Studia Islamika
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From Fiqh to Political Advocacy: Muhammadiyah’s Ecological Movement in the Post New Order Indonesia
No full textThis paper investigates how Indonesia’s Islamic modernist movement, Muhammadiyah, is responding to issues such as environment degradation, global warming and climate change. Muhammadiyah has not adopted the ecology paradigm used by Islamic environmentalism group, focusing instead on theological reform and social and economic welfare and justice, but members of its elite have begun inserting ecological concerns into the organisation’s programmatic orientation. This paper argues that, although these efforts are not well organized and maintained, they have enormous potential to transform Muhammadiyah into a right-green organization, as demonstrated through its progressive initiative on the environment and its efforts institutional and theological reform (fiqh of water) and in its involvement in judicial review of state policy (known as ‘jihad konstitusi’/judicial review) as political advocacy practice. However, the main feature of Muhammadiyah’s environmental activism is its continued emphasis on economic justice rather than on building ecological security and conservation movement
Pesantren during the Pandemic: Resilience and Vulnerability
No full textThis paper describes PPIM’s research entitled “ The Impact and Resilience of Senior High School Education Institutions in Islamic Boarding Schools (Pesantren) during the COVID-19 Pandemic Crisis: Study of 15 Pesantren in Jakarta, Banten, and West Java” (PPIM, 2021). This study is to observe the resilience and vulnerability of a pesantren towards the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the research also aims to explore the role of nyai (a wife of kiai, a pesantren leader) during the pandemic. The study was conducted from May to November 2021. The result of this study was presented to the public in January 2022.The Ministry of Education and Culture (MEC) Republic of Indonesia reported that the pandemic impacted around 68 million students who were forced to do online learning (Puspita, 2021). Pesantren are one of the educational institutions in Indonesia that focus on Islamic teaching. One of the most critical aspects of a pesantren is the dormitory that enables students (santri) to live together in one environment. The essence of pesantren is to train the santri to be independent and educate them to have Islamic values. This essence can only be achieved through direct teaching. When most schools carried out online learning to avoid transmission of the COVID-19 virus, pesantren continued to conduct offline learning as mandated by the joint decision of four Ministries; MEC, Ministry of Religious Affairs (MORA), Ministry of Health (MOH), and Ministry of Home Affairs (MOHA) (Kementerian Pendidikan dan Kebudayaan RI, 2020). Even though the Indonesian government has established a set of strict health protocols, it was found that 4.328 santri from 67 pesantren in 13 provinces were confirmed positive of COVID-19 in 2021 (Putri, 2021). A recent study by PPIM UIN Jakarta in 3 Islamic Universities found that pesantren alumni have lower knowledge, behaviour, and perception than non-pesantren alumni. In addition, the study also revealed that male students have more inadequate knowledge, behaviour, and perception than females (PPIM, 2021). On that note, the role of nyai is essential as the messenger of kiai to deliver accurate information and become a role model for santri in enforcing the rules
The Roots of Indonesia's Resilience Against Violent Extremism
No full textThis article explores Indonesia’s institutional foundations to understand the country’s resilience against violent extremism. First, Pancasila has been the foundation of an inclusive state that can bind Indonesian diversity. Second, multiparty elections allow Islamist groups to participate in politics and express their aspirations constitutionally, thus moderating their violent strategies. Third, the support of the largest Islamic organizations, especially NU and Muhammadiyah, for counterterrorism and law enforcement against extremist orchestrated by the government. Both organizations exhibit a stronghold essential to countering the Salafi jihadist ideology. However, although infrequent and small in scale, the continued acts of violent extremism in Indonesia have shown that there is still room for the terrorist ideology to grow. Some Islamic educational institutions deliberately educate students to support Islamism, and some students are introduced to Salafi jihadist ideology. Such a development should serve as a warning for the government to pay more attention to the curriculum and teachers, especially in Islamic educational institutions
