Studia Islamika
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Paradigms, Models, and Counterfactuals: Decolonializing the Study of Islam in Indonesia
No full textDecolonializing the study of Islam in Indonesia is a complex process. It involves not only the critique of colonial paradigms as instruments of domination and assessment of the ways in which they have shaped “normal science” (Kuhn 1962) research, but also the ways in which findings from them can contribute to the development of post-colonial, post-orientalist perspectives. This paper focuses on three themes. First: the ways in which research by two important colonial scholars concerned with Indonesian Islam, Stamford Raffles (1781-1826) and Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje (1857-1936) contributed to the formation of paradigms that endured for more than a century; second: the ways in which these paradigms contributed to the development of models of Indonesian Islams and finally steps necessary for the development of genuinely post-colonial, post-orientalist models and paradigms. Exploration of these issues relies on analytic tools from cultural anthropology, the philosophy of science and political science
Shedding Light on Indonesian Islam: The Latest Trends from Europe
No full textOn December 13, 2024, the Institute for Languages and Cultures of the Islamicate World at the University of Cologne held the “Indonesian Studies Day 2024” in Cologne, Germany. Chaired by Prof. Dr. Edwin P. Wieringa (Professor of Indonesian Philology, University of Cologne) and co-chaired by Muhammad Nida’ Fadlan (PhD researcher in Indonesian Islamic Philology, University of Cologne), this academic event focused on the intersection of religion, culture, and identity within the context of Islam in Indonesia. It served as a colloquium that gathered Indonesian PhD students in Europe to discuss the latest research on this subject.
There were two main reasons for this event. First, Indonesia is a country that is globally still unfamiliar to many people, even though it has the largest population of Muslims in the world. The attempts to showcase the rich Islamic heritage of Indonesia have not yet been very successful. Second and relatedly, there is still a need to promote academic activities related to Indonesian Islamic studies. This forum brought together doctoral students from different European universities who are researching various topics related to Indonesian Islam, enabling profound and fruitful discussions. By coming together, this intellectual gathering encourages and furthers research in this area
Gender and Islam in Indonesian Studies, A Retrospective
Full text linkThis essay considers continuities and discontinuities in the study of gender and Islam in Indonesia since the 1960s, tracing key themes that emerged early on and in many cases continue to animate contemporary scholarly discussion. Important themes include enduring patterns of matrifocality; the complementarity of gender roles; and the “essential bilateralism” of gender orders – which have led to assessments of the “relatively high status of Southeast Asian women.” This essay will focus on the impact of the resurgent interest in Islam on Indonesian gender studies from the 1980s until today, emphasizing the evolving status and role of women in the context of recent social and political developments and the rise of a new Indonesian Muslim middle class. It argues for the continuing importance of local, on-the-ground case studies that speak to broader regional patterns but also to Indonesia’s impressive ethnic and regional diversity
The Study of Islam in Indonesia: A 75-Year Retrospective on a Post-Orientalist Collaboration
No full textThis special issue retrospective on the study of Islam in Indonesia chronicles several disciplinary approaches, methodological strategies, and theoretical interventions in the study of the social, economic, political, artistic, and religious life of Islam, across nearly eight decades of Indonesian independence. As a collection of essays in the spirit of reflection on a wide corpus of scholarship, these essays cover an incredible breadth of ground. This introduction offers some context for the intellectual vision of this panel (moving towards Post-Orientalist collaborations) and ponders possible future models of research and scholarship that are cognizant of trends in postcolonial theory and decolonial thought that seek to diversify and amplify voices on the margin, not simply for the sake of diverse representation, but especially to expand and sharpen our understandings of Islam in Indonesia
The Social Scientific Study of Islam in Indonesia: A 75 Year Retrospective
No full textThis essay provides an historical overview of broad currents in the social scientific study of Islam in Indonesia from the Modjokuto project of the early 1950s to today. It makes three broad points. First, the essay shows that a perennial influence on the refiguration of Muslim politics and ethics in Indonesia has been, not scriptural principles alone, but the global ascendance of the modern nation state and Muslim intellectuals’ and politicians’ efforts to craft a Muslim public ethics consonant with the realities of a modern and religiously plural nation. Second, the essay shows that another feature of the social scientific study of Islam in Indonesia has been the ascendance of Indonesia-born Muslim intellectuals to positions of intellectual leadership in the field. Third, the overview makes clear that one of the most important recent achievements of this social scientific research has been to explain how Indonesia succeeded in developing the most effective and sustainable democracy in the Muslim-majority world
