What do you think?
Rate this book
Understanding Islam in Indonesia: Politics and Diversity
There are more Muslims in Indonesia than in any other country, but most people outside the region know little about the nation, much less about the practice of Islam among its diverse peoples or the religion’s influence on the politics of the republic. In this illuminating publication, Robert Pringle explains the advent of Islam in Indonesia, its development, and especially its contemporary circumstances. The author’s incisive writing provides the necessary background and demystifies the spectrum of politically active Muslim groups in Indonesia today.
224 pages, Paperback
First published June 30, 2010
47 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 7, 2012
It's never easy being a (young) Indonesian (especially the Chinese). Most can only fall in either two traps, by living in the modern Indonesia: ignorance or denial. Needless to say, some of us hate living in Indonesia. I was one of them. I denied that I am an Indonesian; I denied the prospect of living and working in Indonesia. I thought of myself living somewhere else that's better and safer, where there are no traffic jams and fear of being mugged while walking home at 3 am in the morning.
Some people ultimately have to live in Indonesia, and they'll do. But they'll live like a stranger in their own country. Now if you're Indonesian, ask around, how many people actually know that one third of Indonesian population live in Java island alone, or that Islam, being a majority religion in Indonesia, is actually a minority political philosophy? Or that we should proud because we are actually the only country in The South East Asia that ranks the highest in staving off terrorism? I believe not many know. Some people just like to pretend that s/he isn't Indonesian, putting on New York, NY, U.S. on their Facebook address (in fact, they are not), and dreaming that someday they'll escape this dystopian capital as if it was Rio de Janeiro in the film "City of God", and live in other, more prosperous—or more hip, more pop stars, more Lady Gaga's concerts, more European, etc.—countries.
One day I woke up and just tired of all that bullshit. How much longer do I need to live like a fake? Sometimes I feel like dancing around nothingness, like, look at me! I'm glamorous, fabulous, on a stage! Check out the limelight! Check out my awesome boots! But actually, I'm just another citizen who doesn't admit that I'm Indonesian.
One time I was in a cafe in Melbourne. I overheard a conversation between an Indonesian and a Philippine who were sitting next to me. If I wasn't wrong, they were students, who were studying film. They were about to make a movie for their final project and was discussing about the initial idea. The Philippine guy suggested that they make the movie about Indonesia in Indonesian. And the Indonesian girl cut it off with a remark, "Please," while rolling her eye. "Why?" the Philippine guy asked. "I have enough of Indonesia, why do you think I'm here for?" she answered. They laughed. Sad isn't it? I was surprised and partly angry upon hearing that. And also, if I would admit, more than a little bit embarrassed—about myself. I was no better.
I contemplated and determined to make a change from that day onward. I started reading Indonesian books, and learned about my own country. I think a country's success is determined by the value of its citizens, there are no shortcuts, no discounts. That's partly the reason why I'm reading this book.
I'm a Catholic, but still, Islam has the most followers in the country. It's omnipresent; you can't ignore it, less avoid it. It's not about the religion, it's about the culture that the religion shapes. I'm reading this not because I wan't to defect from my own faith but to learn more about the country I am currently living in. That's said.
About the book, I found it very scholarly: a lot of references, a lot of understudies, just like a thesis we'd make when we were in final college year. It does help me with the understanding about Islam in the country. It covers greatly from the pre-historic era to the recent years of Indonesia. I can see that Pringle really tried to write it in the language that's basic and public—and humorous sometimes, however, still, I found it quite a straining read, due to my lack of knowledge in Islam and Indonesian history. So this reason alone, might be bias for different people. But what so interesting about this book is that, not only does it give me the broad, general introduction to Islam inside and outside the country, but it also tells me the history of Indonesia that made Islam today. A lot of insights and factual data, this book also helps the readers to understand the foreigner's point of view of Indonesia (if they are Indonesian).
In conclusion, if you are one of the people who want to understand more about modern Indonesia, and Islam in general, this book is a good introduction to that. And for anybody who's anxious about radical Islam in Indonesia, maybe this book can give you a kind of pacifier to suck on.
Some people ultimately have to live in Indonesia, and they'll do. But they'll live like a stranger in their own country. Now if you're Indonesian, ask around, how many people actually know that one third of Indonesian population live in Java island alone, or that Islam, being a majority religion in Indonesia, is actually a minority political philosophy? Or that we should proud because we are actually the only country in The South East Asia that ranks the highest in staving off terrorism? I believe not many know. Some people just like to pretend that s/he isn't Indonesian, putting on New York, NY, U.S. on their Facebook address (in fact, they are not), and dreaming that someday they'll escape this dystopian capital as if it was Rio de Janeiro in the film "City of God", and live in other, more prosperous—or more hip, more pop stars, more Lady Gaga's concerts, more European, etc.—countries.
