UNAIR NEWS – The Faculty of Humanities (FIB) Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) welcomed one of the prominent lecturers from the Netherlands, Prof. Wim van den Doel, the Dean of the Leiden-Delft-Erasmus Universities Alliance. The Contemporary History professor gave a guest lecture on ‘Snouck Hourgronje: Life and Times of A Prominent Colonial Scholar’ at Sriwijaya Hall, ASEEC Tower, Dharmawangsa-B Campus, Universitas Airlangga, on Monday, May 7, 2023.
Being a Leiden University academician, Prof. Wim narrated the biography of Christian Snouck Hourgronje. He revealed that Hourgronje had a controversial life and was an orientalist who dedicated his life to studying the cultures of the Eastern continent.
Prof. Wim believed it is an interesting point to explore, as oriental culture was a taboo for the Western to learn. “It was due to the sense of superiority of the Western people towards Eastern culture, which also exacerbates the stigma of Europeans towards oriental culture,” he said.
“The superiority is rooted in the increasing imperialism of Western people in colonizing the Eastern. They believed that the East must be conquered,” he added.
Breaking the stigma
Hurgronje tried to break the stigma within the partnership with the Dutch government. He was regarded as a traitor by historians of that time.
Prof. Wim commended Hurgronje’s intelligence, “Snouck was a student with sharp and critical analysis. He could analyze the Bible objectively and even criticized some of the deviations the church still practiced. In fact, since he was a Christian theology student, he was already interested in Oriental culture.”
Furthermore, the Dutch professor highlighted Hurgronje’s thoughts on the Dutch colonial government. “He criticized the Dutch government for its inconsistent stance towards religious issues in society, including the treatment of the Muslim community with three different kinds of treatment according to their religious activities, social interactions, and political affiliations.”
Prof. Wim continued explaining the family background of Snouck Hurgronje. He was married four times, including a woman from Jeddah, the daughter of Ciamis Prince, the daughter of the Deputy General in Bandung, and the daughter of a Zutphen priest.
In the end, Prof. Wim stated that Snouck Hurgronje’s legacy has had a significant impact on Indonesia’s historiography today. He contributed significantly to Orientalism and the social culture of the Dutch East Indies at that time. He was able to capture and analyze the real conditions of society. The knowledge he left behind becomes the foundation for research for historians in the future,” he said.
In the guest lecture, Prof. Wim took a neutral side towards the contribution of Snouck Hurgronje. He believed that Hurgronje was neither a good nor a bad figure. Therefore, he let the students decide and analyze according to their own perspectives.
Author: Aidatul Fitriyah
Editor: Binti Q Masruroh
