Page 305 - INDONESIA ISLAMIC CULTURE

Industry: Its Growth in through a period of decline because of
Contemporary Indonesia
The rapid growth of Islamic book
publications is evident from the
significant increase in the number of
publishers that produce Islamic books.
If prior to 1980s there were only a few
national-scale Islamic publishers like
Al Maarif (established in Bandung in
1949), Bulan Bintang (established in
Jakarta in 1951), and Media Dakwah
(established in Jakarta at the end of
1970s), from 1981 to 1989, Ikatan
Penerbit Indonesia (IKAPI/Association
of Indonesian Publishers) stated that the
total number of Islamic publishers was
around six. In practice, in the 1980s,
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Indonesia was overwhelmed by Islamic
publishers including Pustaka Salman
(1980), Shalahuddin Press (1983), Mizan
(1983), Gema Insani Press (1986), and
Paramadina (1986).
Entering the 1990s, officially registered
publishers included Pustaka Al Kautsar
(early 1990s), LkiS (1993), Robbani
Press (1993), Darul Falah (1993),
Lentera (1996), Al-Qowam Group
(1999), Khairul Bayan (early 2000s),
Aqwam Group (2003), Kafayeh Cipta
Media (2007), apart from various other
formally registered and unregistered
IKAPI members. Thus, instead of going
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296 Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives
publishers in East Nusa Tenggara. 50
the economic crisis that hit Indonesia at
the end of the 1990s, from year to year,
the total number of Islamic publishers in
Indonesia grew rapidly.
In the meantime, supported by the large
number of Islamic publishers, Islamic
Book Fairs (IBF, national exhibitions
particularly organized for Islamic books)
has been held annually in Jakarta since
2001 and recently also in areas outside
Jakarta. In fact, in 2006, IKAPI held an
International Islamic Book Fair (IIBF) in
Jakarta, an exhibition of Islamic books
at an international scale. The result
49
was that the total number of Islamic
publishing houses did not decrease, but
rather significantly increased annually.
IKAPI data show that between 2000
and 2003, it registered 20 more new
Islamic publishers as IKAPI members
and in 2002 there were in total 515
publishers affiliated with IKAPI. In 2005
the total number of affiliated publishers
located in various regional branches in
Indonesia stood at 681: 266 publishers
in DKI Jakarta, 145 in West Java, 79 in
Central Java, 47 in DI Yogyakarta, 86
in East Java, 16 in North Sumatra, 6 in
West Sumatra, 1 in Aceh, 4 in Riau, 8 in
South Sumatera, 6 in West Kalimantan,
8 in South Sulawesi, 7 in Bali, and 2
Therefore, it is difficult to give a clear The entrance gate of
The total number is still increasing; estimation of the total number of Islamic Perguruan Thawalib
in 2006 around 766 publishers were book titles circulating in Indonesia. Padang Panjang, a male
students’ territory. It was
formally registered as IKAPI members However, the statistical data from several established in 1911.
and almost half of them were specialized studies indicate that we may conclude
in publishing books on Islam. The most that for the period between 1945 and Source: Directorate of
51
important thing to note here is that the 1970, Indonesian publishers annually History and Cultural
total number does not include Islamic produced at least 800 book titles. In Values, Ministry of
book publishers who are not IKAPI spite of fluctuations, the total number Education and Culture
members and we can be assured that of religious book titles kept growing, of the Republic of
they are plentiful, particularly in remote particularly from 1945 to 1970. From Indonesia.
regions. As a result, because of these the total number of religious book titles
publishing houses we witness a blooming the books mostly produced concerned
phenomenon of Islamic book production Islamic themes.
on the Indonesian book market. A quite significant increase appears
However, beyond the phenomenal from the data provided by the Library
growth of Islamic book publication we and Documentation Division of Tempo
should acknowledge that up to recently magazine above. It reveals that between
there is no data on the total volume of 1980 and 1987, from the 1.949 titles
Islamic books that has become available of books on religious themes only 809
in the market. Studies conducted by titles, concerned Islam. It means
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Yayasan Masagung, the Ministry of that annually, on average more than
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Religious Affairs, and others have in 100 titles of books on Islam entered
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fact not resulted in producing reliable circulation. Data obtained from the
data on the total number of titles of DIAN/INTERFIDEI Institute say that
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Islamic books produced up to recently. between 1981 and 1995 ca. 1200 titles
The Ministry of Religious Affairs cites a of books on Islamic themes circulated
number as high as 7.728 titles, but these in the market. And, when adding the
include merely the titles of Islamic books number from Tempo magazine above, it
published in Indonesia up to 2003, which means that up to the end of the 1990s an
is only an estimate and not a reliable estimated 1500 to 2000 titles of books on
number. Islam were published. 56
Indonesian Islamic Culture in Historical Perspectives 297