Persatoean Arab Indonesia (PAI)

Abstract

This article aims to explain how the involvement and success of the Persatoean Arab Indonesia (PAI) in integrating Arab-Hadrami society into a part of the Indonesian nation. PAI was originally a social organization founded in Semarang in 1934. But along the way, this organization turned into a political organization because of the demands of its time. This article uses historical research methods in four steps, i.e., heuristics, verification, interpretation, and historiography. The main source in this article is the personal archive of A. R. Baswedan, organizational archives of Persatoean Arab Indonesia (PAI), and Koempoelan Toelisan Gerakan al-Irsjad. While the supporting sources come from contemporaneous newspapers, e.g., Pewarta Arab, Insaf, Matahari, Al-Ma’arif, ad-Dahna, Hadhramaut dan Aliran Baroe, as well as secondary sources derived from books, journals, and other scientific articles relevant to this topic. The results showed that: (1) Persatoean Arab Indonesia (PAI) was founded as a solution to reconcile the opposition among sayidi and non-sayid groups that divided the Arab-Hadrami community in the Dutch East Indies. Along the way, PAI then gained the support of the two conflicting groups; (2) PAI succeeded in integrating the Arab-Hadrami community into part of the Indonesian nation. Although at first the Indonesianized of this organization was doubtful, with its various programs, PAI managed to attract sympathy from nationalists and the Indonesian people that they were part of this nation.

The Dynamics of Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiyah Educational Institution (1914-2000)

“…They also scrutinize all teachings outside of these principles, aiming for harmony with Islam. Secondly, the educational institutions of Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiyyah also aim to equip their students with proficiency in modern sciences and foreign languages, enabling them to overcome the lag experienced by the Muslim community (Batubara & Muhajir, 2022). The educational content taught in institutions under the auspices of Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiyyah, such as Islamic studies, adheres to the curriculum set by the Ministry of Religious Affairs.…”