One day I woke up and just tired of all that bullshit. How much longer do I need to live like a fake? Sometimes I feel like dancing around nothingness, like, look at me! I'm glamorous, fabulous, on a stage! Check out the limelight! Check out my awesome boots! But actually, I'm just another citizen who doesn't admit that I'm Indonesian.
One time I was in a cafe in Melbourne. I overheard a conversation between an Indonesian and a Philippine who were sitting next to me. If I wasn't wrong, they were students, who were studying film. They were about to make a movie for their final project and was discussing about the initial idea. The Philippine guy suggested that they make the movie about Indonesia in Indonesian. And the Indonesian girl cut it off with a remark, "Please," while rolling her eye. "Why?" the Philippine guy asked. "I have enough of Indonesia, why do you think I'm here for?" she answered. They laughed. Sad isn't it? I was surprised and partly angry upon hearing that. And also, if I would admit, more than a little bit embarrassed—about myself. I was no better.
I contemplated and determined to make a change from that day onward. I started reading Indonesian books, and learned about my own country. I think a country's success is determined by the value of its citizens, there are no shortcuts, no discounts. That's partly the reason why I'm reading this book.
I'm a Catholic, but still, Islam has the most followers in the country. It's omnipresent; you can't ignore it, less avoid it. It's not about the religion, it's about the culture that the religion shapes. I'm reading this not because I wan't to defect from my own faith but to learn more about the country I am currently living in. That's said.
About the book, I found it very scholarly: a lot of references, a lot of understudies, just like a thesis we'd make when we were in final college year. It does help me with the understanding about Islam in the country. It covers greatly from the pre-historic era to the recent years of Indonesia. I can see that Pringle really tried to write it in the language that's basic and public—and humorous sometimes, however, still, I found it quite a straining read, due to my lack of knowledge in Islam and Indonesian history. So this reason alone, might be bias for different people. But what so interesting about this book is that, not only does it give me the broad, general introduction to Islam inside and outside the country, but it also tells me the history of Indonesia that made Islam today. A lot of insights and factual data, this book also helps the readers to understand the foreigner's point of view of Indonesia (if they are Indonesian).
In conclusion, if you are one of the people who want to understand more about modern Indonesia, and Islam in general, this book is a good introduction to that. And for anybody who's anxious about radical Islam in Indonesia, maybe this book can give you a kind of pacifier to suck on.
April 21, 2013
Fact-heavy and dry, but a good overview of Indonesian religious/political history in general. If you're researching in this area, it'll be one of your best sources.
January 5, 2020
There was a time when Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) was a political party in Indonesia, when Muslim Communists exist and did not contridict itself, and when the 1st Pancasila was in 5th and declared “Believe in God, with the obligation of the adherent of Islam to carry out Islamic law” (Ketuhanan, dengan kewajiban menjalankan syari’at Islam bagi pemuluk-pemuluk nya).
Furthermore, there are good explanations why in the whole Sumatra island only the Toba Batak people are Christian majority, why the people in Bali remain Hindu, and why those in eastern parts of Indonesia are predominantly Roman Catholics and Protestants. Meanwhile, there is a cheeky urban myth on why the Istiqlal national mosque has 12 pillars, created by its Christian architech. And contrary to popular believe that Muhammadiyah organisation is named after the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the organisation was actually named after their theological godfather Muhammad ‘Abduh, a 19th century Egyptian reformer.
Moreover, did you know that the “Wali Songo” whom spread Islam in Java were mostly Chinese and Vietnamese descents? And did you know that Imam Bonjol in Padri War was in truth a Wahhabi mob that attacked the Minangkabau matrilineal tradition (they even killed some members of the Minangkabau royal family) and wanted to make Minangkabau an extreme-syariah state? The Minang indigenous requested help to the Dutch, and because he fought the Dutch in a war this Imam from Bonjol became a national hero and not a radical fundamentalist in Indonesia’s history book.
As the title suggest this book is indeed about Islam in Indonesia. But it is not about the theological history of Islam in Indonesia, although the author covered this in quite some length as well. Instead, it is first and foremost the history of politics in Indonesia – from the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms era, to colonial subject under the Dutch English and Japanese occupations, into the formation of the independent state of Indonesia, the turbulant first few decades, the post-1965 violence, until the modern Indonesia as we know it today – with Islam plays one of the most central roles in every era and influenced the evolution of the country. And conversely, this book is also the history of religion in Indonesia with Islam emerged as the dominant power that are shaped by the political scenes.
