Written by Maurisa Zinira

The development of Islam in Indonesia shows various trends over time. These changes are  influenced, among other things, by the encounter of religion with politics and the market. Though Islam was marginalized from the economic and political sphere in the 1980s, it showed a radical turn in the 1990s, in which it began to shift the market and even redirected Indonesian politics towards political Islam. This change cannot be separated from the economic liberalization in Southeast Asia that usurped the hegemony of the New Order. Through the commercialization of television media, the contestation of various Islamic discourses is hardened and perpetuated in various spiritually nuanced shows that became the entertainment commodity of the Indonesian Muslim community. read more

Theories of Religion & Society (Required, 4 Credits)
Dr. Dicky Sofjan & Dr. Paul Martens

This Graduate Seminar on “Theories of Religion and Society” discusses the study of religion as an interdisciplinary field. It serves as an introduction to classical and contemporary theories of religion and how it relates to society. It examines the works of influential past and present scholars about the nexus between religion and the many aspects of societal life. The Graduate Seminar is expected to stimulate critical thinking about the study of religion in the academic context and its influence on the wider context i.e. society, culture, politics, economics and international relations. Considering the vastness of the field now called “religious study”, this Graduate Seminar explores important facets of the academic study of religion and inter-religious studies. The course problematizes the categories of “religion” and “agama”. In addition, this doctoral seminar will examine the political construction of religion in terms of how political power defines religion and the academic construction of religion/agama in terms of how religion is “invented in the act of studying it. This will ultimately include its impact on public discourse and policy making. Other aspects of understanding religion will be discussed in relation to other concepts such as identity, gender, democracy, freedom, human rights, dignity, etc. read more

Written by Maurisa Zinira

Intolerance and hate speech towards religious minorities are prevalent across the globe. In Europe, hostility towards religion even shows a dramatic increase. With the increasing wave of immigrants coming to Europe, negative stereotypes and sentiments against different religious groups and ethnicities fuels intolerance and discrimination. A Dutch parliamentarian, Geert Wilders, for instance, campaigned against the growth of Muslim population in the West, labeling Muslims as a threat to European women and civilization. At the same time, an individual or group forcing people to adopt religious beliefs or practices can also be found more often in different parts of European regions. This confirms the findings of the PEW research center released in 2017, that the number of European countries reporting this trend rose from 4 to 15 countries by 2017. read more

Written by Athanasia Safitri

Professor Nelly van Doorn-Harder, who teaches in Wake Forest University (North Carolina, USA) and the Vrije Universiteit (Amsterdam, The Netherlands), attended an international conference hosted by Universitas Gadjah Mada in July 2022 titled Religion and Human Rights: Pedagogical Challenges and Opportunities in Higher Education in Indonesia. Van Doorn writes and edits books and articles on religion with regard to gender, leadership, interfaith engagement, and issues pertaining to freedom of religion, and shared her insights in a session of the conference titled “Emerging Discourse on Freedom of Religion and Belief in Indonesia”. Her inaugural lecture last March was entitled “Strong Rights, Fragile People: The Politics of Freedom of Religion or Belief” talks about child marriage in Indonesia, where it relates with the Muslim religious practice and its consequence on women in Indonesia. The article shows the way Van Doorn learns about the influence of Indonesian Muslim religious practice during her close observation in the last five years with several groups, especially on gender issues and freedom of religion or belief (FoRB) in Indonesia.   read more

Written by Maurisa Zinira

Human relations are influenced by the operationalization of power, including those carried out by state institutions. In Indonesia, the practice of power played by the government is often authoritarian as it continues to emphasize the assimilation of various local powers into the structure and logic of the government. Often local people are forced to give up some of their cultural values ​​to adapt to these demands. As a result, discrimination and marginalization often arise due to unequal power relations between state authorities and minority groups. read more

[International Conference] RELIGION AND HUMAN RIGHTS

Written by Athanasia Safitri

Following the familiarization of the draft bill revision of the Indonesian criminal code (RKUHP) to the public in February-June 2021, the government through the Ministry of Law and Human Rights (Kemenkumham) highlighted 12 points, one of which touched on the issue of blasphemy. Two months ago, on 7 April 2022, Asean Parliamentarians for Human Rights (APHR), represented by Eva K. Sundari, initiated a public discussion in collaboration with the Indonesian Commision of Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS). Sundari opened the discussion, held via Zoom, by stating that the purpose of the meeting was to seek solutions for the many problems related to freedom of religion. From the government level, the final draft is targeted for June this year and there is a need to follow up with other organizations and institutions which share the same purpose. The idea is not only to get people ready for the legalization of the draft bill, but also to give space for the public so that the issue can be addressed urgently and to avoid the abuse of policy by the government in favor of certain religious groups. read more

Written by Maurisa Zinira

Political space has always been an arena of never-ending contestation due to competing political interests. Not surprisingly, in every general election period, political rhetoric amplifies and becomes divisive. Divisions constantly occur and often lead to acts of violence and criminality. The case of the 2019 presidential election is a real example of how political mobilization hardens identity politics. In this period, intolerance in its various forms was accepted as a matter of course and perpetuated through political practices that threatened social solidarity. read more

Written by Jekonia Tarigan

Religious dialogue, both intra-religious and inter-religious, takes place over a historical period and is colored by various dynamics, as well as ups and downs, which by studying them can be found wisdom in building religious dialogue in the future. [i]  This was conveyed by Fr. Dr. Martinus Joko Lelono, at the sixth installment of the Dialogues of Diversity forums organized by the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS). Lelono is an ICRS batch 2016 and currently serves as Chairman of the Commission on Inter-Religious and Trust Relations, East Yogyakarta Vicary. In this forum he delivered a presentation entitled “The Dynamics of Religious Dialogue in the Catholic Church”. The second speaker for the forum was Dr. Laila Kholid Alfirdaus, S. IP, MPP, a 2011 ICRS alumna who is now working as the Head of the Political Science Master’s Program at Diponegoro University. Alfirdaus delivered a presentation entitled “COVID-19, Diversity and Access to Public Service: Assessing Support and Challenges”. read more

Written by Maurisa Zinira

The progress of Islamic studies in Indonesia is quite extensive. This can be seen from the variety of research models that have developed. Although the debate around Islam and the West is still ongoing and religious sectarianism remains strong, Indonesia’s intellectual climate is relatively open to various views and alternative ideas.

In her book Whose Islam? The Western University of Modern Islamic Thought in Islam, Megan Brankley Abbas said that modern Indonesian Islamic thought cannot be separated from the influence of Western universities. This book was discussed at the Reading in Social Science (RISOS) forum held April 22, 2002 entitled “Hantu Imperialisme Akademis? Universitas Barat dan Pemikiran Islam Modern di Indonesia” (The Ghost of Academic Imperialism? Western Universities and Modern Islamic Thought in Indonesia). In her book, Abbas argues that those who studied in the West returned to Indonesia and brought renewal to Indonesian Islamic thought. However, some circles are still haunted by negative stereotypes about the West. She asks whether is true that there is an imperialism agenda in the Western knowledge of Islam? To discuss the topic, the forum invited alumni of Western education such as Saiful Mujani, Yeni Ratna Yuningsih, and Zainal Abidin Bagir whose experiences resonate with what Megan addressed in the book. read more