The Emergence of Religious Nationalism: Facing the Challenges of Pluralism in Indonesia

Main Article Content

Erna Anjarwati

Abstract

This study examines the ways in which Islam has been exploited as a political tool that contributes to the awakening of a sense of religious nationalism and the rise of Islamic fundamentalism through the existence of intolerant Muslim vigilantes in Indonesia. By focusing on the exploitation of Islam as a political strategy used by the government and Islamic organizations in the three political periods: the Old Order era, the New Order regime, and the era of the reformation in 1998, this article in particular aims to address two critical questions: 1) How religion has been exploited as a form of political strategy in the three political periods of the Indonesian history, and 2) How religious freedom and tolerance are negotiated amid growing concerns about religious intolerance that affect inter and intra-religious relationships in the era of the reformation. This article embraces a critical interpretive paradigm that aligns with the literature research methodology. The aim is to deepen the insights and understanding about the ways in which religion has been exploited to benefit the conflicting parties and advance their political agendas. Such political manifestations are viewed as a threat to religious freedom and tolerance in the current Indonesian pluralistic nation.

Article Details

How to Cite
Anjarwati, E. (2017). The Emergence of Religious Nationalism: Facing the Challenges of Pluralism in Indonesia. Journal of Human Rights and Peace Studies, 3(2), 93–128. Retrieved from https://so03.tci-thaijo.org/index.php/HRPS/article/view/164170
Section
Academic Articles

References

Abusa, Z. (2008). The Rehabilitation of Jemaah Islamiyah Detainees in South East Asia: A Preliminary Assessment. In T. Bjorgo & J. Horgan (Eds.), Leaving Terrorism Behind (pp. 193-211). New York: Routledge.

Aspinall, E. (2005). The Helsinki agreement: A more promising basis for peace in Aceh? Policy studies No. 20,1-11. Washington: East-West Center.

Aspinall, & Fealy, G. (2003). Local power and politics in Indonesia:

Decentralization & democratization. Singapore: Institute of

Southeast Asian Studies.

Aspinall, & Mietzner, M. (eds.). (2010). Problems of Democratization

in Indonesia: Elections, Institutions and Society. Singapore:

Institute of Southeast Asian Studies.

Azra, A. Kontroversi Buku Teks (1). Republika Online Daily

Newspaper, 2015. Retrieved 09.10.2016 from: www.

republika.co.id/berita/kplom/resonansi/15/04/01/nm4izz-

kontroversi-buku-teks-1

Barton, G. (2005). Jemaah Islamiyah: Radical Islamism in Indonesia.

Singapore: Ridge Books: Singapore University Press.

Barton, K., & Levstick, L. (2004). Teaching History for the Common

Good. New Jersey Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc.

Bertrand, J. (2004). Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia.

Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Bourchier, D., & Legge, J. (eds.). (1994). Democracy in Indonesia

s and 1990s. Australia: Aristoc Press Ltd Monash

University.

Carnegie, P. (2008). Political Islam and democratic change in

Indonesia. Journal of Asian Social Science, 4(11), 1-5.

Castenada, C. R. (2004). Teaching and learning in the diverse

classroom. New York: Routledge-Falmer.

Effendi, Bahtiar. (2003). Islam and the State in Indonesia. Singapore:

ISEAS Series on Islam.

Fachrudin, A.A. Persisting problems from the Al-Maida 51 debate.

The Jakarta Post daily newspaper, 18 October 2016.

Retrieved 11.04.2017 from http://www.thejakartapost.com/

academia/2016/10/18/persisting-problems-from-the-al-

maidah-51-debate.html

Fealy, G., & White, S. (eds.). (2008). Expressing Islam: Religious Life

and Politics in Indonesia. Singapore: Institute of Southeast

Asian Studies.

Fetherson, B., & Kelly, R. (2007). Conflict Resolution and

Transformative Pedagogy: Grounded Theory Research Project

on Learning in Higher Education. Journal of Transformative

Education, 5(3), 262-285.

Formichi, Chiara. (2012). Islam and the making of the nation:

Kartosuwiryo and political Islam in twentieth-century

Indonesia. Leiden: KITLV Press.

