Guarding Shariah From Liberalism: A Critical Overview On Liberal Islam Network In Indonesia

The history has witnessed different efforts from other parties to go against Islam as a religion of peace. Through its teachings and values, Islam appears as a religion that propagates universal message of mercy and peace for all mankind regardless their race, colour and religion. Shariah as a law containing all guidance for Muslims in their daily life must be put above everything. However, challenges faced by Islam in different parts of the world have been occurring until today such secularism, liberalism, and other concepts and thoughts. This paper aims at explaining how Shariah can be guarded from the threat of liberalism which occurred in Indonesia through the movement called Jaringan Islam Liberal (Liberal Islam Network, abbreviated as JIL). The paper elaborates in details main issues related to the network which include among others: history its emergence, key figures, concepts and activities, as well as its missions and agenda. Based on qualitative method of research using library research referring to primary and secondary resources gathered, the paper analyse the concept and thoughts followed and disseminated by the Liberal Islam Network followers and further study their movement in order to expose the faults and deviations as portrayed by this movement which emerged for the first time in early 2001. Among the results of the research are as follow: The Liberal Islam Network (JIL) was a result of Modernity and its philosophical thought which influenced young Indonesian Muslims. It is funded by Western foundations and disseminates the ideas of Secularization, Westernization, Pluralism, Inclusivism, and Feminism, and Liberalism. Finally, the paper asserts that to guard Shariah from deviated thoughts is to understand Islam from the true interpretation of Islam by reliable Muslim Scholars.