Examining New Public Diplomacy and Interfaith Dialogue in Indonesia: Cases of World Peace Forum (WPF) and Religion Twenty (R20)
No full textThis paper delves into the relationship between new public diplomacy and interfaith dialogue in Indonesia by explicating the cases of the World Peace Forum and Religion Twenty. Using qualitative methods, the article holistically explores the emergence, goals, actors, and dynamics of both religious organizations’ diplomacy. This study demonstrates that both forums aim to promote world peace by introducing “Moderate Islam” as the face of Indonesian diplomacy. The findings in this paper also show several strengths and weaknesses of the two forums. This paper analyses the topic from a broader perspective by using the new public diplomacy theory and theory of change from the perspective of interfaith dialogue. Hence, this paper concentrates on enriching the academic understanding of interfaith diplomacy as a reference in the development of interfaith diplomacy in other countries
Mau‘iẓat al-Ikhwān and the Knowledge of the Acehnese Past
No full textThis article attempts to study a work of late nineteenth century Aceh, known as Mau‘iẓat al-Ikhwān. The main bulk of this inquiry revolves around the question of how far the text conveys the ‘historical knowledge’ of Aceh at the height of its war against the Dutch within the time of its composition (1886 AD). The work, which is a short treatise with only 14 pages in length, was written by Shaykh Muḥammad ‘Abbās al-Āshī, a prominent ‘ālim (religious scholar) and a war leader. Its composition was initially intended as an ‘exhortation’ (mau‘iẓat) for the Acehnese in their efforts at waging the holy war against the Dutch, and therefore it was addressed to them for contemporary use. Yet, as a product of the past the text also encompasses some factual data which can enrich our knowledge of the Acehnese past, especially that of the late nineteenth century. As such, the work plays its role beyond its initial intention as it also functions as a historical source. This study employs a ‘descriptive analytical’ method which will be supported by the mode of Culler’s ‘hermeneutics of recovery’
The ‘Elective Affinity’ of Islamic Populism, Mobilization and Social Media: A Case Study of Indonesian Politic Identity Within the Three Elections
No full textScholarly inquiry into Islamic populism in Indonesia has distinctly bifurcated into two primary domains. The first is a comprehensive examination of political issues that explores various perspectives, including political identity, agency, and the influence of political figures. The second domain focuses on the impact of digital platforms, particularly how the proliferation of hoaxes and disinformation plays a critical role in shaping political identities during elections. Unlike previous studies, this article employs Gerbaudo’s concept of elective affinity to elucidate the interconnection between populism in political science and the dynamic realm of social media. These forces generate the political sentiments that shape Islamic populism in Indonesia. Specifically, this article conducts a nuanced analysis, utilizing the presidential elections of 2014 and 2019, as well as the 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections, as comprehensive case studies
Revisiting Women's Piety Movements in the Indonesian Context
Full text linkThe current Islamic studies literature focusing on women’s expression in Indonesia remains understudied. It still presents a scholarly challenge for current Islamic studies to address the issue of ideal expressed space for women. This mainly includes women’s positions and roles in society and their concerns about public issues. Addressing this puzzle, this paper aims to analyse how Islam affirmatively can address women’s expression as individuals and members of social groups. This paper employs critical discourse analysis by cultivating theoretical frameworks such as the debate between feminism and Islamic understandings of women. The findings of this study show that the need for inclusive public space for women to express their concerns while keeping their Islamic faith is imminent. This paper also further investigates how three women movements build up their expressed spaces and their impact on society
Sharia Yes, Sharia State No: Negosiasi dan Akomodasi Syari’ah di Indonesia
No full textSyafiq Hasyim. 2023. Shariatization of Indonesia, the Politics of the Council of Indonesian Ulama (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI). Leiden: Brill.
Wael Hallaq. 2013. The Impossible State, Islam, Politics, and Modernity's Moral Predicament. New York: Columbia University Press.
The two works discussed in this book review examine how Sharia norms are negotiated and accommodated in modern nation-states. This process is inevitable as Muslims are confronted with the persistence of the nation-state and the theological obligation to apply Sharia norms in their lives. Although Hallaq's work is very pessimistic in saying that paradigmatically the two systems are impossible to reconcile, his work can serve as an important background for understanding Hasyim's work which discusses in detail how Sharia is accommodated in the legal order and public life in Indonesia, highlighting the role of the MUI as the main institution of this accommodation process. Hasyim's work tries to answer three important questions: how and in what way MUI plays a role in the process of sharization; what its implications in law and public life in Indonesia are and how the process came about; and how the state and society respond to this sharization