The rise of urban Salafism in Indonesia: The social-media and pop culture of new Indonesian Islamic youth

Abstract

In numerous major Indonesian cities, the “Urban Salafism” movement has emerged as the most recent trend among the Muslim population. Urban Muslim youth's spiritual unease is at an all-time high due to their scepticism of mainstream Islamic organisations, most of which are becoming more politically oriented. As a result, Salafism has become more popular as an alternative. Salafism has been successful in recent years in massifying Islamic discourse on social media platforms such YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and even podcast sites. Furthermore, it has defined Islamic narratives in strategic urban locations such as the Central Business District, malls, and wealthier neighbourhoods to conjure the spirit of a new piety which urban Muslims are adopting more widely. With the ability to blend the pop culture of urban youth groups with the Islamic tradition of Arabism, urban Salafis are able to campaign for specific Islamic narratives and cultures in a hybrid style. Salafism was once thought of as an ideologically and culturally conservative movement, but it has now become a digital and modern native. Their ability to enlist urban celebrities, artists, content producers, filmmakers, and businesspeople who continue to engage in popular culture in a devout Salafi manner is evidence of all this. Based on the description provided above, this research will use a socio-anthropological method to further investigate the Urban Salafism issue in Indonesia.