The Dialectics of Islamophobia and Radicalism in Indonesia

Abstract

The world economic crises in 1998 and the subsequentpolitical terrorism on September 11, 2001 vastly impacted thesocial, political, and cultural landscapes of Islam in Indonesia.The earlier political changes from the authoritarian New Orderto the reformation era in 1998 had sparked not only democracy,but also the arrival of Islam as a political power that promisedan instant solution to social, cultural, political, and economicdecadence. Islamist movements, however, gained momentumafter 9/11. Islamists interpreted “war on terror” and the use ofterms like “Islamofascism” as a threat against Islam andMuslims. In response, they mobilized what the United Stateperceived as anti-Americanism. This anti-Americanism is, ofcourse, concretely fueled by the Islamist views of US foreignpolicy and Western domination. But the Islamist perception ofAmerican Islamophobia plays a role as well.