Research Opportunities in Egypt

Research Opportunities in Egypt

Nur Fadlan

Deputy Director of Majlis Research Masisir

"Regulation is a generation or more agencies, or media for social practices."

Giddens

Egypt including the country has ever carved a long history in the world. Egypt in this case, entered into the order as the number two country in the world's oldest civilizations scraped after Mesopotamia. Lots of artifacts and cultural sites, or any evidence that science can we meet and get in this country. The development of culture, arts and sciences became clear proof that Egypt is a country that has a long history of civilization.

No exception of Islam, in addition to Alexander the Great who had stayed in Egypt and his army of Islam also took an active role in carving a long history in Egypt. Islamic civilization is formed on an ongoing basis in this country that we can not close one eye. Sustainability of Islamic civilization in Egypt are the periodic and dynamic. About the recording dynamics and sustainability of Islamic civilization in Egypt have been abstracted by the following dynasties: from Thouluniyyah Dynasty (868-905), Ikhshids Dynasty (935-969), Fathimiyyah Dynasty (969-1171), Ayyubid Dynasty (1171-1250) , the Ottoman Empire (1517-1805), Muhammad Ali (1805-1953) until the post-revolutionary Egypt, which still looks quite thick complexion has become Muslim.

Then, the history of Islamic civilization in Egypt, leaving the oldest educational institutions in the world. This is a form of carving history remarkable because this institution which we then call the Al-Azhar has a mystery that only a few people who can understand it. Al-Azhar has four important pillars in synergy with the inauguration of the Islamic religion. First Al-Azhar is present as an educational institution, here Al-Azhar chortled in preparing the next generation of struggle in upholding religion and state. Both Al-Azhar has a very organized waqf institutions, these institutions must play a role in support of administrative requirements and scholarships. Third Al-Azhar has Ifta institutions 'which was later called the Dar al-Ifta', this institution has a role in the formulation of the concept and answer the challenge of good people associated with religious, economic, social, cultural, science, and so forth. Then Al-Azhar as an institution that moderate da'wa and innovative. Of course, Al-Azhar University will participate in a coloring typology of proselytizing by Islamic communities around the world who sometimes seem extreme and less tolerant in spreading the teachings of His Majesty Mohammed PBUH.

In the academic journey of Al-Azhar University, the students are taught to be independent and learn with awareness, is not subject to a binding system, and includes attendance or other form of consequence. Al-Azhar to give only the key and then students are encouraged to develop their own in Egypt which is the environmental literature, religious books, talaqi-talaqi, relics of civilization, socio-religious characteristics and so forth. So it is not excessive if the Union of Students & Student Indonesia (PPMI) initiated the establishment of Majlis Research Masisir which is a container in maximizing the intellectual conscious and take as much as whatever it is in Egypt. Al-Azhar has given the key to all of us, we want to use depending on the key or not to open a store of knowledge which will then be dedicated to religion and the nation of Indonesia.

The presence of Majlis Research Masisir in the midst of society and Indonesian students in Egypt are actually attempts to run mission carried by the College through the concept of Tri Dharma Higher Education and in accordance with article 20 paragraph (2) of Law Number 20 Year 2003 on National Education System (National Education), Higher Education shall provide education, research and community service. So it is not wrong if the research institution initiated PPMI XVI period 2010-2011 period which later became an independent institution and is fully supported and received good response from the Education Attaché, Embassy in Cairo, Prof. DR.Sangidu, M. Hum., Then inaugurated by the Director of Research and Community Service Directorate General of Higher Education Ministry of National Education (DP2M Dirjen DIKTI KEMENDIKNAS), Prof.. Ir. Tri Hapsoro Suryo Utomo, Ph.D. during his working visit to Egypt, on September 20, 2010.

Majlis Research Masisir have good synergy with the mission carried by DP2M Dirjen DIKTI KEMENDIKNAS. The institute is expected to support and spur the growth-development of research activities, community service, and creativity in college students oriented to improving the quality of higher education, the nation's competitiveness and prosperity of people on an ongoing basis.

Majlis Research Opportunities Masisir

Several years ago there was interesting research regarding Social Philosophy by Western students who are studying at several universities in Australia. His research is very interesting and finally get the appreciation and response from both academia and the end result of research translated into many languages including Indonesian.The methodology they use is collecting social leaders then identify and eventually each of the identification provided criticism and social theory concerning the weighting that is still feasible to address the challenges of globalization. As for the few figures who had their inventarisir, thorough, identification and correction is as follows: there is Michel Foucault, Sigmund Freud, Hannah Arendt, Pierre Bourdieu, Cornelius Castoriadis, Jacques Derrida, Louis Dumont, Emile Durkheim, Norbert Elias, Anthony Giddens, Antonio Gramsci, Jurgen Harbermas, Agnes Heller, Julia Kristeva, Jacques Lacan, Claude Levi-Strauss, Karl Marx, Friedrich Nietzsche, Talcott Parsons, Carole Pateman, Jeremy Seabrook, George Simmel, Alain Touraine, Immanuel Wallerstein, Max Waber and Raymond Williams. If they as students we should have a conscious intellectual equal in the discovery or development.

