Regional Aspects of the IndonesianUlamaCouncil's Ideological Turn

Abstract

When national governments support homogenising religious programs within plural populations, scholars are called to pay close attention to the subsequent interactions between state power and religious projects/actors. This article responds to this need by providing a sub-national perspective on Indonesian Council of Islamic Scholars (MUI), a national body seen by some as a state-supported homogenising project. Based on fieldwork in the Indonesian cities of Tasikmalaya and Malang, the article describes the ideological diversity that exists between the central MUI and its regional branches. In the regions, the MUI is supported financially by regional governments, and in this way, its branches are shaped by local political conditions rather than by allegiance to ideological programs promoted from the centre. The authors observe the openness of the Tasikmalaya MUI to a wide range of Islamic movements, and contrast this with the ideological homogeneity of Malang's MUI, where the regional government is intent on restricting Islamic programs that threaten religious and social diversity. The contrasting religio-political positionings of the regional MUI signal the ideological heterogeneity to be found within the Indonesian Islamic Scholars' Council and shed light on the importance of sub-national factors in shaping Indonesia's institutional responses to religious diversity.Many nation-states with populations in which Muslims form the majority also display very high levels of ethnic and religious pluralism. This complexity has created a common political dilemma in countries such as Turkey, Iraq, Egypt, Malaysia, Syria, Iran, Indonesia and others: to what extent should the state give effect to Muslim norms in social, legal and political life? Muslim activists in all these countries Julian Millie is ARC Future Fellow in the Anthropology Program

The Urgency of the Relationship of Ulama and Government in the Development of Religious Diversity in Indonesia

“…The recent rise in influence of the MUI has prompted discussions about the extent to which Islamic authorities should be supported and legitimized by government authorities in Indonesia. The MUI is a quasigovernmental body representing Indonesia's Islamic clerics (Millie & Hindasah, 2015). This involvement, according to Panggabean & Ali-Fauzi, hampers the police's ability to handle violence.…”