Garfinkel, R., & Zymelman, K. (2004). What works? Evaluating

interfaith dialogue programs (pp.2-7). Special report 123

of the United States Institute of Peace.

Hasan, N. (2006). Laskar Jihad: Islam, Militancy, and the Quest for

Identity in Post-New Order Indonesia. Studies on Southeast

Asia No. 40. Ithaca: Cornell University.

Heckman, B., Neiss, R. P., & Ficca, D. (2008). Interactive faith:

The essential interreligious community-building handbook.

Woodstock, VT: Sky Light Paths Publishing.

Hoffman, G. K. (2006). Lesson Plans for a Course in Compassionate

Listening.” In D. Rivers (Ed.), Compassionate Listening: An

Exploratory Source-book About Conflict Transformation

Compassionate Listening: An Exploratory Source-book About

Conflict Transformation (pp. 15-22). Santa Barbara, CA: The

Institute for Cooperative Communications Skills.

Jong, H. N. Jokowi wants to start’s mental revolution, The Jakarta

Post daily newspaper, 2014. Retrieved 22.12.2015 from http://

www.thejakartapost.com/news/2014/05/12/jokowi-wants-

start-mental-revolution.html

Kabbani, S.M.H., & Hendriks, S.S. Jihad: a misunderstood concept

from Islam - What Jihad is and is not. The Islamic Supreme

Council of America. Retrieved 30.04.2017 from http://

islamicsupremecouncil.org/understanding-islam/legal-

rulings/5-jihad-a-misunderstood-concept-from-islam.

html?start=9

Keaten, J. A., & Soukup, C. (2009). Dialogue and religious otherness:

Toward a model of pluralistic interfaith dialogue. Journal of

International and Intercultural Communication, 2(2), 168-

Lederach, J. P. (2005). The Moral Imagination. The Art and Soul of

Building Peace. New York: Oxford University Press.

Madinier, R. (2015). Islam and politics in Indonesia. The Masyumi

party between democracy and integralism. Singapore: NUS

Press

Omer, A., & Springs, J. A. (2013). Religious nationalism: A reference

handbook. Santa Barbara, CA: ABC-CLIO.

Parker, L. (2005). Uniform Jilbab. Inside Indonesia-a quarterly

magazine on Indonesia and its people, culture, politics,

economy and environment. July 1.

Robinson, R. J., Keltner, D., Ward, A., & Ross, L. (1995). Actual

versus assumed differences in construct: “Naive realism” in

inter-group perception and conflict. Journal of Personality &

Social Psychology, 68(3), 404-417.

Ropi, Ismatu. (2017). Religion and regulation in Indonesia. Singapore:

Palgrave Macmillan.

Ross, M. H. (2000). Creating the conditions for peacemaking: theories

of practice in ethnic conflict resolution. Ethnic and Racial

Studies, 23, 1002-1034.

The Indonesian Commission for Election), Indonesia. Jalan Perubahan

Untuk Indonesia Yang Berdaulat, Mandiri dan Berkepribadian.

Jakarta: KPU Indonesia, 2014. Retrieved 09.10.2016 from

kpu.go.id/koleksigambar/Visi_Misi_Jokowi-JK. pdf

Topsfield, J. Pluralism in peril: Is Indonesia’ religious tolerance

under threat? The Sydney Morning Herald, 2016. Retrieved

04.2017 from http://www.smh.com.au/world/pluralism-

in-peril-is-indonesias-religious-tolerance-under-threat-

-gth09i.html

Tropp, L., & Pettigrew, T. (2005). Relationships between inter-group

contact and prejudice among minority and majority status

groups. Psychological Science, 16(12), 951-957.

Willis, J. W. (2007). Foundation of qualitative research: interpretive

and critical approaches. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage

Publications.

Veverka, F. B. (2004). Practicing faith: negotiating identity and

difference in a religiously pluralistic world. Religious

Education, 99(1), 38-55.

Yumarma, A. (1996). Unity in Diversity: A Philosophical and Ethical

Study of the Javanese Concept of Keselarasan (pp.19-24).

Rome: Editrice Pontificia Universita Gregoriana.