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represented by organizations such “Islamic forces” that had been deployed inclusive Islam include the Paramadina goodness and eliminating evil”. The
as the Islamic Defenders Front (Front in conflict areas. Others had been Foundation, the Wahid Institute, the MUI also firmly positioned itself as the
Pembela Islam, FPI, 1998), Laskar involved in acts of violence against Muhammadiyah Young Intellectual powerful bearer of the moral movement
Jihad (LJ, 1999), the Indonesian ethnic and minority groups, as well Network, and many pro-democracy to save guard the propriety of social
Mujahidin Council (Majelis Mujahidin as in vigilantism against individuals or and human rights groups and non- life. This vision, according Ichwan
Indonesia, MMI, 2000), the Muslims groups they considered to contravene governmental organizations (NGOs). (2005), showed that the MUI’s had
Community Forum (Front Umat Islam, or offend the Islamic beliefs of the In era reformation the MUI has in many changed significantly in two respects:
FUI), the Jama’ah Islamiyah (JI), and majority. Last but not least, the PKS is ways changed in -- ranging from it’s the first, the MUI is now less close to the
the Liberation Party of Indonesia a political channel for young Muslim membership structure up to its activities government and more attuned to the
(Hizbut-Tahrir Indonesia, HTI) campus activists and it has become the and the trends in the fatwas it issued. changing aspirations of the Muslims.
which had become more and more political vehicle for supporters of Islamic Along with the rise of conservative- Second, using the strategy of the
consolidated despite having itsroots revivalists. radical Islamic organizations, the post- Islamic Reformists, the MUI led the
in the period before the Reform era However, at the other end of the 1998 membership of the MUI became organization and Indonesian Muslims to
started. 60 more dominated by representatives of adopt a more orthodox ways of living.
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spectrum, the strengthening Islamic
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The strengthening of Islamic exclusivism in Indonesia produced Islamist groups. The MUI’s visions Changes became more apparent with
fundamentalism also extended to the a response in the emergence of had also changed, especially in the the publication of the fatwas of the
political arena with the founding of the inclusive and even liberal Islamist context of the objectives of its fatwas MUI from this era which revealed that
Justice Party (Partai Keadilan, PK, 1998) groups. The Liberal Islam Network and its relation with the state. The they had started to enter the realm of
61
that later became the Prosperous Justice (Jaringan Islam Liberal, JIL) was formed 2000 MUI National Conference, for politicsandtended to be intolerant and
Party (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera, PKS), in 2001 and, according to one of its example, produced the formulation of insensitive to Human Rights.
the Crescent Star Party (Partai Bulan founders was formed in response to the organization’s new vision. It stated Unlike the fatwas the MUI issued during
Bintang, PBB), in addition to the United the radical Islamic movementsthat that the MUI was: 1) the successors of the New Order regime, in the early
Development Party (PPP) that tuned its vehementlybrandishedthe flag of the Prophet to spread Islamic teachings period of the Reformation, precisely
principles back to Islam. In addition to jihad. In addition to JIL, adherents to and to improve the life of the Muslim under B.J. Habibie’s presidency,
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supporting the implementation of Islamic 61. Komaruddin Hidayat 2005, “Contemporary community, 2) to issue fatwas based the MUI’s political position began to
law in Indonesia, some organizations Liberal Islam in Indonesia, Pluralism and the both on issues requested by Muslims emerge. The tendency among some
were concerned or even directly involved Secular State”, in Chaider S. Bamualim (ed.), and unsolicited ones, 3) a counselor political elite to doubt the legitimacy of
A Portrait of Contemporary Indonesian Islam,
in religious violence. In the late 1990s (Jakarta: Pusat Bahasa dan Budaya UIN Jakarta and a public servant, 4) an agent Habibie’s presidency after he replaced
and early 2000s, some of them had and Konard-Adenauer-Stiftung). of the reform movements (al-islah Soeharto, for example, had moved the
wa al-tajdid), and 5) the upholder of
been involved in the mobilization of the 62. Luthfi Assyaukanie 2009, “Fatwa and Violence
in Indonesia”, Journal of Religion and Society, vol. the Qur’anic doctrine of “calling for MUI to gather all its members’ support
60. Jamhari and Jajang Jahroni 2004, Gerakan 11, p. 1-21. See also Muhamad Ali 2005, “The Rise for Habibie. The MUI issued a political
Salafi Radikal di Indonesia, (Jakarta: PT of the Liberal Islam Network (JIL) in Contemporary Sciences, vol. 22, no. 1: 1–17.
RajaGrafindo Persada). Indonesia”, American Journal of Islamic Social 63. Ichwan 2005, “Ulama, State and Politics”, p. 51. 64. Ichwan 2005, “Ulama, State and Politics”, p. 50.

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