Speaking the Unspeakable: The Status of “Non-Muslims” in Indonesia

Abstract

The citizenship of non-Muslims has long been a matter of debate in Islamic politics (fiqh al-siyāsah). The problem arose especially after the new world order in the early 20th century, in which citizenship was no longer based on religion. In the literature of fiqh al-siyāsah, the status of non-Muslims is divided into four categories: 1) kāfir żimmī (non-Muslims who receive protection); 2) kāfir ḥarbī (infidels who are permissible for an assault); 3) kāfir mu‘āhad (infidels who are bound by a peace treaty with Muslims); and 4) kāfir musta‘mān (infidels who are given asylum in an Islamic country). This paper discusses one of the dictums of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) -the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia- which did not situate non-Muslims in the category of infidels as known in Islamic political doctrine. Rather, it considered non-Muslims as citizens. This is field study by qualitative approach. Primary data was collected by interviews with NU schoolars, direct observation in the process of discussion and relevant data tracing, including debate in the media. This paper argues that NU's decision regarding the status of non-Muslim citizens is a response to changes in the new world order based on tradition. This is the consequence of NU's acceptance toward the nation-state notion that sees the equality of all citizens.