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Amien Rais (born Surakarta, Central Java 26 April 1944) is a prominent Indonesian politician who led and inspired the reform movement that forced the resignation of the authoritarian ruler, President Suharto, in 1998. Amien Rais was the leader of Muhammadiyah, one of the two biggest Muslim organizations in Indonesia, in 1995 - 2000. Amien Rais was the chairman of Indonesian People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) in 1999 - 2004. Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Surakarta (its formal name; locally it is referred to as Solo) is an Indonesian city of approximately 500,000 people located in Central Java. ... Central Java (Indonesian: Jawa Tengah) is a province of Indonesia. ... is the 116th day of the year (117th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 1944 (MCMXLIV) was a leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Suharto GCB (born June 8, 1921) is a former Indonesian military and political leader. ... Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... Muhammadiyah (full name: Persyarikatan Muhammadiyah) is a moderate Islamic organization in Indonesia. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Year 2000 (MM) was a leap year starting on Saturday. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ...

Childhood

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Amien Rais was the second child to Suhud Rais and Sudalmiyah. The couple were Muhammadiyah activists in Surakarta. Suhud Rais graduated from Muhammadiyah's Mualimin high school. He worked in Surakarta's religion affairs office. He also was a member of Muhammadiyah's Board of Education in Surakarta chapter. Sudalmiyah was an activist in Aisiyah, a Muhammadiyah's women organization and had been its chairperson for 20 years. She graduated from Muhammadiyah's teaching school "Hogere Indlansche Kweekschool". She was a member of Masyumi party in the 1950s. She was awarded " The Central Java Best Mother" in 1985. Surakarta (its formal name; locally it is referred to as Solo) is an Indonesian city of approximately 500,000 people located in Central Java. ... This article is about the year. ...

Amien's siblings are Fatimah ( a daughter, the first child ), Abdul Rozak, Ahmad Dahlan, Siti Aisyah and Siti Asyiah. They were brought up with a strict discipline as their mother taught to them. In various occasions, Amien Rais said that his mother affected him much in his life. He always took time to meet or to consult with his mother - who died on 14th September 2001. This article is about the year. ...

Family life

Amien married his childhood friend, Kusnasriyati Sri Rahayu in 1969. During their ten years of marriage, they had had no child despite various medical treatments. In Mecca - on their Haj pilgrimage - they prayed to God in front of the Kaaba hoping that God would give them children. Two months later, Mrs. Rais was pregnant. The couple now have 5 children ( Ahmad Hanafi, Hanum Salsabiela, Ahmad Mumtaz, Tasniem Fauzia and Ahmad Baihaqi ). Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... This article is about the city in Saudi Arabia. ... The Kaaba (Arabic: ; IPA: ) , also known as (), ( The Primordial House), or ( The Sacred House), is a large cuboidal building located inside the mosque known as al-Masjid al-Haram in Mecca, Saudi Arabia. ...

Education

When in primary school, Amien wanted to be a mayor which was inspired by Muhammad Saleh, the then mayor of Surakarta. Saleh was a respected person in his tenure. But in senior high school, Amien made up his mind and wanted to be an ambassador. This might lead him to enroll in international relations department in Gadjah Mada University. Amien graduated from the university in 1968 and attended Al Azhar University in Cairo, Egypt as a student fellow until 1969. Amien earned his master degree from University of Notre Dame, Indiana in 1974. His thesis was on the Egypt's President Anwar Sadat's foreign policy. In 1984, he earned a Ph.D degree in political science from the University of Chicago. His thesis was " The Moslem Brotherhood in Egypt : Its Rise, Demise and Resurgence ". In 1988, he attended a post-doctoral program in George Washington University, Washington, DC. A mayor (from the Latin māior, meaning larger, greater) is the modern title of the highest ranking municipal officer. ... For other uses, see Ambassador (disambiguation). ... The Gadjah Mada University (Indonesian: Universitas Gadjah Mada or UGM) is the largest university in Indonesia in terms of student population. ... Year 1968 (MCMLXVIII) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Al-Azhar Islamic university in Cairo Egypt Al-Azhar University is connected to the mosque in Cairo named to honor Fatima Az-Zahraa, the daughter of Muhammad, from whom the Fatimid Dynasty claimed descent. ... For other uses, see Cairo (disambiguation). ... Also: 1969 (number) 1969 (movie) 1969 (Stargate SG-1) episode. ... For other universities and colleges named Notre Dame, see Notre Dame. ... For other uses, see Indiana (disambiguation). ... Year 1974 (MCMLXXIV) was a common year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar) of the 1974 Gregorian calendar. ... For other uses, see President (disambiguation). ... Muhammad Anwar Al-Sadat (محمد أنورالسادات in Arabic) (December 25, 1918 – October 6, 1981) was an Egyptian politician and served as the third President of Egypt from September 28, 1970 until his assassination on October 6, 1981. ... This article is about the year. ... The University of Chicago is a private co-educational university located in Chicago, Illinois. ... Year 1988 (MCMLXXXVIII) was a leap year starting on Friday (link displays 1988 Gregorian calendar). ... The George Washington University (GW), is a private, coeducational university located in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, D.C. The school was founded in 1821 as The Columbian College in the District of Columbia by Baptist ministers using funds bequeathed by George Washington. ...

