ISLAMIC POLITICS IN CONTEMPORARY INDONESIA

Authors : Endang Turmudi

Pages : 1-9

Doi:10.25272/j.2149-8539.2016.2.3.01

View : 23 | Download : 15

Publication Date : 2016-12-15

Article Type : Research

Abstract :Indonesia with a population of more than 90 percent Muslim is not an Islamic  country, regardless an ongoing efforts among some Islamic leaders to  implement Islamic shari’a (Islamic law) in people’s everyday life. The political  efforts of Islamic parties did not reach the maximum, as their vote achievements  tended to be decreasing from around 43 percent in 1955 to 31.41 percent in  2014 election. Nevertheless, the idea to implement Shari’a is still alive, and  some small Islamic organizations even voiced and fought for the establishment  of an Islamic State. Moreover, radicalism also resurfaced, because not only is  there supporters of Islamic State in the society but also their communication  with Muslims in the Middle East is strengthened. The mainstream Islam in  Indonesia, however, not only railed radicalism, but also rejected the ideas of  the Islamic state. They are, instead, determined to make Indonesia as the  country with the secular ideology, i.e. Pancasila, not Islam. This situation  continues to heat up because in addition to the fact that the mainstream Sunni  Islam is under attack from the Wahhabis they are also interfered with the  presence of followers of Shi'ite who disturbed their ideology and practice of  worship.
Keywords : Islam, Politics, Nationalism