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 played a key role in this project. President Wahid's reputation as one of the world's leading Muslim clerics opened 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 >