Activities in Muhammadiyah and ICMI

After his studies in United States, he had been a Middle East specialist and noted for being a critic on US foreign policy. Controversially, Rais learned a lot about human rights and democracy in US. Amien Rais' activities in Muhammadiyah started in 1985 where he led The Council of Preacher ( Majelis Tabligh). Later in 1990, Rais was vice chairman elected in a convention ( muktamar ) in Yogyakarta. Amien Rais also was active in the newly established ICMI ( Ikatan Cendikiawan Muslim Indonesia ), the Muslim Scholars Association. Rais led ICMI's Expert Council, but resigned in 1997 under pressure from Suharto because he argued on the Busang and the Freeport cases. In 1995, Rais replaced Azhar Basyir, then the chairman of Muhammadiyah, who died soon after his re-election. In 1993, at a Muhammadiyah mid-term meeting ( Tanwir ) in Surabaya, Rais urged a presidential succession, a very rare issue amid the New Order regime. The political and economical decay in Indonesia during the 90s had Rais call a comprehensive issue : the political reform. Amien Rais was eventually a forerunner in crushing the New Order regime. This made him a number one enemy for Suharto's administration. A map showing countries commonly considered to be part of the Middle East The Middle East is a region comprising the lands around the southern and eastern parts of the Mediterranean Sea, a territory that extends from the eastern Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf. ... This article is about the year. ... This article is about the year. ... The Special Region of Yogyakarta (Indonesian: Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta, or DIY), is a province of Indonesia on the island of Java. ... For the band, see 1997 (band). ... Freeport is the name of several localities. ... Year 1995 (MCMXCV) was a common year starting on Sunday. ... Year 1993 (MCMXCIII) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display full 1993 Gregorian calendar). ... Location of Surabaya in Indonesia Coordinates: , Country Province Area  - Total 459. ... The New Order (Indonesian: Orde Baru) is the term coined by former Indonesian President Suharto to characterize his regime as he came to power in 1966. ... Suharto GCB (born June 8, 1921) is a former Indonesian military and political leader. ...

Political career

In 1998, Amien Rais became an outspoken critic, and allied himself with the reform movement. However this would also force the New Order regime to ban any demonstration reflecting the people's voice over Reformasi. In May 1998, Jakarta was in chaos situation following the riots in some parts of the city. The army and the police forces were likely unable to handle the situation as President Suharto had a state visit to Cairo, Egypt. Upon his arrival from Cairo, Suharto learnt that the situation was out of control. Several days later, he invited some Muslim prominent figures - including Abdurrahman Wahid, Emha Ainun Najib, Nurcholis Madjid and Malik Fajar - to discuss the nation's current condition. Suharto proposed to establish a Reform Committee, to reshuffle the cabinet ministers and to resign from the presidency within 6 months. This was not responded to by those who attended the meeting. Suharto panicked as 14 of his ministers resigned from the cabinet. On 20th May, Amien Rais cancelled the mass rally to Monas square as an army general threated to make "another Tiananmen" should he do so. Less than 24 hours later, Suharto resigned from his office and was replaced by Vice President B.J. Habibie. Year 1998 (MCMXCVIII) was a common year starting on Thursday (link will display full 1998 Gregorian calendar). ... The Reformation (in bahasa Indonesia Reformasi) is the name commonly used for the present era in the history of Indonesia. ... This article is about the alternative rock/electronic band New Order. ... Jakarta (also DKI Jakarta), is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. ... Abdurrahman Wahid (also known as Gus Dur) (born August 4, 1940) was the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001, and founder of the National Awakening Party (PKB). ... The word monad comes from the Greek word μονάς (from the word μόνος, which means one, single, unique) and has had many meanings in different contexts: Among the Pythagoreans (followers of Pythagoras) the monad was the first thing that came into existence. ... The Tiananmen The Gate of Heavenly Peace is the front entrance into the Imperial City A close-up of the rooftop The Tiananmen or Tiananmen (Simplified Chinese: ; Traditional Chinese: ; pinyin: Tiānānmén; Manchu: Abkai elhe obure duka), is the main entrance to the Imperial City, the...

Amien Rais and other reformists established The National Mandate Party ( Partai Amanat Nasional / PAN ) on 6th August 1998. Amien Rais was elected its first chairman with Faisal Basri as secretary general. Therefore his position in Muhammadiyah was replaced by vice chairman Ahmad Syafi'i Maarif. PAN gained 6 percent votes in 1999 election that failed to nominate Rais as a president's candidate. However the political compromise made Amien lead the People Consultative Assembly ( MPR ). Being a king maker, Amien Rais and other Islam parties and Golkar successfully elected Abdurrahman Wahid as president and Megawati Sukarnoputri as vice president. Amien Rais was also the leading figure in the Indonesian constitution's amendment process. The National Mandate Party (Partai Amanat Nasional) is a moderate islamist political party in Indonesia. ... Ahmad Syafii Maarif (born in Sumpur Kudus, West Sumatra on May 31, 1935) is a prominent Indonesian intelectual. ... Events of 2008: (EMILY) Me Lesley and MIley are going to China! This article is about the year. ... The Party of the Functional Groups (Indonesian: Partai Golongan Karya) is a political party in Indonesia. ... Abdurrahman Wahid (also known as Gus Dur) (born August 4, 1940) was the President of Indonesia from 1999 to 2001, and founder of the National Awakening Party (PKB). ... Diah Permata Megawati Setiawati Soekarnoputri (born January 23, 1947), was President of Indonesia from July 2001 to October 20, 2004. ...

In 2004 presidential election, Amien Rais and Siswono Yudohusodo - nominated by PAN, The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and some small political parties - earned 15 % votes. Year 2004 (MMIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS; Indonesian: Partai Keadilan Sejahtera) is a political party in Indonesia. ...

Amien Rais is currently the Chairman of PAN's Advisory Board and is a professor at Gadjah Mada University. The meaning of the word professor (Latin: [1]) varies. ...

External links

• (Indonesian)King Maker on Nationwide Political Stage
• (Indonesian)Biography : Prof Dr H.M. Amien Rais, MA

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