Egypt has freedom in distributing the book and it can be achieved easily, the Arab-Islamic patterns of thought or the West-Islam is very easy for us to meet and get in the bookshop or even in the International Book Fair which is very often held in Egypt. Books by renowned writers in the Middle East region and the world in general feels very flourishing in Egypt. If we do not take advantage of the opportunity to be more diligent in study and research again so like us in Egypt just watch it, yet we are the main character and what we get and find a great contribution to religion and nation.

A simple example about politics, until now politically correct assumptions according to the understanding of religion has a unique diferensisi point. If we examine this case would be better then that means we contributed to the understanding of the nation's children. For example, identification of Hasan al-Banna's thought to be linked with socio-political moment. In 1930 al-Banna began to express his ideas directly to the King Fu'ad and Farouk and to all the Arab-led government. What is the political thought he wanted us to implement in our beloved land? And at that moment, King Fu'ad and Farouk and some Arab leaders less response to the typology of thought Hasan al-Banna. As the academic we should have the power critical of some of the thinking by comparing with the typology of patterns of thought to another. For example, In the book Al-Fikr al-Siyasi, Mu'ashir Al-Ikhwan Al-Muslimin Inda; Dirrasah Tahliliyah, Maidaniyah, Muwatsaqah work of Prof. Dr. Taufiq Yusuf Al-Wa'iy describing the movements of Islamic reformers who tried to realize the shura, freedom, justice, honesty, and the realization of social and economic balance. It should be compared also with the book Manhajiyyah al-Imam Hasan al-Banna wa Madaris al-Ikhwan al-Muslimin by Fathi Yakan, Hasan al-Banna argued that the Muslim Brotherhood did not deny the socio-political movement but must be with the consequences of repair people, islahul ummah. It should be compared also with the writings of Mohammed Abu Zahra al-Islamiyah Mazahib chronicle that illustrates the Wahhabi political pattern. Destructive and violent with a sword so is prominent in the pattern of the spread of Wahhabism. That's all they claim that such unilateral ma'ruf amar nahi is unjust.

So from a handful of examples of the above analysis could represent the importance of research in Egypt, given the increasingly widespread misunderstanding of Islam that rahmatal lil alamin become another meaningful. Even the writers had agreed about the thought patterns of Taqiyuddin an-Nabani, courtier Hizbu the importance of thought Hizbu Tahrir in Palestine, because there are interesting points in Taqiyuddin thinking about the unification nationalism with religion, but the author is less agree if typological thinking it is incorporated in Indonesia. That means the people of Indonesia should have the same perception about the need for political systems in shaping a better Indonesia. Should not have to agree with the thinking or the fanatical Muslim Brotherhood, Wahhabis, Hizbu Tahrir or any other. Even if there are some interesting and supports the advancement of religion and nation is not a problem thinking it is applied and to convince some other people of Indonesia need for oral and written dialogue. This will not likely be realized unless only with conscious research.

In Egypt there are very many things that we can review after the discovery of theories more applicable in Indonesia or even the world at large. For example, we are entitled to criticize the work of Bergson Evulosion Creatries namely Bergson intuition about who is a Sufi makrifat mediation. God does not need proof, because we could feel him and we took this life from Him. Life is just belief in God and know Him is to feel what is required by life. Does the synthesis of Bergson's true or not can we compare with some existing literature in Egypt.

There are also interesting books again that we need to review for example, in The Decline and Fall of The Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon describes seba-since the fall of the Roman Empire because; invasion of Italy by the Lombards, the conquest of the provinces in Asia and Africa by the Arab-Islamic , Roman uprising, the rise of Charlemagne and granting excessive powers to the Byzantine era Juntinian. Is it true that the Arab-Islamic conduct conquest? And what about the Islamic pattern of doing it all? Certainly two of these sentences is a big question. Later in the book The Arabs in History Bernard Lewis showing that; Crusade is the first experience of the expansionist Western Imperialism, of course motivated by the goal of material by using religion as a psychological medium. The author thought that, Lewis was towing a thesis in psychology, religious studies course can we deepened again.

So the author in this case, after seeing several case studies on a dare to say that the Majlis Research Masisir have a good synergy with the ideals of religion and nation, because the target of the Majlis Research Masisir is opening the horizon of thought for insight and to develop a comprehensive research methodology , bridging studies Islamic studies to post-modern classic in accordance with the development and needs of contemporary society. When does a student or any student who is in Egypt is able to identify which later became the reconciliation of the difference or even provide a bright spot on one of the key understanding of the rapid development of Indonesia. This is in tune with the vision of the Majlis Research Masisir, Making students and Indonesian students in Egypt as a superior human resources, independent and cultured based on research. []

Cairo, February 14, 2011