Central to the evolution of Islam in Indonesia (and thus the development of the book) are two great mainstream Muslim organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama (which the author refer as Traditionalist, due to its assimilation with the traditional local cultures) and Muhammadiyah (which the author refer as Reformist due to its more doctrinaire style). And both organisations act as the pillar of Islam in Indonesia, which covers social, educational (with its great network of boarding schools (pesantren)), political and professional aspects of daily lives.
There are also those Islamic militant groups that became “the other side” of Islam evolution in Indonesia, such as separatist Darul Islam and Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah whom wanted to make Indonesia an extreme-syariah compliant nation. There are also the organised political parties such as Masyumi and PKS that have tried (but so far fail) to make Islam a more dominant force in Indonesian politics. And then there is Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), an organisation that was originally created in 1975 to mobilise support for Suharto’s development policies, to give them stamp of approval from a religiously progressive minority of clerics, but then has since issued some of the most controversial (and idiotic) fatwas after the fall of Suharto.
All of the big events throughout the country’s history, all of the big names, the many riots and violences in the name of religion in Poso, Ambon, Aceh, Dayak vs Madura, etc are analysed. All of the structure and history of Islamic organisations are also discussed in details in the book, from every single political parties, separatist groups, down to the vast Islamic school system – from the 14000 pesantren in Java, to Surau in West Sumatra and Dayah in Aceh.
The author himself is an ex American diplomat who had served in Indonesia, and it was only natural of me to be sceptical at the author at first, where quite often a book by an American diplomat resident are written through the bias of the American point of view and its Foreign Policy interests. But to my delight, Robert Pringle remain balanced and unbiased throughout, where he did not hold back on the raw truths, did not sugar-coat the reality of American involvements in some of the deadly occurrences in Indonesian history, and he also acknowledged some of the rumours without filter.
I especially like the brilliant conclusion at the very end, where the author writes with a touching respect and love towards Indonesia, describing the complicated web of events that have created the unique and moderate Islam that Indonesia now have, and he ultimately concluded that Indonesia’s own diversity “act as a break, however imperfect, on ideological, religious or political extremism.” Lazy cover aside, this book could not do any better than this. 5 stars!
Furthermore, there are good explanations why in the whole Sumatra island only the Toba Batak people are Christian majority, why the people in Bali remain Hindu, and why those in eastern parts of Indonesia are predominantly Roman Catholics and Protestants. Meanwhile, there is a cheeky urban myth on why the Istiqlal national mosque has 12 pillars, created by its Christian architech. And contrary to popular believe that Muhammadiyah organisation is named after the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the organisation was actually named after their theological godfather Muhammad ‘Abduh, a 19th century Egyptian reformer.
Moreover, did you know that the “Wali Songo” whom spread Islam in Java were mostly Chinese and Vietnamese descents? And did you know that Imam Bonjol in Padri War was in truth a Wahhabi mob that attacked the Minangkabau matrilineal tradition (they even killed some members of the Minangkabau royal family) and wanted to make Minangkabau an extreme-syariah state? The Minang indigenous requested help to the Dutch, and because he fought the Dutch in a war this Imam from Bonjol became a national hero and not a radical fundamentalist in Indonesia’s history book.
As the title suggest this book is indeed about Islam in Indonesia. But it is not about the theological history of Islam in Indonesia, although the author covered this in quite some length as well. Instead, it is first and foremost the history of politics in Indonesia – from the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms era, to colonial subject under the Dutch English and Japanese occupations, into the formation of the independent state of Indonesia, the turbulant first few decades, the post-1965 violence, until the modern Indonesia as we know it today – with Islam plays one of the most central roles in every era and influenced the evolution of the country. And conversely, this book is also the history of religion in Indonesia with Islam emerged as the dominant power that are shaped by the political scenes.
Central to the evolution of Islam in Indonesia (and thus the development of the book) are two great mainstream Muslim organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama (which the author refer as Traditionalist, due to its assimilation with the traditional local cultures) and Muhammadiyah (which the author refer as Reformist due to its more doctrinaire style). And both organisations act as the pillar of Islam in Indonesia, which covers social, educational (with its great network of boarding schools (pesantren)), political and professional aspects of daily lives.
