Grassroots
Pluralist Network
The goal of this program is to build a network of
Islamic religious leaders, organizations and their constituents who
actively promote the values of liberty and tolerance. The program is
inspired by Indonesia's pluralist history and background, and
leverages LibForAll’s relationships with key figures in the nation's top Muslim
organizations to empower leaders at the grassroots
level. This program also serves as a template for the execution of
similar projects in other parts of the Muslim world.
One recent event held in the Central Javanese province of Magelang was
attended by over 10,000 people, including thousands of religious
leaders (below), who gathered to hear an address by LibForAll
advisor Kyai Haji
Achmad Mustofa Bisri.

LibForAll co-founder Kyai Haji Abdurrahman
Wahid - who headed the world's largest Muslim organization, the
Nahdlatul Ulama, from 1984 - 99 prior to becoming Indonesia's first
democratically-elected president - also plays a key role in this
project. President Wahid's reputation as one of the world's
leading Muslim clerics opens doors for LibForAll Foundation
throughout Indonesia and worldwide.
Maulana Galih Sukmojoyo (dressed in white, with his
daughter and LibForAll Programs Director Dr. Ravi Krishnamurthy) is an example of the kinds of
grassroots leaders who are not only empowered by, but also drive, this
program. Popularly known as Gus Galih (Brother Galih) because
of his descent from a renowned religious figure, Galih is a
Nahdlatul Ulama kyai (Islamic
spiritual leader) who
runs a pesantren (Islamic boarding school) for troubled
youth. These youth have a history of juvenile delinquency, and are
at risk of either turning into hardened criminals or embracing
more radical forms of Islam.

Visiting Gus Galih’s pesantren is a novel
experience. Every aspect of the facility -- which lies deep in the
Javanese heartland, near the ancient Buddhist temple of Borobudur --
is designed to convey a
spiritual message. Upon arrival, visitors glimpse a painted
tombstone inscribed with the words, "Eleng Pati" (Remember Death)
written on the pesantren's outer wall. The entry to the
pesantren is flanked by guardian
statues associated with palace of the Mataram royal dynasty in Yogyakarta, to which Gus Galih is related.

One must bow to
enter the buildings or prayer hall; doorways are
deliberately set very low to force the young toughs -- who respect Galih and visit him from as far away as the cities of Magelang and
Yogyakarta -- to adopt an unaccustomed attitude of humility. For
example, to enter the
mosque, one must bend and crawl through a large pipe.
Gus Galih explains that this reminds one to be
humble in the presence of God.

The boarding school's reception area is
designed to inculcate an attitude of humility, tolerance, love and
compassion for all humanity. Upon entering, visitors encounter
a statue of the indigenous Javanese dewa (divinity) Semar, who is said to
have preceded Hinduism, Buddhism, Islam and Christianity in Java,
and to have embraced them all. Semar is shown giving visitors the
"thumbs up," conveying the unspoken message that, “You are welcome and free of
judgment here, no matter who you are or what you may have done
in the past." It is this attitude that attracts young
delinquents and even hardened criminals to Pesantren Asadul Islam,
where many have
abandoned their past behavior and embraced the mystical Sufi Islam
of Gus Galih.

Even more striking to foreign visitors is the picture of Jesus Christ
that Galih displays on the wall of his reception room. The
unmistakable message conveyed to students and visitors
alike is that Islam teaches respect for all religions, as paths
which lead towards ultimate union with the Divine.
Gus Galih showed us his membership in five Sufi orders and his
spiritual lineage tracing back to the Prophet Mohammed (above left).
He is also descended from the rulers of the ancient Majapahit
kingdom and the founders of the Mataram dynasty, as displayed in his ancestral tree
(above right). This inspired young
man is helping to transform the lives of many troubled youths.
With our support, his impact can extend to hundreds, and perhaps
even thousands more.

This boarding school and its leader reflect the essence of
"the struggle for the soul of Islam" that is currently raging
throughout the Muslim world. Gus Galih and religious leaders like
him are spiritual warriors (represented by the tiger,
above) on the frontlines of a global ideological struggle -- working to
ensure the triumph of a peaceful and tolerant
vision of Islam.
Through its Pluralist Network program, LibForAll is
working to identify and unite such leaders; capture the essence of their
teachings in various media; and disseminate their shared vision of a
pluralistic and tolerant Islam to the public at large, with a
particular focus on youth.

Properly supported, a wide-ranging network of
religious leaders such as Gus Galih can create a powerful upsurge
within Muslim communities worldwide, that will help to reduce
religious extremism and discredit the use of terror.

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Major Grassroots Event
in Central Java >