Blasphemy law has become a central issue for the international community in various parts of the world in the last three decades. In almost every case involving the BL, especially in Muslim countries, such as Pakistan, Malaysia, and Indonesia, they are always responded with violence or threats of attack that cause many victims, loss of homes, damage to places of worship, evictions, stigma of being heretical, severe punishments, or extra-judicial killings. When international human rights law and declaration of the right (...) to peace are adopted by the international community, at the same time, the number of violence related to the application of BL continues to increase. This paper aims to examine the ambiguity of the concept of the BL in Pakistan, Indonesia, and Malaysia, and how its lead to the weak of enforcement that creates social injustice and inequality. Then, referring to Galtung’s theory of structural violence and other experts of peace studies, this paper argues that blasphemy law should be included as a form of structural violence. Therefore its challenges these States to reform their BL in which its provisions accommodate the state’s neutrality and content high legal standards. Thus, through guarantee the fully enjoyment of human rights for everyone may support the States to achieve sustainable peace. (shrink)

Abstrak: Dalam artikel ini penulis mengeksplorasi gagasan kota utama yang diajukan oleh Abu Nashr al-Farabi (870-950 M), seorang filsuf Muslim di abad ke-10. Gagasan al-Farabi mengenai kota utama banyak penulis ambil dari karya utamanya yang sangat terkenal, Mabdi r Ahl al-Madinah al-Fdhilah yang secara harafiah berarti “Dasar-dasar Pandangan Warga Kota Utama.” Pandangan al-Farabi dalam karya ini banyak dipengaruhi oleh dua filsuf Yunani, yakni Plato dan Aristoteles. Kota utama adalah kota yang warganya mengerti hakikat kebenaran (teoritis) dan juga memiliki kemampuan bertindak (...) secara moderat (tawassuth) dengan mempertimbangkan tempat, waktu, pelaku dan juga alasan mengapa hal itu perlu dilakukan (phronesis). Keutamaan ini bisa mengantarkan para warganya untuk mencapai kebahagiaan (al-sa’dah). Kebahagiaan adalah tujuan hidup yang paling utama dan paling tinggi bagi manusia. Bagi al-Farabi, dalam upaya mewujudkan kota utama, peran filsuf raja menjadi sangat penting karena dia yang akan mendidik para warga untuk mengerti dan bisa bertindak sesuai dengan nilai-nilai keutamaan. Kata-kata Kunci: Kota utama, kebahagiaan, emanasi, neoplatonisme, penyatuan, phronesis. Abstract: In this article I will explore al-Farabi’s idea of virtuous city. Abu Nashr Al-Farabi is a Muslim philosopher who lived in 870 to 950. The idea of virtuous city much refers to his master piece, Mabdi r Ahl al-Madnah al-Fdhilah, which literally means “the principles of the views of citizens in virtuous city.” Al-Farabi’s concept of virtuous city in this book is much influenced by two Greek philosophers, i.e. Plato and Aristoteles. The virtuous city is the city in which the virtuous citizens live. The virtuous citizens are those who understand the nature of truth and have virtuous character (phronesis). This virtue will carry the citizens to happiness (al-sa’ dah). The happiness is the ultimate goal for all human beings. According to al-Farabi, to make virtuous city happen, the role of philosopher-king is very important. He will teach and educate the people to understand the nature of truth and act in accordance with virtuous character. Keywords: Virtuous City, happiness, emanation, Neoplatonism, union, phronesis. (shrink)