There are also those Islamic militant groups that became “the other side” of Islam evolution in Indonesia, such as separatist Darul Islam and Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah whom wanted to make Indonesia an extreme-syariah compliant nation. There are also the organised political parties such as Masyumi and PKS that have tried (but so far fail) to make Islam a more dominant force in Indonesian politics. And then there is Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), an organisation that was originally created in 1975 to mobilise support for Suharto’s development policies, to give them stamp of approval from a religiously progressive minority of clerics, but then has since issued some of the most controversial (and idiotic) fatwas after the fall of Suharto.
All of the big events throughout the country’s history, all of the big names, the many riots and violences in the name of religion in Poso, Ambon, Aceh, Dayak vs Madura, etc are analysed. All of the structure and history of Islamic organisations are also discussed in details in the book, from every single political parties, separatist groups, down to the vast Islamic school system – from the 14000 pesantren in Java, to Surau in West Sumatra and Dayah in Aceh.
The author himself is an ex American diplomat who had served in Indonesia, and it was only natural of me to be sceptical at the author at first, where quite often a book by an American diplomat resident are written through the bias of the American point of view and its Foreign Policy interests. But to my delight, Robert Pringle remain balanced and unbiased throughout, where he did not hold back on the raw truths, did not sugar-coat the reality of American involvements in some of the deadly occurrences in Indonesian history, and he also acknowledged some of the rumours without filter.
I especially like the brilliant conclusion at the very end, where the author writes with a touching respect and love towards Indonesia, describing the complicated web of events that have created the unique and moderate Islam that Indonesia now have, and he ultimately concluded that Indonesia’s own diversity “act as a break, however imperfect, on ideological, religious or political extremism.” Lazy cover aside, this book could not do any better than this. 5 stars!
December 30, 2019
A vital book to read to understand Islam in Indonesia
There was a time when Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) was a political party in Indonesia, when Muslim Communists exist and did not contridict itself, and when the 1st Pancasila was in 5th and declared "Believe in God, with the obligation of the adherent of Islam to carry out Islamic law" (Ketuhanan, dengan kewajiban menjalankan syari'at Islam bagi pemuluk-pemuluk nya).
Furthermore, there are good explanations why in the whole Sumatra island only the Toba Batak people are Christian majority, why the people in Bali remain Hindu, and why those in eastern parts of Indonesia are predominantly Roman Catholics and Protestants. Meanwhile, there is a cheeky urban myth on why the Istiqlal national mosque has 12 pillars, created by its Christian architech. And contrary to popular believe that Muhammadiyah organisation is named after the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the organisation was actually named after their theological godfather Muhammad 'Abduh, a 19th century Egyptian reformer.
Moreover, did you know that the "Wali Songo" whom spread Islam in Java were mostly Chinese and Vietnamese descents? And did you know that Imam Bonjol in Padri War was in truth a Wahhabi mob that attacked the Minangkabau matrilineal tradition (they even killed some members of the Minangkabau royal family) and wanted to make Minangkabau an extreme-syariah state? The Minang indigenous requested help to the Dutch, and because he fought the Dutch in a war this Imam from Bonjol became a national hero and not a radical fundamentalist in Indonesia's history book.
As the title suggest this book is indeed about Islam in Indonesia. But it is not about the theological history of Islam in Indonesia, although the author covered this in quite some length as well. Instead, it is first and foremost the history of politics in Indonesia - from the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms era, to colonial subject under the Dutch English and Japanese occupations, into the formation of the independent state of Indonesia, the turbulant first few decades, the post-1965 violence, until the modern Indonesia as we know it today - with Islam plays one of the most central roles in every era and influenced the evolution of the country. And conversely, this book is also the history of religion in Indonesia with Islam emerged as the dominant power that are shaped by the political scenes.
Central to the evolution of Islam in Indonesia (and thus the development of the book) are two great mainstream Muslim organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama (which the author refer as Traditionalist, due to its assimilation with the traditional local cultures) and Muhammadiyah (which the author refer as Reformist due to its more doctrinaire style). And both organisations act as the pillar of Islam in Indonesia, which covers social, educational (with its great network of boarding schools (pesantren)), political and professional aspects of daily lives.
There are also those Islamic militant groups that became "the other side" of Islam evolution in Indonesia, such as separatist Darul Islam and Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah whom wanted to make Indonesia an extreme-syariah compliant nation. There are also the organised political parties such as Masyumi and PKS that have tried (but so far fail) to make Islam a more dominant force in Indonesian politics. And then there is Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), an organisation that was originally created in 1975 to mobilise support for Suharto's development policies, to give them stamp of approval from a religiously progressive minority of clerics, but then has since issued some of the most controversial (and idiotic) fatwas after the fall of Suharto.
