Conversion to Shi'ism in Indonesia

Abstract

Amidst Indonesia's overwhelming Sunni majority, the Shi'i minority group has been growing. Although localadherents to Shi'ism are few in number, Shi'ism's increasing presencehas generated great concern, with the threat of Sunnis converting to Shi'ism being seen as particularly severe by anti-Shi'i activists. This study aimsto explain the factors that contribute to conversion to Shi'ism seen from macro, meso, and micro levels. Based on prolonged fieldwork among Shi'is, communication with Shi'i teachers, and library study, this study finds that the individual factor is decisive in conversion to Shi'ism, but always in combination with social and institutional factors, and macro contexts. Active, intellectually-motivated religious seekership to discover the authentic form of Islam is the determining factor in the decision to convert to Shi'ism in Indonesia.