It's a matter of interpretation whether the departure of Muslim scholar Dawam Rahardjo from Muhammadiyah was a resignation or dismissal.
Yet in his opinion and that of other Muslim scholars, his exit indicates a growing and unbending conservatism of the country's second largest Muslim organization.
Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin said Wednesday Dawam was not fired, but "resigned" of his own accord.
"There has never been any discussion about his dismissal, although there were indeed many demands from our members to dismiss him. But we never talked about it," said Din, who resumed the organization's leadership last year from Ahmad Syafii Maarif.
Complaints about Dawam, he said, ranged from poor performance, disrespect of the organization and a dissenting viewpoint. The latter centered on Dawam's open stance toward Ahmadiyah and Lia Aminuddin, the sect's founder and self-proclaimed prophet who was arrested in late December for blasphemy.
According to Din, Dawam was dismissed from his position as the organization's economic supervisor in the previous period of leadership, due to what he termed a lack of responsibility and untrustworthiness.
"And now since he has resigned, we never invite him (to organization events)," said Din, adding that Dawam no longer has the right to refer to himself as a Muhammadiyah figure.
Dawam, meanwhile, denied he resigned or that he was dismissed from his position as economic supervisor, saying he would request an explanation from the organization.
He believed he was dismissed for refusing to stay silent on religious prejudice.
"I must've been dismissed because of my standpoint against violence against religious groups. I can't just sit still watching fellow Muslims prevent Christians from praying," he said, referring to the closure of several churches in different areas of the country.
Dawam said Muhammadiyah, which boasts about 30 million members, was becoming radical, and would not take a position in an interfaith conflict.
Muslim scholar Komaruddin Hidayat said Dawam's departure showed there was order to Muhammadiyah's organizational structure, albeit rigid.
On the other hand, he said, the organization was overreacting in a puritanical effort to uphold tradition, with Ahmadiyah and Lia of little consequence as religious nonconformists.
"Lia cannot threaten or ruin Islam. This phenomena repeats itself -- we have had similar figures in history, like Syech Siti Djenar, and they were harmless," said the professor of Islamic studies at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University in Jakarta.
As the second largest Muslim organization, Komaruddin said, Muhammadiyah should be more democratic and respect different opinions.
"Just state that Muhammadiyah's stance is such, while Dawam's is different. Open up a dialog. Don't see people like Dawam as defiant because he can be a bridge for dialog between different religions."
The conservative Din is also leader of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), whose edicts in 2005 include the banning of Islamic interpretations based on liberalism, secularism and pluralism.
The edicts also stated that Muslims must consider their religion to be the true one religion, and consider other faiths as wrong, as well as stipulating that Ahmadiyah was heretical.
Former Muhammadiyah executive Muhammad Syafi'i Anwar urged Din to take a more intellectual position on issues and protect all members of the organization.
Regardless of the controversy about Dawam, Syafi'i said he regretted the organization's growing conservatism, which he said made moderate members uneasy.
"The Muhammadiyah Young Intellectuals Network often complains about being condemned for being more progressive. I think as a leader, Din should be able to bridge the differences, and protect them instead of being judgmental. Otherwise, this mass organization will deteriorate," said the executive director of the International Center for Islam and Pluralism.