[wvns] Indonesia: Growing Islamic Conservatism
Indonesians Live Islam
IslamOnline.net & Newspapers
CAIRO — A growing conservative tide manifested in the emergence of
Islamic political parties and an increase in hijab-clad women is by no
means an indication of the radicalization of Indonesia, the world's
most populous Muslim nation, experts believe.
"In my experience, Indonesian Islam will remain tolerant, remain
moderate," Azyumardi Azra, director of the graduate school at Syarif
Hidayatullah State Islamic University, told The New York Times on
Monday, July 2.
"Of course there is growing conservatism, but not in terms of becoming
more radical."
The religious nature of the Indonesians is demonstrated in society, on
campuses and the streets.
Hijab is almost everywhere, eclipsing revealing clothes and short
skirts, while university students are increasing forming Islamic
associations on campus.
"Democracy is like a gate that is opened to let people say what they
want," noted Budi, a student at the secular University of Indonesia.
"Having the door open wider, it was easier for us to promote Islamic
values and teaching."
Analysts believe that fed up with a rise in crime rates, prostitution
as well as drugs and alcohol trafficking, people found refugee in
religion.
"People were asking the government to do something, and there was
pressure from groups trying to introduce Muslim values," said Dewi
Gustiana, a reporter for the Suara Pembaruan daily.
Muslim traders brought their religion to the vast archipelago in the
12th century.
Muslim make up some 86.1 percent of the 235 million population,
Protestant 5.7, Roman Catholic 3, Hindu 1.8, other or unspecified 3.4
percent, according to the CIA World Fact Book.
Political Islam
Despite the rising conservative tide, the so-called political Islam is
not making inroads in Indonesia.
"There is a view that Islam is on the march," said Greg Fealy, an
expert on Indonesia at the Australian National University.
"I don't see any evidence for that."
He agrees there is a religious and cultural Islamization in private
and public.
"But in the political realm, there is hardly any evidence to support
the view that Islam is rising."
Some analysts argue that local Shari`ah ordinances are largely a
response to economic hardships, colored by a rise in religious devotion.
"The implementation of 'Shari`ah' is not Shari`ah," Azra said.
"These so-called laws against prostitution and alcohol and moral
issues are only bylaws with Islamic colors," he explained.
According to Azra, Indonesians think of Shari`ah in terms of prayer,
fasting and hajj rather than the imposition of law which includes
punishments like flogging or stoning for adultery.
"Islamic state, blah blah, not an issue," said MP Zulkieflimansyah, a
member of the Islamist Justice and Welfare Party.
Together, the Islamic parties in the world's most populous Muslim
country have never drawn more than about one-fifth of the electoral vote.
Since the founding of the nation in 1945, Islamic groups and
organizations have failed to include into the Constitution what are
locally known as the seven words, which translate into English as
"with obligation for Muslims to practice Shari`ah."
MPs repeatedly tried to push the phrase capitalizing on the democratic
clamor that followed the 1998 ouster of longtime strongman Suharto but
with no success.
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