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“The Difference between Mecca and Digul” by Moh. Amanoe: An Introduction and Annotated Translation
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 24 August 2009
Extract
Bedane Mekah karo Digoel is the title of a series of four articles which appeared in June-July 1930. They were written by someone signing himself Homo Sum and were published in the Javanese newspaper Swara-Oemoem, mouthpiece of Dr. Soetomo's Indonesische Studieclub.
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- Copyright © The National University of Singapore 1986
References
1 Sum, Homo, “Bedane Mekah karo Digoel” (The Difference between Mecca and Digul), Swara-Oemoem, Nos. 50, 54, 66 and 67 (18. 27 06 and 25, 28 07 1930)Google Scholar. The author's nom de plume is the first part of the Latin expression Homo sum, humani nihil a me alienum puto (I am a human being and consider nothing alien to me). “Digul” is a reference to the notorious internment camp, established by Dutch colonial authorities in the wake of communist uprisings in 1926–27, at the Upper Digul river in West Irian. The Indonesische Studieclub (Indonesian Studyclub) was founded on 11 July 1924 in Surabaya and aimed at giving intellectuals a sense of social responsibility and political insight.
2 Noer, Deliar, The Modernist Muslim Movement in Indonesia, 1900–1942 (Singapore: Oxford University Press, 1973), pp. 216 ffGoogle Scholar. Noer's categorization of “religiously neutral nationalists” seems preferable over “secular nationalists” although I occasionally will use the latter term as it is less awkward.
3 Noer, p. 307. Italics added.
4 Noer, p. 320. Italics added.
5 Rata, Abd. Wahid, Riwajat Penghidoepan Dr. Soetomo dan Perdjoeangannja (Medan: Sjarikat Tapanoeli, 1938)Google Scholar.
6 Rata, pp. 198, 203–204.
7 Rata, p. 219.
8 Noer, p. 258.
9 Abdulgani, Roeslan, Alm. Dr. Soetomo yang saya Kenal (Jakarta: Yayasan Idayu, 1976), p. 57Google Scholar.
10 Overzicht van de lnlandsche en Maleisch-Chineesche Pers (hereafter IPO), No. 38 (20 09 1930), pp. 442–44Google Scholar.
11 IPO, No. 52 (24 Dec. 1937), pp. 845–50; also Noer, pp. 244–45.
12 “Huwelijksordonnantie en Vrouwenemancipatie”, Bangoen, Year I, No. 8 (15 10 1937), pp. 114–20Google Scholar and No. 9 (1 Nov. 1937), pp. 131–37.
13 The Swara-Oemoem began its publication in early December 1929 (I have seen Year 1, No. 2 of 16 Dec. and very probably ceased with Year 2, No. 183 (30 Sept. 1931). Soetomo, in the Soeara-Oemoem of 1 October 1931, expressed his sadness at taking leave from his loyal Swara-Oemoem readers. Interestingly, even Cornell University's famous Southeast Asia collection put the two newspapers together without making any reference to the Swara-Oemoem (see Southeast Asia Catalog, Cornell University Libraries, John M. Echols Collection, entry under “Soeara-Oemoem”, Wason Film 2391 which begins with a holding for 3 January 1931). I express my appreciation to the Curator of Cornell's John M. Echols Collection, Giok P. Oey, for responding in detail to my inquiries on this matter. My battle against confusing the two newspapers, however, may well be a forlorn one. Although I identified the Mecca-Digul series as having appeared in the Swara-Oemoem in my Dr. Soetomo; Pandangan dan Cita-cita untuk Bangsanya (Surabaya: Universitas Airlangga Press, 1980), pp. 11 and 45Google Scholar, the printers of a subsequent work of which I was the editor changed this (without informing or consulting me) into Soeara-Oemoem — see van der Veur, , ed., Kenangan-kenangan Dokter Soetomo (Jakarta: Sinar Harapan, 1984), pp. 28 and 61Google Scholar.
14 Bouman, Hendrik, Enige Beschouwingen over de Ontwikkeling van het Indonesisch Nationalisme op Sumatra's Westkust (Groningen and Batavia: J. B. Wolters, 1949)Google Scholar.
15 Benda, Harry J., The Crescent and the Rising Sun: Indonesian Islam under the Japanese Occupation, 1942–1945 (The Hague and Bandung: W. van Hoeve, 1958)Google Scholar.
16 Dahm, Bernhard, Sukarno and the Struggle for Indonesian Independence. Tr. by Somers Heidhues, Mary F. (Ithaca and London: Cornell University Press, 1969), pp. 61, 174–75Google Scholar. Dahm's statement that Soetomo “nearly every year … had a new falling out with the Moslems” (p. 61, emphasis added), appears to be in need of revision.
17 Ingleson, John, Road to Exile: the Indonesian Nationalist Movement 1927–1934 (Singapore: Heinemann, 1979)Google Scholar. Ingleson (p. 130) holds up the articles as “an example of the tactlessness and insensitivity of many secular nationalist leaders towards the religious feelings of the Muslims” and concludes: “There seems nothing to be gained from their publication.” If the earlier mentioned division between Muslim reformists and religiously neutral nationalists is appropriate, Ingleson's comment would suggest total silence lest one hurts the feelings of “the other side”.
18 See van der Veur, , Dr. Soetomo, p. 11Google Scholar.
19 This bookstore keeper philosophizes about religion, casually refers to the reign of Napoleon III in France, to General Dyer in India, and correctly spells such an impossible name as Joynson Hicks, a British Home Secretary.
20 Swara-Oemoem, No. 50 (18 June 1930). I wish to acknowledge my debt to Drs. Moh. Ali, Lecturer at the Faculty of Education of IKIP Surabaya, for assisting in translating the articles from Javanese in the second half of 1980, and to Lian The-Mulliner and Suharni Soemarmo for their comments on the final draft.
21 Swara-Oemoem, No. 54 (27 June 1930).
22 Both the Rif(f) and Kabyl are Berber tribes. Our anonymous author probably refers to the Rifs of northeastern Morocco who rose up in arms against the Spaniards in 1921 under Abd-el-Krim (1882–1963). The Great Rif war. which eventually involved the French as well, ended only in 1926 with Abd-el-Krim's surrender and exile to Reunion. After his release in 1947 he went to Cairo where he stayed until his death.
23 The contract between Christopher Columbus and the Spanish Crown stipulated that he was to be “Admiral of the Ocean Sea and Viceroy and Governor of lands he might discover”. It was, however, his son (Diego Columbus) who held the title of Viceroy of the [West] Indies between 1511 and 1526.
24 Jibril, also called Jabra'il in Islam, is the angel who acts as an intermediary between God and man. Muslim traditions concerning Jibril largely concur with biblical accounts of Gabriel except for his special relationship with Mohammad.
25 Edwin S. Montagu (1879–1924) as Under Secretary of State announced in 1912 that the goal of British policy toward India should meet the just demands of Indians for a greater share in the government. Reference to “the progressive realization of responsible government in India” (i.e., Dominion status) was only made in Montagu's statement to the House of Commons as Secretary of State for India on 20 August 1917.
26 On 13 April 1919, at Amritsar (a city in the Punjab), Brigadier General Reginald E. H. Dyer (1864–1927) had his troops fire into an estimated 10,000 protesters, killing hundreds and wounding some 1,200.
27 William Joynson Hicks (1865–1932), First Viscount of Brentford, served on the Joint Select Committee on Indian Affairs before becoming Home Secretary (1924—29). Although both The Times and Hansard were consulted for the years 1927–30, the statement by Hicks could not be located.
28 The agrarian legislation adopted by the Dutch colonial government in 1870/75 prohibited — with minor exceptions — the alienation of Indonesian agrarian property to non-Indonesians. Eurasian agitation for the liberalization of this law reached a peak in 1924 when the Chairman of the Indo-Europeesch Verbond (I.E.V.) announced at the association's annual congress that the I.E.V. would not rest until “its holy right to land” was recognized. van Ophuysen, A.H. in “Notulen Congres 1924”, Onze Stem V (15 05 1924): 372Google Scholar.
29 The double meaning of the English expression is absent in both Indonesian and Dutch; no pun is intended in the English.
30 Swara-Oemoem, No. 66 (25 July 1930).
31 This statement and the fact that almost a full month had elapsed after the publication of the previous article, strongly suggests that no more contributions on the subject of Mecca and Digul had been planned until criticisms led Homo Sum to add to his previous statements.
32 J. A. Veraart (1886–1955), jurist and economist, was professor at the University of Delft and a member of the Dutch Second Chamber (1924–29). Although I have not tried to locate the particular statement, it seems likely that comments by Veraart pertaining to Indonesia would be cited in such Indonesian journals as the Indische Gids (in which he published an article on the Billiton Tin Company in 1924). The editors of the Swara-Oemoem — not to be outdone — added behind Veraart's name the following: “Dr. J. C. W. Cramer in his dissertation ‘Het Volkscredietwezen in Ned [erlandsch-] Indië’ states that 82.3 per cent of the native inhabitants could not live without credit”. In consulting Cramer's work (2nd ed., Weltevreden: G. Kolff, n.d.), it was found that Cramer does state that “credit is a necessity of life for a considerable number” of Indonesians (p. 2), but in his conclusion (p. 249) merely mentions that it may be assumed that “15 per cent of the total population receives assistance directly or indirectly from the people's credit system”.
33 Swara-Oemoem, No. 67 (28 July 1930).
34 Both Mecca and Medina are known by a multitude of names. One of Medina's names is, indeed, “Al-Harim”, the Sacred or Inviolable. I have not been successful in finding a reference for “Ancar” although Ansar (also Anshar) would refer to the Muslims of Medina who welcomed and assisted the Prophet and his followers in his migration (hijrah) from Mecca to Medina.
35 Medina, some 200 miles to the north of Mecca, had a sufficient water supply and is, in fact, famous for its dates and the cultivation of other fruits and vegetables.
36 The ceremonial state of consecration )(Ihram) begins some six miles from the Holy City. Pilgrims at that point don white seamless robes and are neither to wash nor shave themselves. After completing ceremonies at Mecca, they (on the eighth day of the Pilgrim month) proceed to Minā and Arafāt. The latter is the name of a mountain and adjacent plain about thirteen miles from Mecca where, on the ninth day, pilgrims stand from noon to sunset listening to sermons. See Cragg, Kenneth, The Call of the Minaret (New York: Oxford University Press, 1964), pp. 117–20Google Scholar. The gathering of “several hundreds of thousands of hajis” at Arafat is, of course, open to conjecture. Burton, Sir Richard F., in his Personal Narrative of a Pilgrimage to Al-Madinah & Mecca (New York: Dover Publications, 1964), p. 374Google Scholar, note 1, remarks that “the mystical number” is 600,000 while “others declare it to be incalculable”.
37 This statement is open to several interpretations. The most likely one is that Amanoe received this particular section from someone else; this explains his earlier statement that this tale was “already secondhand” for him.
38 Indonesian Al-Islam (not “All Islam”) congresses had been held since 1922. They were badly divided between reformists and traditionalists. Relevant to Homo Sum's rhetorical query is the following statement: “Afterwards [i.e., 1924] Al-Islam congresses were mainly organized by the reformist group, who, however, came to disagreement with each other especially around 1930”. Noer, Deliar, The Modernist Muslim Movement, p. 228Google Scholar.
39 Italics in the original.