take the rights of the Muslims in Aceh so that hundreds of thousands - even millions - suffer because of it? How is amar ma'ruf nahi munkar understood in this case?

Did the campus intellectuals - and the dayah - involved in drafting the qanun include the law on stealing people's money? What steps are being taken by the intellectuals of dayah and the campus to overcome this?

Campus and dayah intellectuals should immediately find a way to overcome -and subsequently - prevent corruption, collusion, and nepotism, so that educational organizations in Aceh have authority and the community returns to respect their figures.

Allotted assets for food, shelter, business, and public facilities for the Muslims were stolen (corrupted) by several people to be kept in their own or family accounts, with which they made luxurious houses – sometimes they did not have time to live in all of them, bought more vehicles than what was needed. necessary, a business is opened to increase wealth, and is immoral.

The corruptors are like lice and leeches that suck the blood of the Muslims. The assets confiscated by them are business capital for the poor and education for their children, building roads, houses for the poor, health, preserving cultural sites, developing technology, advancing knowledge, advancing art, and many other things.

What are the steps and actions of the campus intellectuals and the dayah to overcome this problem? Aceh is no longer possible to sacrifice people with low education to defend the truth - even holding weapons - as several years ago.

The movement needed to advance Aceh now is an intellectual movement. The late Hasan Tiro had made an intellectual movement, but somehow later became a military movement.

Aceh can progress by reading many books, and doing things according to the advice of wise people that are adapted to the situation. Not buying weapons that will kill other people, be they enemies or compatriots and co-religionists, even yourself.

Poverty

What are the solutions from campus intellectuals and dayahs to improve the lives of the poor people in Aceh whose income is now ranked 26th out of 33 provinces in Indonesia (Bappenas data, released freely in the media on April 9, 2015).

Campuses in Aceh have produced many economic scholars, but why is the people's economy in Aceh only partially improving, some being old and some getting worse. Why is the poverty rate increasing? What is the solution from a campus that has a faculty or department of economics, let alone a special economics high school?

What is taught on campus that chicken eggs and most of the secondary crops used in Aceh have to be imported from Medan? Where are our intellectuals when capitalist companies imprison society into usury (credit) for vehicles, bank money, and so on.

Where is the responsibility of the campus and the dayah in Aceh when some people go on pilgrimage - even umrah - several times, while at the same time there are still people who lack food, clothing, clean water, and live in lowly places? What is missing from our intellectuals? 

Quality of education

Is there a solution from campus intellectuals and dayahs to improve education in Aceh, which is now in the 32nd position out of 33 provinces in Indonesia (ICMI free broadcast, 9/5/2015). Don't college graduates -and now there are many dayah graduates - who work for the government?

Well, we agree with the suggestion that there should be good broadcasts about Aceh to compensate for the many bad things that people voluntarily broadcast. Therefore, here we are not talking about the disadvantages of dayah and campus or the advantages between the two.

We only ask, if we have intellectuals why do terrible mistakes keep happening? Are the teachings in our two types of education theoretical—ideas that are not necessarily useful for implementation—and study only to pass exams?

The courage to tell the truth has disappeared in the hearts of most of the educated people in our place. Capitalism has poisoned the mind to the point where the antidote is almost impossible to find. The bidder is not on campus, nor is there any more in the dayah. Unresolved problems are caused by the term hana mangat (uneasy feeling).

There is a fundamental difference between the attitudes of intellectuals in developed countries and in developing countries. Intellectuals in developed countries believe correctly what they know and try to put it into action despite the obstacles.

Intellectuals in developing countries like Indonesia use knowledge as a way to make a living in the world, and truth is no longer the number one thing for them.

The difference in attitude can be reversed, namely, "If intellectuals behave according to their knowledge and act according to the truth they believe in, then the country or region they inhabit will be advanced civilized."

Therefore, to improve Aceh, our greatest hope lies on the shoulders of the campus scholars and the dayah. They should be willing to defend and fight for the truth. Most importantly, they fight the influence of criminals in the government. Fight the criminals, Tengku! Destroy the destroyer of Aceh, Mr. Lecturer!

If the teungku at the dayah and the lecturers at the campus fail - but continue to try and act - in defending the truth against criminals in the government and their accomplices, the educated young generation will have a chivalrous attitude and strategy as justice enforcers.

Students on campus and santri in dayah should break the chain of crime. No, don't let the movement to control Aceh be carried out by ignorant people - especially hypocrites - because it will become a new disaster in the government as it is currently going.

Now, the destroyer of Aceh is in the government and the people involved are messing with its finances. If Hasan Tiro advocates Aceh against Jakarta -which is considered the source of the problem, then the current generation may take another way, namely focusing on the inside, in Aceh -because the problem is here.

If Aceh is independent inside, surely the views of outsiders about Aceh will be good. The government system should be improved and the people who only think of themselves should be replaced.

Take back Aceh, bring it back to the path of truth so that Aceh finds its dignity again. As the inhabitants of the archipelago in the past gave our indatu (ancestors) the nickname Veranda of Mecca. Have a good fight!

Source :

Thayeb Loh Angen, author of the novel Aceh 2025, administrator of the Hamzah Fansuri School

This article has been published on SerambiNews.com in Bahasa Indonesia under the title Gerakan Intelektual Aceh, https://aceh.tribunnews.com/2015/12/03/gerakan-intelektual-aceh?page=all.

Editor: bakri