All of the big events throughout the country's history, all of the big names, the many riots and violences in the name of religion in Poso, Ambon, Aceh, Dayak vs Madura, etc are analysed. All of the structure and history of Islamic organisations are also discussed in details in the book, from every single political parties, separatist groups, down to the vast Islamic school system - from the 14000 pesantren in Java, to Surau in West Sumatra and Dayah in Aceh.
I especially like the brilliant conclusion at the very end, where the author writes with a touching respect and love towards Indonesia, describing the complicated web of events that have created the unique and moderate Islam that Indonesia now have, and he ultimately concluded that Indonesia's own diversity "act as a break, however imperfect, on ideological, religious or political extremism." Lazy cover aside, this book could not do any better than this. 5 stars!
There was a time when Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) was a political party in Indonesia, when Muslim Communists exist and did not contridict itself, and when the 1st Pancasila was in 5th and declared "Believe in God, with the obligation of the adherent of Islam to carry out Islamic law" (Ketuhanan, dengan kewajiban menjalankan syari'at Islam bagi pemuluk-pemuluk nya).
Furthermore, there are good explanations why in the whole Sumatra island only the Toba Batak people are Christian majority, why the people in Bali remain Hindu, and why those in eastern parts of Indonesia are predominantly Roman Catholics and Protestants. Meanwhile, there is a cheeky urban myth on why the Istiqlal national mosque has 12 pillars, created by its Christian architech. And contrary to popular believe that Muhammadiyah organisation is named after the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the organisation was actually named after their theological godfather Muhammad 'Abduh, a 19th century Egyptian reformer.
Moreover, did you know that the "Wali Songo" whom spread Islam in Java were mostly Chinese and Vietnamese descents? And did you know that Imam Bonjol in Padri War was in truth a Wahhabi mob that attacked the Minangkabau matrilineal tradition (they even killed some members of the Minangkabau royal family) and wanted to make Minangkabau an extreme-syariah state? The Minang indigenous requested help to the Dutch, and because he fought the Dutch in a war this Imam from Bonjol became a national hero and not a radical fundamentalist in Indonesia's history book.
As the title suggest this book is indeed about Islam in Indonesia. But it is not about the theological history of Islam in Indonesia, although the author covered this in quite some length as well. Instead, it is first and foremost the history of politics in Indonesia - from the Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms era, to colonial subject under the Dutch English and Japanese occupations, into the formation of the independent state of Indonesia, the turbulant first few decades, the post-1965 violence, until the modern Indonesia as we know it today - with Islam plays one of the most central roles in every era and influenced the evolution of the country. And conversely, this book is also the history of religion in Indonesia with Islam emerged as the dominant power that are shaped by the political scenes.
Central to the evolution of Islam in Indonesia (and thus the development of the book) are two great mainstream Muslim organisations, Nahdlatul Ulama (which the author refer as Traditionalist, due to its assimilation with the traditional local cultures) and Muhammadiyah (which the author refer as Reformist due to its more doctrinaire style). And both organisations act as the pillar of Islam in Indonesia, which covers social, educational (with its great network of boarding schools (pesantren)), political and professional aspects of daily lives.
There are also those Islamic militant groups that became "the other side" of Islam evolution in Indonesia, such as separatist Darul Islam and Al-Qaeda-affiliated Jemaah Islamiyah whom wanted to make Indonesia an extreme-syariah compliant nation. There are also the organised political parties such as Masyumi and PKS that have tried (but so far fail) to make Islam a more dominant force in Indonesian politics. And then there is Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), an organisation that was originally created in 1975 to mobilise support for Suharto's development policies, to give them stamp of approval from a religiously progressive minority of clerics, but then has since issued some of the most controversial (and idiotic) fatwas after the fall of Suharto.
All of the big events throughout the country's history, all of the big names, the many riots and violences in the name of religion in Poso, Ambon, Aceh, Dayak vs Madura, etc are analysed. All of the structure and history of Islamic organisations are also discussed in details in the book, from every single political parties, separatist groups, down to the vast Islamic school system - from the 14000 pesantren in Java, to Surau in West Sumatra and Dayah in Aceh.
I especially like the brilliant conclusion at the very end, where the author writes with a touching respect and love towards Indonesia, describing the complicated web of events that have created the unique and moderate Islam that Indonesia now have, and he ultimately concluded that Indonesia's own diversity "act as a break, however imperfect, on ideological, religious or political extremism." Lazy cover aside, this book could not do any better than this. 5 stars!
May 24, 2014
really liked this book. seemed very well informed, and yet also very accessible.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews