JAKARTA — Islamic groups claiming more than 160 million followers across the world’s largest Muslim-majority country are set to operate coal mines, after Indonesia’s second-largest Islamic organization joined the country’s biggest one in accepting government mining permits. “Muhammadiyah is ready to manage mining businesses,” Abdul Mu’ti, secretary-general of Muhammadiyah, said at a July 28 press conference in the city of Yogyakarta. The decision had been taken earlier in July at a meeting of the group’s senior clerics, Mu’ti confirmed. Founded in 1912, Muhammadiyah is Indonesia’s second-largest Islamic grouping and claims around 60 million followers. The organization’s announcement in July followed an earlier move to accept a government offer of coal mining concessions by Nahdlatul Ulama, which claims around 100 million adherents. At issue is a regulatory change signed on May 30 by Indonesian President Joko Widodo, which enabled religious groups to operate mining concessions for the first time. Prominent civil society groups — and several members of the Islamic organizations themselves — have told Mongabay they viewed the unusual reform as political inducement for Islamic organizations. Many in Jakarta believe that coal concessions are a form of patronage for delivering votes to Joko Widodo’s chosen successor for the presidency, Prabowo Subianto, who won Indonesia’s February election by a landslide. Grassroots Islamic activists Mongabay spoke with say the policy introduces legal exposure and reputational risks at a time when Islamic organizations were winning praise for increased attention to climate and environmental issues. Mu’ti added that the official offer of the mining…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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