Does Islam as a system of beliefs or as a political force have something
positive to contribute to the hoped-for democratisation of Indonesia, or
will it largely be an impediment and a threat to the emergence of an
open society? Many participants in the political process have strong
opinions on these questions. There are those who argue — and not
without some justification — that reformist political Islam represents
the only significant alternative to the patrimonial, authoritarian and
corrupt political culture pervading almost all parties and thereby is the
country’s only hope for democracy. Others — and these include many
committed Muslims besides secular nationalists and non-Muslims —
fear that the Muslim ambition of turning Indonesia into an Islamic state
is perhaps the most serious threat the country is presently facing, the
more so since radical Muslim groups appear to be courted by powergreedy
military and civilian elite factions. There is a widespread and
understandable fear of resurgent political Islam — but this resurgent
political Islam is itself in large measure a response to another perceived
threat, the fear that Islam’s very presence in Indonesia is being
threatened
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