Synopses & Reviews
Indonesia is home to the largest Muslim cmmunity in the world. Much of the media attention given to manifestations of radical Islam in Indonesia after 9/11 and the Bali bombings of October 2002 have been limited to current affairs. This book provides a broader perspective about contemporary Islam in Indonesia through discussing two outstanding streams of thought and movements Islamic modernism and radical Islamic fundamentalism. These two different, multifaceted phenomena clearly illustrate the significant contemporary influence of the Middle East on the Indonesia archipelago, in an Islamic context. Thus the focus is twofold: the local context, and the impact of the Middle East on Islam in Indonesia. These two perspectives allow a comparative and cross-regional view which, combined with the broader historical narrative, provides insights into possible future trends.
The author explains the importance of the reformist motivation; religious and social and political dimensions; ideology, perceptions, and interaction in the context of the transmission and dissemination of Islamic ideas; and the current and potential appeal of the war cry of Jihad in opposition to the unique bulwarks against it as suggested by the local Indonesian context. These topics make this book essential reading to understanding the current and future comprehensive challenges posed by radical Islam in the Indonesian archipelago.
Review
“In this book, Giora Eliraz comparatively examines how the Middle Eastern Islamic modernist movements influenced Islamic movements in the Malay-Indonesian world throughout the twentieth century and contributed to the rise of contemporary Islamic radicalism in Indonesia. Eliraz studies the transmission of modernist and/or radical ideas from the Middle East to Indonesia, the multiple organizations and strategies within Islamic movements, as well as the impacts of local and national values on the distinct faces of Indonesian Islam. Despite the current emergence of Islamic radicalism, the majority of the people continue to reject politicized Islam. According to the author, the tradition of intellectual and organizational pluralism has become the predominant characteristic of Indonesian Islam.” —American Journal of Islamic Social Sciences
Review
“Giora Eliraz of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem views Indonesia through the lens of an expert on the Middle East. In Islam in Indonesia, he shows how the views of the Islamic reformer Muhammad Abduh (1849-1905) came to acquire greater influence in Indonesia than in his native Egypt. Abduh tried to harmonize ‘revelation and the tradition of the Prophet on the one hand, and human reason and science on the other hand. Abduhs followers continue to believe that the answer to the crisis within Islam lies in Islam itself - in a return to a pure form of the faith. In Indonesia they are represented by Muhammadiyah. It runs schools, colleges and hospitals and rejects as un-Islamic typically Indonesian practices such as communal feasts and visits to the graves of Muslim saints … Mr. Eliraz briefly hints at a darker, more pessimistic line of argument. He says the more Muslims become pious and devout believers, the easier it is to mobilize among them ‘those who are ready to carry zealously the banner of Islam. He also questions Muhammadiyah: ‘A search of the Indonesian context for possible sources of inspiration for Islamic radical perceptions might even lead, indirectly, to the massive and influential Islamic modernist movement in Indonesia. But in the end Mr. Eliraz concludes that radical Islam is unlikely to evolve as either a real political option or a significant cultural and ideological force.” —Far Eastern Economic Review
About the Author
Dr Giora Eliraz was recently at the Australian National University in Canberra as a Visiting Fellow. He is a Research Fellow at the Harry S. Truman Institute for the Advancement of Peace at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel; a lecturer in the program for Contemporary Middle East studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem; a Research Fellow at the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism, Herzliya; and is on the Board of Trustees of the Strategic Dialogue Center at Netanya College.