Implications of Religious Fatwa on the Implementation of the COVID-19 Policy in Indonesia

Abstract

This academic study has been conducted on the intricate interaction between religion and the state in Indonesia. Religion plays a significant role in how the state communicates its policy messages, which includes the COVID-19 policy in Indonesia. This study examines how state power dynamics and religious fatwas in the digital age affect Indonesia's adoption of the COVID-19 policy. A fatwa is a legal opinion or a decree which is passed down by an Islamic religious leader. The research methodology was carried out by looking at a wide range of relevant literature sources such as including books, academic journals, and already published research. The study results demonstrate that implementing government policies relating to the COVID-19 vaccine and the policy followed has produced a lobbying environment for developing power relationships between various role players. The interaction between the state's laws for addressing COVID-19 and the interests of religious organizations is often complicated and changes based on the nation involved and the specific situation that may be faced. The government has used the fatwa issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council to remedy several issues, including that faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is argued that in the current digital age, it is vital to allay any fears about the inconsistency of government policies toward religion and then there is also the possibility of fatwas to incite exclusivist views among some religious groups.