The Politics of Syariatisation in Indonesia: MMI and GARIS' Struggle for Islamic Law
No full textThis paper addresses the deficiency of the doctrinal approach in Islamic legal studies. There is an emergent need to comprehend Islamic law from the standpoint of its practical aspects: that is, how the law is intended to produce certain results, whether it gives expected results, and whether an identifiable result is consistent with the reason for the law as one might have expected. This paper examines the discourse of legal Islamization from the perspective of its practical aspects, that is, how the idea is developed, campaigned, and impregnated in Muslim societies. A study of the organizations Majlis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI) and Gerakan Reformis Islam (Garis) shows that both groups had different concerns. While MMI focused on the theoretical legal system, Garis was more concerned with the practical realm of law; yet the two are the same in orientation as they are both concerned with how everyday life is regulated for Muslims
Kebangkitan Konservatisme Islam: Politik Identitas dan Potret Demokrasi di Indonesia
No full textLeonard C. Sebastian, Syafiq Hasyim and Alexander R. Arifianto (eds). 2021. Rising Islamic Conservatism in Indonesia: Islamic Groups and Identity Politics. London and New York: Routledge.This volume discusses the rise of Islamic conservatism in Indonesia that is opposed to the values of pluralism, tolerance, and religious freedom. The authors argue that Islamic conservatism presents an enormous challenge to Indonesia as a multi-religious country that adversely affects its social, cultural, and political situations. They are concerned that Islamic conservatism may distance Indonesia from religious inclusion, and in fact, it may bring the country closer to religious exclusion. They are also worried that religious intolerance is increasingly on the rise, as shown in the cases of the prohibition of the establishment of churches in Muslim neighbourhood, the abuse of the blasphemy law to punish minority groups, the establishment of exclusive ‘sharia’ housing complexes that is intended only for ‘like-minded’ Muslims, and vigilante-style persecutions such as threats, verbal harassment, and physical intimidation against people or groups who are opposed to the perpetrators’ religious views. In addition, the authors also emphasize that there is an ongoing movement among supporters of Islamic conservatism to signify their religious boundaries and at the same time reject those who do not follow their path
Forbidden Visibility: Queer Activism, Shari‘a Sphere and Politics of Sexuality in Aceh
No full textThis article aims to explain why organized queer activism emerged in Aceh, but could endure only in about six years (from 2008 to 2014). It is argued that this has mainly caused by massive expansion of ‘shari‘a spheres’ since 2001 supported by national and local government and parliament legal-political back up and societal religio-cultural forces on the one hand, and weak nature of the queer movements as counterpublics, characterized with the inadequate resources mobilization, especially in leadership and in getting support from its social movement communities during the crises on the other hand. Shari‘a, which is heteronormative, have been used as discursive and embodied disciplinary power of sexuality for normalizing and excluding the queer (including lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender/LGBT). Their organized visibility triggered the issuance of the Qanun Jinayah in 2014, which includes punishment for same-sex activities. It caused them to dissolve their own queer organizations
The Word ‘Lebai’ and Its Ethnic Origins: Reassessing an Early Designation for Muslim Religious Officials in the Malay World
No full textThis article proposes a new etymon for the Malay word lebai (minor religious official/scholar), namely the Sino-Muslim term libai (禮拜, worship or religious service conducted in a mosque). Scholars have traditionally argued that lebai, a loanword introduced during the early stages of Islamization, derives from the Tamil leppai (or lebbai), likewise signifying (amongst other things) a minor religious official/scholar. On this basis, it has been argued that Tamil Muslims acted as Southeast Asia’s earliest Islamic officials. This article critically reassesses the evidence underlying this attribution. By tracing the earliest known Malay usage of lebai to Java –where it emerged alongside Sino-Muslim influences associated with Cirebon, Gresik and Demak– the etymon libai is proposed: since the Song dynasty (960-1279), Sino-Muslims have used the noun libai as a designate for religious affairs (particularly prayers) conducted in a mosque. This study suggests that lebai originates with this term, making it indicative of Sino-Muslim influence during Java’s Islamization
