Islam and the State in Indonesia

"This book provides a very useful introduction to the subject of Islam and politics in Indonesia. In particular, the book chronicles the major intellectual debates and controversies among mainstream Islamic intellectuals in Indonesia from the early decades of the 20th century up through the end of the New Order, with a brief postscript treating the post-Suharto era. The book is commendably clear in style and coherent in structure. It offers a very accessible introductory text for students unfamiliar with Indonesian history" (Aseasuk News).

"Islam and the State in Indonesia is an authoritative and thoughtful contribution on Indonesian Islamic politics" (Inside Indonesia).

"[the author] concludes that the 'majority of Muslims (politicians) ... accept the significance of sharia and are obliged to implement Islamic teachings in all aspects of life. Yet they differ greatly with regard to how sharia is to be understood, interpreted, and implemented. They do not believe that Islamic sharia should be adopted in its entirety and serve as the positive law of the land. Instead, they share the idea that certain elements of Islamic sharia can be formulated into legally binding law'. But this model of restricted Shariah application was a legacy of the Dutch colonial period, so the question still facing Indonesia, therefore, is how to apply Shariah in its entirety. All in all, Effendy's book is worth reading" (The Muslim World Book Review).

This book explains the relationship between Islam and the state and politics in contemporary Indonesia. President Soeharto's departure from office in May 1998 brought tremendous and far-reaching impacts to Indonesia's political landscape. At least 181 new political parties came into being, a sizeable portion of which use Islam as their symbol and ideological basis.
          
          
          
          

Institute of Southeast Asian Studies / Ohio University Press