ISLAMIC PARTIES AND THE POLITICS OF CONSTITUTIONALISM IN INDONESIA

This item is published by Universitas Islam Negeri Sunan Ampel Surabaya

Mukrimin, Mukrimin (2012) ISLAMIC PARTIES AND THE POLITICS OF CONSTITUTIONALISM IN INDONESIA. In: Conference Proceedings: Annual International Conference on Islamic Studies (AICIS) XII, 5 – 8 November 2012, Surabaya – Indonesia.

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Abstract

This article examines the relationship between religion and the state in Indonesia by exploring how Islam used by political parties to shape the politics. It has been argued that Islam politics is a complementary in both nationhood and statehood in Indonesia. From the early days of the new-born nation-state, Muslims in Indonesia had played significant role in shaping the nation; nonetheless, they have never dominated the political power. Fragmentation among Muslims themselves and internal political parties is among the reason why religious (Islamic) parties failed tend to be reluctant in bringing religious identity to the state arena. Political subordination-inclusion-ignorance-confrontation is the circular game that features Islam politics in Indonesia. The debatable issue on shari’a law, which is frequently used by Islamic parties, always becomes the core problem of the relation between Islam and the state. The idea of implementing shari’a law, particularly through constitutional change in the 2009 election is mainly supported by very view parties in the parliament. It is pretty much similar with the 2004 election. However, the non-formal parties, groups outside parliaments, such as Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) and Islamic groups still struggle to included state’s power to ensure the shari’a law. Importantly, since the implementation of decentralization, the debate of shari’a law also shifted from national to local issue. Of more than four hundred districts/municipalities and 33 provinces, only very view of them have passed any shari’a-based local regulations. As it has been suggested that Islam and Muslims played pivotal role in shaping Indonesian politics; yet, bitterly enough to say that the involvement of Islam with Indonesia’s politics remains complementary factor. Internal conflict and disunity among Islamic parties and the state policy, such as marginalization and distrust, are attributable to losing of the parties. It apparently seems that using Islam in the political world by elites repeatedly fail to dominate the power. It is firmly believed that Indonesians seemingly prefer national (secular) cohesion by choosing nationalist parties rather than bringing Islam into pragmatic politics.