On Being a Marxist Muslim: Reading Hasan Raid's Autobiography

In his recently published book, Clive Christie argues that Socialism, Marxism and Communism played a crucial role as weapons for Southeast Asian leaders in their fight against colonialism and as frameworks for them to run the newly independent nations. He also realizes that other ideologies such as those based on religion, which were older in terms of their coming into the region than the above-mentioned Western-originated ideologies, especially Islam in the Malay world and Confucianism and Buddhism in the Indo-China and Burma, also played a similarly important role. However, he provides only a dim analysis of the extremely intricate relationship between these types of ideology, especially between Marxism and Islam in the thought of leaders of movements such as the Islamic Union (Sarekat Islam or SI) in the then Dutch East Indies. Most probably for reasons of space, he makes only a slight, insignificant reference to SI.DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v9i1.67

Religion, Politics, and Violence in Indonesia Learning from Banser's Experience

Banser's history reflects an attempt by religiously minded people, namely the so-called traditionalist NU leaders, to use violence to serve their political interests. Two assumptions about the connection between violence, politics and religion are: (1) that violence is necessary to achieve political ends; and (2) that violence is religiously controllable. When they finally agreed to establish Banser during the colonial era, NU leaders generally accepted these two assumptions and acted accordingly because they were, along with other parts of Indonesian society, struggling to win independence. While independence was indeed won, the same assumptions remain. This is because the state's security apparatus is unable or unwilling to monopolize the use of violence, hence providing paramilitary organizations like Banser with the opportunity to operate.DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v15i3.52

Kebangkitan Islam dan Negara Beberapa Kasus dari Asia Tenggara

Artikel ini merupakan review buku Robert W. Hefner dan Patricia Horvatich (eds.), Islam in an Era of Nation States: Politics and Religious Renewal in Muslim Southeast Asia (Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press, 1997)DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v5i3.74

Pola-pola Persepsi Belanda terhadap Islam di Indonesia

This is the first work in book form which attempt to portray Westren perception, particularly the Dutch, of Islam in Indonesia during a long period of 1596 to 1942. According to Steenbrink, author of this work, in the long history of Dutch colonialism in the archipelago, there can be identified four major patterns of Dutch perception of an attitude toward Islam in Indonesia. All these patterns which, by and large, viewed Islam in a negative way constantly persited, even though with some small cases of exception.DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v3i3.80

Paradigma Baru lslam di Indonesia

This book is product of a series of conferences designed for serious scholars who wish to investigate new trends of Islamic thought in Indonesia. It is intended to meet e need felt by those whose understanding of Indonesian Islam has been hampered by a number of major developments of religious phenomena since the advance of the New Order regime that, to a significant degree, provides a new paradigm among Indonesian Muslims. the purpose of this book, according to the editor, is to provide an academic map through political and anthropological studies; it seeks to present Muslim's perspective in the light "new paradigm" to study Indonesian Islam.DOI: 10.15408/sdi.v4i3.77

Gerakan Kebebasan Sipil: Studi dan Advokasi Kritis Ata Perda Syariah

Buku ini mencoba memotret sebuah proses pendalaman demokrasi dan penghormatan terhadap hak-hak asasi yang terjadi di tanah air kita. Terekam disini suatu dinamika dimana perda-perda bernuansa syari'ah yang dianggap mengancam kebebasan sipil dipelajari secara seksama, didiskusikan secara bersama berbagai kelompok masyarakat sipil dari berbagai latar belakang, dan yang kesepaktan apapun yang mengenainya dari sini disampaikan kepada pejabat publik yang bertanggungjawab atas keluar dan dilaksanakanya perda-perda itu – suatu proses yang bernilai pada dirinya sendiri. Tersaji juga disini liputan media massa mengenainya dan polemik yang berkembang karenanya. Buku ini merekam sebuah model partisipasi politik warga negara yang mungkin bias dijadikan contoh bagaimana kita bisa menyelesaikan perbedan pendapat, bahkan konflik kepentingan, secara berdamai, bermartabat, dan beradab

“Tiap Hari Asyura, Tiap Bulan Muharram”: Paradigma Karbala dan Protes Politik Kaum Syi`ah

Sejak Republik Islam Iran berada di bawah kepemimpinan Ayatullah Ruhullah Khomeini, yang berhasil menjatuhkan Shah Iran lewat sebuah revolusi Islam pada 1979, negara berpenduduk mayoritas Muslim Syi`ah itu dikenal sebagai musuh bebuyutan Amerika Serikat (AS). Tetapi Iran, juga warga Muslim Syi`ah pada umumnya di negara-negara lain, layak berterimakasih kepada pemerintahan AS setidaknya untuk satu hal. Invasi militer AS ke Irak, pada awal musim semi tahun 2003, telah berhasil menyingkirkan Saddam Hussein, diktator Irak, dari kekuasaan yang telah hampir setengah abad dipegangnya. Dan dengan begitu, penduduk Syi`ah Irak, kelompok mayoritas di negara yang didominasi Muslim Sunni itu, mulai bebas menjalankan ritual agama mereka. Ini perkembangan penting baru, karena sebelumnya, khususnya pada dekade 1980-an, Iran terlibat dalam sebuah perang terbuka dan mematikan dengan Irak, yang kala itu turut dibantu AS. Pengaruh “hilangnya” Saddam di Irak itu amat terasa khususnya pada setiap bulan Muharram (bulan pertama dalam kalender Islam), persisnya ketika Muslim Syi`ah menjalankan peringatan Asyura, salah satu ritual penting Islam Syi`ah. Hal itu karena lokus utama upacara ritual ini adalah kota Karbala, satu kota penting umat Syi`ah, yang kini terletak di Irak. Pada tahun 2008, peringatan Asyura (artinya: hari kesepuluh, dari bulan Muharram) itu, yang bertepatan dengan pertengahan Januari 2008, berlangsung meriah. Menurut berbagai laporan media massa, sekitar dua setengah juta kaum Syi`ah, baik yang berasal dari Irak maupun yang bukan, meramaikan jalan-jalan dan lembah-lembah Karbala.† Dengan beragam cara, mereka mengenang kesyahidan Imam Husein, cucu Nabi Muhammad Saw., dari perkawinan Ali bin Abi Thalib dengan putrinya Fathimah, yang oleh kaum Syi`ah dipandang salah satu imam mereka