After August 1993

3. After August 1993

According to the letter of the Dutch Chamber of Commerce and Industry, dated December 14, 1994, on vereniging and stichting, PPME had been, since 1 September 1993, registered as a vereniging with a limitless amount of time to operate. This new status was extremely significant for its boards and members. The Dutch government, at least through

171 DPP PPME, The Statute and Bylaws of PPME (Giessen: PPME, 1979). 172 PPME, Al-Ittihaad, No. 19 (The Hague: PPME, Maart-April 1988). 173 DPW the Netherlands, Laporan Pertanggungjawaban Program Kerja (The Hague:

PPME, 1994), p. 6-7. 174 DPC PPME Amsterdam, Euro Moslem, No. 8 (Amsterdam: PPME, 1994).

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Persatuan Pemuda Muslim se-Eropa this letter, continued to recognize PPME as an active and responsible

Muslim organization. The letter also suggested that its existence in the Netherlands was needed by its people, who were mostly Indonesian. The following activities would show whether they could benefit from this new status or go in the opposite direction.

In October 1994 the association was recognized as an active member of WAMY (World Assembly of Muslim Youth). This did not take place by accident but as the result of its involvement as a member of the world assembly since 1977. 175 Then, Al-Mu’minun, the Islamic teaching for a group of Dutch speakers, was founded on 2 July 1995.

176 From September 1995 to April 1996, PPME was involved in the process of obtaining possession of a mosque, called later al-Hikmah in

The Hague. This mosque had been, since July, under the management of the Indonesian Embassy in The Netherlands. 177 In 1995 Zikra, another bulletin owned by PPME, was published. 178 For the second generation, 179 the Jeugdkamp (youth camp) program was held in 1995

and 1996. Islamic education and organization subjects were intensively taught in the program. Besides, in 1996 and 1997, a contest of reciting al-Qur’ān for the successors of the first generation was also held. The

175 DPW PPME the Netherlands, Laporan Pertanggungjawaban Program Kerja PPME Wilayah Nederland 1992-1994 (The Hague: PPME, 27 November 1994), p. 22.

176 DPC PPME Den Haag, Laporan Pertanggungjawaban Program Kerja 2000-2002 (The Hague: PPME, September 2002), p. 5.

177 Read: The Caretaker of Masjid al-Hikmah, Memorandum Akhir Jabatan, KBRI: The Hague, 1997, p. 3-5. It is worth mentioning that the success of KBRI in own- ing the building functioned as the place for worship and social activities could not be

disassociated from the efforts of PPME’s figures. Interview by phone with the former leader of PPME the Netherlands, Naf ’an Sulchan, 10 May 2008, at 20.00. His opinion was in line with that of the chairperson of Regional PPME the Hague 1994-1996 stating that in the program of commemorating of The Prophet’s birth in 1995 PPME initiated the effort to found a mosque. Read: DPW PPME the Netherlands, Laporan Pertanggungjawaban DPW Nederland 1994-1996 (PPME: The Hague, 1997), p. 9.

178 DPC PPME, Zikra , The Hague: PPME, 1997. 179 The experience that had been undergone by Persatuan Umat Islam, the prede-

cessor of PPME, was not in the hope of PPME boards and members. It structurally existed but was meaningless. It was merely a document. DPW PPME the Netherlands, Laporan Pertanggungjawaban Program Kerja PPME Wilayah Nederland 1997-1999 (The Hague: PPME, 2000), p. 8.

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Sujadi bulletin al-Ittihad served as the vehicle for the publications of PPME. 180

At the end of 1996, PPME set out to perform the program of ‘umrah, particularly, for the second generation. However, this program was delayed due to the participants not yet reaching the minimum number required. 181 On January 26, 1997, one of PPME’s central figures was involved in the program of pesantren kilat (short Islamic school) aimed at improving the Islamic knowledge and understanding of Indonesian Muslims in the Netherlands. This program was held in the al-Hikmah mosque. 182 On August 10, 1997, PPME of Amsterdam conducted a sport day for its members which aimed at the strengthening of social relations. 183 Additionally, between 1997-1999, other activities occurred. There was an initiative to publish other bulletins as the vehicle for academic and da’wa, paying more attention to other branches. “Euro Muslim” for the Amsterdam branch and “Iqra’” for Rotterdam branch were prioritized. 184 This association was also concerned with improving the performance

of the pilgrimage. 185 Between the years 2000-2002, Islamizing a non- Muslim was permitted to be handled by PPME. Over these two years,

there were 135 registered converts. It conducted and witnessed mixed nationality marriages under Indonesian Islamic law, in particular, the marriage of an Indonesian to a Dutch person. These marriages were nine in total. 186 On October 2004, in Ramadan activities, the method

of dawrah was introduced to the teachers of PPME Amsterdam. The Quranic recitation competition was held for the Islamic students of the

180 Read: DPW PPME the Netherlands, Laporan Pertanggungjawaban, 1997, p. 8 181 Ibid., p.12. 182 The Caretaker of Masjid al-Hikmah, Pesantran Kilat Ramadhan 1417 H (The

Hague: Pilar, 1997), p. 5-14. 183 PPME Amsterdam, Laporan Kegiatan Musim Panas Barbeque dan Budaya Periode 1996-1997 (Amsterdam: PPME, 1997). 184 DPW PPME the Netherlands, Laporan Pertanggunganjawab DPW PPME

Wilayah 1997-1999 (PPME: The Hague, 2000), p. 7. 185 Ibid., p. 9. 186 DPC PPME Den Haag, “Lampiran 4”, in DPC PPME, Laporan Pertanggung-

jawaban, 2002, p. 1-3. 274

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Persatuan Pemuda Muslim se-Eropa PPME Amsterdam. 187 Beginning in November 2005, monthly Islamic

lectures, both in Indonesian and Dutch, were held. 188 Still in this year, the PPME Amsterdam purchased a large building for religious activites. Lastly, during 2006-2009, PPME attempted to establish contacts with Indonesian and Dutch organizations for transnational activities. 189

From these facts, it can be asserted that this association paid special attention to the presence of Dutch speaking Muslims. They were mostly Dutch, and were well organized in a group called “al-Mu’minun”. Furthermore, it was very concerned with the religious knowledge of PPME’s second generation. The intensive programs provided for them are proof of its concern. This period is also notable for the purchase of a place for worship and socio-cultural activities. No less importance was that this association had been able to frequently perform Islamic marriage and legalize a person who wished to be Muslim according to the sharī’a. Last but not least, it seemed that in this last period, its boards did not maximize its status as an association with no time limits on its operations. This can be seen in the lack of international co-operations, particularly, with non-Islamic adherents. Nevertheless, the biggest achievement of this last period was the purchase of a house made to function as a mosque in 2005.

187 PPME Amsterdam, Jadwal Kegiatan pada Minggu Ketiga dan Minggu Ke-empat Ramadhan Th. 2004 (Amsterdam: PPME, 2004). 188 PPME Majlis Dzikir, Mededeling (Amsterdam: PPME, 2005). 189 DPC PME Al-Ikhlash, Tugas, Tanggungjawab, dan Program Kerja (Amsterdam:

PPME al-Ikhlas, February 2006).

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Sujadi