Doing Hijrah Through Music: A Religious Phenomenon Among Indonesian Musician Community
No full textThis paper studies the variants of hijrah movements among Muslim youths in Bandung, Indonesia, in responding music. Hijrah (to migrate spiritually) was first interpreted as abandoning the past sinful life into the path of Islam. In its development, it is defined as leaving behind “un-Islamic” activities, including music. The latter meaning of hijrah conveys to ex-musicians performing hijrah to completely abandon music and even destroys their musical instruments. Among hijrah groups, Gerakan Pemuda Hijrah conveys the detrimental effects of music for Islamic morality and faith. For them, music will drive Muslims to the jāhilīyah (ignorance), shirk (polytheism) and bid‘ah (innovation/heresy). Amidst this situation, Komunitas Musisi Mengaji (KOMUJI) emerges to practicing hijrah by performing musical activities and even employing “musicking” as a way to attain the true path of Islam. This paper reveals the different views of those groups concerning music and hijrah, as well as shows an alternative path amid Islamism and globalization
Al-Ḥadāthah al-Islāmīyah al-mutaghayyirah: Ṣuwar li al-ṣūfīyah al-ḥaḍarīyah fī Indonesia wa Pakistan
No full textOver the last few decades, socio-religious changes in the middle-class Muslim community have transformed individual conceptions of what it means to be a ‘modern’ Muslim. It can be practiced even in conventional ways; joining a Sufi order (tarekat) group. This way refutes the perception of some groups who stigmatize Sufism as a ‘people’s religion,’ a form of rural religious practice. This article depicts Indonesia and Pakistan’s urban middle-class Muslim trend to practice the Qadiriyah tarekat. Although using the classical Sufism method, the middle-class Muslim in both countries still practice Sufism in a modern trend. This tarekat can facilitate the middle-class Muslim community to achieve a degree of ‘unity with God’ by using the tools of modernity. Besides its role as a medium for psychological therapy in the modern era, the Qadiriyah tarekat also contributes to various government programs, especially in anticipating humanitarian conflicts, preventing radicalism, strengthening harmony between communities, and initiating women’s empowerment movements
Islamic on Screen: Religious Narrative on Indonesia's Television
No full textThe digital era does not necessarily replace television as a source of information, including about religion. Television remains vital in the construction and dissemination of religious information in Indonesian society. The survey conducted by PPIM in 2018 shows that 33.73% of Generation Z (youth) access television as a source of religious knowledge (Saputra 2018). The previous research by Alvara in 2020 also found that 54.2% of respondents listen to and watch religious sermons from television (Alvara 2020). Therefore, PPIM UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta through Media and Religious Trend In Indonesia (MERIT) conducted a research entitled “Preaching on Screen: Television and Religious Narrative in Indonesia”, which ran from July to December 2020. The research found that moderate and conservative of islam are highly dominating on television programs in Indonesia.This research is also driven by the significance of television in disseminating religious knowledge demonstrated by the widespread proliferation of religious programs produced on television. These religious programs are broadcasted not only during Ramadan month but also on daily basis. The significant role of television as a source of religious knowledge is also illustrated by the high public interest in watching religious programs. For example, the "Damai Indonesiaku" program produced by TVOne successfully gains a share of 10.42% in the month of Ramadan and 8.33% on normal days (Tirto 2018). The program "Kata Ustadz Solmed" broadcasted by SCTV (Surya Citra Televisi), enjoys a high rating of 31 shares, which is much higher than the soap opera with the highest rating of only 15 shares. In addition to religious programs on public television stations, currently, many TV stations use satellite frequencies to exclusively broadcast religious programs for example RodjaTV, Ihsan TV, and Surau TV. In fact, with the rapid development of the internet, many televisions use Youtube platform to broadcast their religious programs such as CokroTV, Al BahjahTV, YufidTV, TVMU (TVMuhammadiyah), Nabawi TV, and so on