EN.MUHAMMADIYAH.OR.ID, CHICAGO – In an increasingly interconnected world, one’s cultural background influences how one engages with other societies. Therefore, people need to carefully navigate how they integrate their existing identities with those of their new environments.
This message was delivered by Yayah Khisbiyah, secretary of the Muhammadiyah Central Board’s Department for International Relations and Cooperation (LHKI), during a religious gathering organized by Muhammadiyah Special Branch Board in the United States (PCIM USA) on Tuesday (13/10).
Drawing on her experience teaching psychology, Yayah explained that people do not have to choose just one identity. For members of the Indonesian diaspora in the United States, she said, embracing multiple identities is possible.
“We do not actually have to choose just one. We can combine the good things from two or more civilizations. After all, the essence of engaging with diverse communities is to fastabiqul khairat, or compete in doing good,” she said.
From the perspective of intercultural psychology, Yayah argued that diaspora cadres in the United States have the right to embrace positive values from different cultural traditions. However, they must make wise choices that do not harm themselves, their families, their future, or their Islamic creed.
Embrace the Good and Reject the Harmful
Islamic traditions and the modernity encountered in the United States should not be treated as mutually exclusive. In terms of technological progress, for example, clean and appropriate technologies commonly used in America should not be rejected.
However, when it comes to moral and ethical values, Muhammadiyah cadres in the United States must be firm in rejecting practices they believe could harm the environment, human nature, and society.
“We can be firm in our choices. Take the LGBTQ issue for example. We must assess such matters firmly and maintain boundaries. All religions clearly teach that human beings are paired with the opposite sex,” Yayah stressed.
She added that LGBTQ issues in Western societies were not new, having been debated for a long time. Although initially opposed, she argued, they are now accepted and pose a threat to humanity.
Yayah therefore urged Muhammadiyah cadres in the United States and other Western countries to exercise caution, citing the widespread promotion of LGBTQ-related content across various media platforms.
At the same time, she reminded PCIM USA cadres not to adopt a separatist approach by withdrawing from their new cultural environment while exclusively preserving their culture of origin.
