Categorizing Muslims in Postcolonial Indonesia

• Main Author: Muhamad Ali
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Université de Provence 2007-12-01
• Series: Moussons
• Subjects: Indonesia; Java; Islam; Islamic traditions; cultural Islam; political Islam
• Online Access: http://journals.openedition.org/moussons/1746

This paper categorizes Muslim beliefs and practices in postcolonial Indonesia—santri-abangan-priyayi, traditionalist-modernist, political-cultural, fundamentalist-liberal, great-little tradition, and global-local—and argues that, far from being fixed, they must be situated in context. Such a typology must consider contingency, diversity, and complexity, shaped by various factors. The terms santri and abangan are useful to identify fractions of the Muslim population in Java, but are not relevant in other islands. Santri, originally the students in religious schools (pesantren), now encompasses the wider category of the pious Muslims, whereas abangan refers to nominal Muslims. The two groups have a dynamic relationship, including its politicization in contemporary Indonesia. The traditionalist vs. modernist contrast, influenced by colonialism and the modernization theory, has prevailed, but Muslim groups often perceive their difference in non-fundamental religious matters, rather than in terms of tradition vs. modernity. The political vs. cultural Muslim contrast is between groups that stress politics and groups that do not, but many political Muslims are involved in cultural activities, as many may shift from political to cultural activism. The fundamentalist vs. liberal contrast, referring to the stricter vs. freer interpretation of Islam, emerged from Western and global circumstances, but such fundamentalism and liberalism have various meanings, including political. The contrast of the great vs. little tradition is also problematic if static situations, either “backward” or “civilized,” are implied. Finally, the contrast of local vs. global Islam reflects the impact of processes of globalization and localization, although it is also contingent.