Ministry of Religious Affairs: 212,000 Divorces Every Year in Indonesia

Jakarta: Ministry of Religious Affairs said 212,000 divorce cases occurred every year in Indonesia. This number has increased from 10 years earlier.

“The numbers increased from 10 years ago, in which the divorce rate was only around 50,000 per year,” said Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs Dr. Nasaruddin Umar in Jakarta, Saturday (09/14/2013).

Nasaruddin is deeply concerned about the high divorce rate. Moreover, nearly 80 percent who divorced were at a young age. “The age of marriage is relatively young with small children. This will lead to more social impact,” he explained.

 

In addition, continued the Deputy Minister, nearly 70 percent of divorces are khul’a divorce. In other words, more women filed for divorce than a man who divorces his wife.

“Divorce also raises new issues that is the emergence of the new poor,” added Nasaruddin.

There are a variety of reasons of divorce, he added, but what does not make sense is that divorce is due to differences in political views. “It really does not make sense, but it happens,” he said.

Nasaruddin hopes that there is a solution to the front of the issue. So that the divorce rate in the country can be reduced. (Ant / Riz) (Jakarta. Antaranews.com, 9/14/2013)

Comment:

The huge number of divorces in Indonesian society is a signal that there are problems in marriage today. The ministry of religious affairs has anticipated the high number of divorce cases by providing ‘short courses on marriage knowledge’ for the future bride. The future couple is given an understanding of what are the rights and responsibilities of both wife and husband. But this is not the real solution for the problem. In fact, the heavy life burden is the factor that leads to disharmony, non-tranquility and unhappiness in the family.

There are a lot of Indonesian women who filed for divorce because of economic and psychological problems. Their husbands committed domestic violence, didn’t afford their family’s needs because they were jobless, low income or no responsibility. Other factor triggers the khul’a is the poison of gender equality. Women tend to be independent with no need for men and marriage as they can earn money by themselves. The financial security is mostly the reason of khul’a when there is a marriage problem.

From the fact we can conclude that the increasing number of divorces is a problem faced by a society in which capitalism is implemented. No responsibility to family and committing domestic violence is a picture of men in capitalist system. Poverty, insufficient jobs and no prosperity among people are also the result of capitalism. Women’s liberty is also the rotten fruit of liberal ideas such as gender equality and human rights. Those ideas are grown up in capitalism and the absence of Islamic values and system in the society.

The only solution for this social problem is to redefine the responsibility of the government. Not only by providing short courses about marriage to the bride. Fostering every people to values of marriage and family should be integrated through the education and counseling curriculum. This program should be accompanied by removing all of the media and spread of ideas that are counterproductive to the value of the family. It is also the obligation for the government to generate adequate employment, realize a conducive climate for business, and provide public needs such as education and health without any charge.

All the state’s responsibility can not be done with the capitalist system as it is now. It is Islam which provides the real solution through the Khilafah’s political system and economic system of Islam. The Khilafah will protect majority Muslims’ families from the attack of foreign family values. Khilafah will also independently determine the character education curriculum, provide independent solutions for issues that befall the family and not parroting the international agenda through the empowerment of women, civil marriage and gender equality. The Islamic economic system will create prosperity, fair distribution of income, and sufficient job opportunities. The policy not to hand over the management of natural resources to foreigners will result the ability of government to provide quality public services.

Within this system all Indonesian families will achieve tranquility, harmony, happiness and prosperity. As one of the promises of Allah سبحانه وتعالى:

وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَى آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِمْ بَرَكَاتٍ مِنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ وَلَكِنْ كَذَّبُوا فَأَخَذْنَاهُمْ بِمَا كَانُوا يَكْسِبُونَ

“If only the people of the cities had had iman and taqwa, We would have opened up to them blessings from heaven and earth. But they denied the truth so We seized them for what they earned.”

(al-A’raf, 7:96)

Written for the Central Media Office of Hizb ut Tahrir by

Iffah Ainur Rochmah

Spokeswoman of Hizb ut Tahrir Indonesia