Efimova Larisa

Islam and Power Holders in Contemporary Indonesia: Search for a Balance in a Democracy

ЮГО-ВОСТОЧНАЯ АЗИЯ: АКТУАЛЬНЫЕ ПРОБЛЕМЫ РАЗВИТИЯ, 2018, №4(41), 69-87

 
Annotation: In 1975 the Indonesian Council of Ulama (ICU) was created at the initiative of President Suharto. It was an umbrella structure for Islamic organizations and religious leaders of the country, designed to promote government policies to the believers and keep it under the control of the state. The democratization that unfolded in Indonesia in the 21st century created new conditions for the interaction of power and Islam. In 2000, the ICU proclaimed that it was ceasing to be a “servant of the government” and became a “servant of the Muslim community, the ummah”. ICU began to actively regulate not only cultural and religious issues, but also to penetrate into social, economic and political spheres. The authorities observed with concern the increasing independence of the ISU and began to take measures to regulate the activities of the Council. The new symbiosis of power holders and the Muslim authorities in the face of the ICU, is being formed. This might determine forms and degree of influence of Islam on Indonesian.

Keywords: Indonesia, ummah, Islam, Indonesian Council of Ulama, certification of halal, symbiosis of Islam and power.