Denial of battle-provoking movements : Flixabay

West Java Singaparna People’s Resistance Against Japan

The struggle of the Singaparna West Java people against the Japanese  in the midst of colonialism is definitely the most difficult time for the Indonesian nation, although the struggle never ends. This fight is certainly one of the biggest battles in Indonesia to try to fend off the invaders.

During the colonial period, of course, there were various things done by the colonizers that made the Indonesian people miserable and tormented. Therefore, various efforts have been made to buy the well-being and independence of the community, especially in the West Java area. This is certainly done with the support of various parties in it.

There was an important figure who later emerged in the case of resistance of the people of West Java Singaparna against the Japanese . With his leadership, more and more people joined forces to spend and stifle various unkind attitudes of the invaders, in this case the Japanese at the time.

Denial of battle-provoking movements

When Japan began to control Indonesian territory, it not only established its power, but its various cultures were brought to influence the people. I’m sure you’ve heard or read about it. One of the cultures that Japan is also trying to instill is to pay tribute to its flag.

Not only that, but Japan also tried to force the Indonesian people to sing their national anthem. Including a sun-turned greeting in honor of the Japanese emperor or they call it seikerei. Basically, in a religion believed by the Japanese people, sun worship is a form of reverence for the Sun God.

This was opposed and rejected by the Indonesian people and became one of the causes of the resistance of the Singaparna West Java people against the Japanese at the time. It is certain that the existence of seikerei is also opposed by many existing scholars because it is similar to the prayer movement. So it further blurs the hot atmosphere at the time and causes more problems between Japan and Indonesia.

There have been many high priests who oppose the existence of this movement and call on their troops to fight against the opposing army. Of course, this was done to defend independence and he did not want to do what the religious belief of the Japanese people is. However, since it is so emphasized,  the violation of the military will consider  anyone who does not want it to be considered a dissident and deserves to be punished.

Singaparna Popular Resistance to Japanese Politics

One of the priests who rejected the Seikerei movement at the time was KH Zainal Mustafa. He and all his students, Pesantren Sukamanah, apparently refused to do so and provoked  resistance from the Singaparna West Java people against the Japanese. It also includes the saying that for Muslims it is seikere and wider works and that they should be avoided.

Of course, KH Zainal Mustafa was silent watching the Japanese torture anyone who rejected the movement. He began to strategize to increase his strength so that he could properly rebel against Japanese forces. Students’ troops in pesantren were deployed to fight the enemy.

Initially before  there was resistance  between the Singaparna West Java people against the Japanese, the invaders sent their men for talks with KH Zainal Mustafa for him to understand. However, it turned out that in the end the Japanese envoy was actually killed and angered the invaders, so they decided to use the harder method.

Until finally the resistance of the Singaparna West Java people against the Japanese was no longer inevitable. Although indeed the number of soldiers was definitely lost much in order for the opposing army to maeck the resistance. There were so many soldiers from Pesantran who were detained and killed by the Japanese because they were dissidents and disobeyed their orders.

Singaparna People Who Are Anti-Colonial Policies

The people themselves in the Singaparna area are actually people who tend to be religious. So the various policies of the colonizers are really very anti-semitic, especially with the various crimes committed. This is very inconsistent with the religious understanding adopted by the majority of the People of Singapore, more precisely Islam.

One of the obstacles to the resistance of the Singaparna West Java people against the Japanese was  due to the large number of people who died as a result of forced labor at the time. Likewise, all Japanese behavior seems inhumane. They have the heart to do everything in their power to punish anyone who does not want to obey what is ordered and considered a rebel.

Moreover, there are more and more policies given by the Japanese side and there is no reason to reject them. Politics is considered contrary to religious teaching and is coercive in nature. Therefore, it makes the people live miserable lives and do not have the freedom to do so in accordance with the teachings of their religion.

The west Java Singaparna people’s fight against the Japanese took place in the village of Sukamanah for about an hour. Troops led by KH Zainal Mustafa carried swords and pointed bamboo as their weapons. There are combinations in addition to students, there are also troops from Kempetai, Garut and Tasikmalay. They all united to resist arbitrary Japanese colonization even though they eventually had to lose.

Getting to Know the Figure of KH Zainal Mustafa

KH Zainal Mustafa or who in childhood was known as Udie or Hudaemi was actually an ordinary person. He studied at the Gunung Pari Islamic Boarding School and changed places as a wandering student. This is done in order to gain deeper religious knowledge from various kinds of teachers and scholars, of course.

After studying in several Islamic boarding schools in West Java and for his intelligence, Umri was appointed assistant to Kyai Mutakin. Die has noble aspirations to establish and manage his own pesantren. Until finally this dream came true in the Area of Baguer Village, Singaparna. Of course this is a story in front of the resistance of the people of Western Java Singaparna against the Japanese.

Udie then changed his name to KH Zainal Mustafa after he died in 1937. He obliged the teaching of Arabic as the main thing for learning to make it easier to understand the sciences of religion. However, his Islamic boarding school also taught material about Indonesian history and the defense of the homeland.

The existence of this material made KH Zainal Mustafa supervised the intelligence of the Dutch colonizers. Even then, it was closed by the Netherlands. Of course, this happened because of his criticism of colonizer policies that were considered contrary to religious teachings and inhumane at the time.

He continued to do everything he could to defend his faith and people. Oppose any policy of the invaders until the Japanese have come to Indonesia. His love for his country is unquestionable. There were many of his services as a national hero that were carried out and which had a great influence on the struggle of the Indonesian people.

The struggle of the people of Singapore must indeed end in defeat. But in other areas there was also a lot of resistance to ending a colonizer policy that was not right for the good of the people.  Starting with the resistance of the Singaparna West Java people against the Japanese, the struggle of the Indonesian people was truly remarkable enough to defend their independence.

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