ABSTRACT
In the aftermath of the collapse of the authoritarian “New Order” regime in May 1998, Indonesia began what is widely regarded as the most successful democratic transitions in the contemporary, Muslim-majority world. Although during its first three years, the transition was blighted by outbreaks of ethno-religious violence in eight of the country’s 34 provinces, these communal conflicts were eventually contained; none has recurred in the years since. Although Islamist parties advocating the establishment of an “Islamic state” have had full freedom to campaign in national elections, their share of the popular vote has steadily declined since 1999. At the same time, however, this country, the most populous in the Muslim world, has experienced an ongoing and deepening Islamic resurgence. One much-discussed feature of the resurgence has been a notable increase in acts of discrimination and even violence against non-Muslim and Muslim minorities, including the country’s small Shi’a population. These developments have raised questions as to whether Indonesia’s long-standing tradition of multi-religious citizenship is under threat – not least by populist Islamist politicians who today use new social media to demand a religiously differentiated variety of national citizenship.
This chapter examines the interplay of democratization, Islamic resurgence, and populist mobilization in contemporary Indonesia, with an eye to exploring their implications for the ideals and practices of multi-religious citizenship. It demonstrates that, although Salafis and Islamists have established a presence in democratic Indonesia, their prospects for mounting a direct challenge to Indonesian democracy remain slim. Indeed, to the degree that Islamist parties remain influential, their success has largely been premised on their acceptance of the legitimacy of democracy and the Indonesian nation-state. Islamist groupings have made greater headway, however, in their claims that a democratic Indonesia requires a practice of differentiated citizenship that accords Muslim citizens special privileges with regard to their non-Muslim compatriots. This chapter examines the social and religious forces that have buttressed these calls for a differentiated citizenship, and explores the initiatives undertaken by the country’s still powerful community of Muslim democrats to contain their threat.
