Islam, Democracy, and the Road to Moderation: Testing the Political Commitment of Indonesian Muslim Activist

Abstract

The emergence of ‘radical Islamist’ movements has challenged the characteristics of Indonesian Islam, which is traditionally moderate and tolerant. According to the author, ‘Islamic radicalism’ is not a new force in Indonesian politics. However, never before have associations espousing such an ideology reached the current level of support. In light of this situation, this article tries to examine the political commitment of ‘Islamist’ political movements in the context of Indonesia’s current democratising process.