Aksi Bela Islam Research Articles

The Intersection between Islamic Populism and Radicalism in Indonesia: The Rise and Fall of Aksi Bela Islam Movement

This article discusses the role of radical Islamist groups – the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), and the Salafis - in spearheading the populist Islamist 212 Movement. It examines why they were such effective forces in leading the movement and why their role diminished over time, which contributed to the decline of the movement. Drawing on political process theory and the literature on populism, this article argues that the movement faltered because they could no longer play an instrumental role due to the unsupportive structure of political opportunities, disorganized social movement, less relevant framing, and greater social and political pressure to the social movement.

Articulating Islamist Sectarian Group Antagonism Memes on the Indonesian Politics

Polarisation among Indonesians has arisen after the presidential rematch in the 2019 presidential election. It stimulated the repressive action of the Jokowi government has made Indonesian democracy to be on decline. Some scholars consider this as an atavism of an entrenching ideological conflict since hundreds of years ago between nationalism vs. Islamism. However, we argue that polarisation is more complex than what we expected before. This article examines the Islamist grassroots discourses to get an alternative perspective regarding the resurrection of conservatism in Indonesia. We collected and analysed qualitatively data of internet memes during the 2019 Indonesia Presidential campaign. We argue that antagonism occurred among the Islamist sectarian groups as a continuation of the Aksi Bela Islam (The Defending Islam Movement) in 2016. The antagonism among the groups indicates the rise of the Islamic radical-conservatism groups through the presentation of the antagonism between Islam Nusantara and Islamist puristic movement. The Islamic radical-conservatism group has successfully exploited the anti-Ahok movement with the Bela Islam (defending Islam) discourse. However, using Islamist issues during the 2019 presidential election has represented the triumph of the Politics of Islam: Islamization of Indonesian political ideology. Islam has harmonised into nationalism and secularism despite the internet memes' incoherent and irrational language. The triumph of Islamic hegemony transformed and infected Indonesia's political ideology. Islam has become an obligatory symbol in Indonesian politics. Keywords: Islam conservatism, politics of Islam, political internet memes, Indonesian Politics, humorous political communication.

ISLAMIC LEADERSHIP CONTESTATION: EXPLORING THE PRACTICES OF CONSERVATIVE ISLAMIC MOVEMENTS IN INDONESIA

This paper describes the political contestation in the election of leaders that has occurred in the last five years in Indonesia. Since the reformation era, conservative Islamic movements have gained wide freedom to spread Islamic political ideology such as the idea of upholding Islamic law. This was clearly seen in the 2017 Jakarta Gubernatorial Election and 2019 Presidential Election, where the conservative Islamic movement voiced practical political aspirations by involving the role of religion. The case that happened to Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok) who was suspected of committing blasphemy at the end of 2016, turned into a protest movement that held “Aksi Bela Islam I, II, III” (Action for Defending Islam I, II, III) which was able to mobilize all elements of religious organizations in Indonesia. This movement is also supported by the role of social media which adds to the massive Islamic populism movement to promote the enforcement of Islamic law through the political stage. This is a qualitative research that prioritizes bibliographic sources. The results of this study indicate that the voices of Muslims who are involved in the “Action to Defend Islam” add to the success of the conservatism process which has a dichotomy of political interests to realize religious authoritarianism by using the Qur’anic verses. However, this study also explains the characteristics of the attitudes of leaders in the history of Islamic civilization who uphold egalitarianism that does not conflict with the democratic system because the responsibility of a leader is to create prosperity and justice for all mankind.

Sharia Cooperatives and Mosque Ecosystems: The Devolution of Halal Entrepreneurship in Indonesia

ABSTRACT This article analyses the recent evolution of street-level, small-scale Muslim economies in Java, Indonesia, and the role they have been playing as cultural and material infrastructure for Islamic morality discourses in the wake of the pivotal Aksi Bela Islam 212 (Defend Islam Action 212) rally in Jakarta on 2 December 2016. These small-scale economies are instances of the devolution of halal consumerism in Indonesia, which flows in turn from changes in the landscape of political Islam. These street-level economies provide political Islam with the solidarity of a Muslim cooperative structure, commodifying symbols associated with the rally. Three case studies are presented in support of these arguments. The first is the 212 Cooperative, a chain of minimarts known as ‘212 Marts’ designed as a Muslim alternative to the ubiquitous market forerunners such as Indomaret and Alfamart. Second, we describe an ecosystem of exchange that has evolved around new mosque-based programmes that have invigorated human traffic in and around mosques in Bandung and Yogyakarta. Our third case study is the small-scale lapak traders who follow particular celebrity preachers as they tour, and who operate after Friday prayers. These cases reveal the growing importance of low-end economies (involving low-priced commodities, consumers with relatively low buying capacity, and small-scale traders) in the development of halal consumerism in Indonesia and point to their role in perpetuating morality discourses associated with the 212 rally.

Islamic Populism in Rural Indonesia: An Agrarian Change Approach

A massive demonstration in Jakarta called “Aksi Bela Islam” (Action to Defend Islam) marks a continuity of the Islamist currents in post-New Order Indonesia. Many observers called it “Islamic populism”, a populist, cross-class alliance on behalf of the Islamic masses or “ummah” against capitalist development that has marginalized Muslims in the struggle for access to economic and political resources. However, despite this refreshing approach, many studies on Islamic populism still concentrate on the state (instead of capital) and the urban areas in explaining the development of Islamic populism. This article, therefore, offers a different approach to analyzing Islamic populism through the understanding of capitalism as a social relation and shifts to the countryside as its empirical basis by focusing on the case study of Bulak village in West Java. By combining insights from the literature on agrarian change and populism as a political strategy and adopting qualitative methods namely in-depth interviews (including oral history) and field observation, this article found that contemporary Islamic populism in Indonesia is a result of the specific development of capitalist relations in the context of rural agrarian change. In addition, it also found that Islamic populism is not a phenomenon confined to the urban areas, since it also spreads to the countryside. Moreover, Islamic populism in the countryside has distinctiveness, related to context, social background, and the ways it is mobilized.

Lafẓ “Al-Auliyā'” baina an-Naṣṣ wa al-Wāqi‘: Dirāsah Dalāliyyah

This article examines the condition of Jakarta's residents in late 2016 and early 2017. Some Muslims in Jakarta were able to mobilize a movement they dubbed "Aksi Bela Islam" after viewing video recordings of the then-leader's words that were distributed via media networks and other means. They may have clashed after viewing the footage, prompting Jakartans, organizations, and associations to convene and ask the Indonesian Ulema Council to address the issue. The respondents requested the opinion of the Indonesian Ulema Council regarding the ruler's statement, “... that you deny verse 51 of Surah Al-Mā'idah ..,” where the controversial word is “auliyā'” The words have multiple meanings due to the fact that they themselves have multiple meanings. These words have multiple meanings, as interpreters may interpret them differently, and there are also contradictions and contradictions between litigants and justices in interpreting these words. From this point on, the researcher will seek linguistic issues associated with this incident and avoid mentioning political issues. The researcher analyzes it by analyzing the elements of semantic meaning with the aid of the opinions of commentators and translators regarding the verse in question, the dictionaries considered, and the words of scholars who support and do not support the interpretation. This article will inform you of the tendency of the Indonesian Ulema Council to issue fatwas on linguistic matters.

Konstruksi “Islam Moderat” Pasca Aksi Bela Islam 212

This study aimed at finding the existence of moderate Islam in the dynamics of Islamic politics in Indonesia after “Aksi Bela Islam”. The focus of this paper comes from two questions. First, How is the Historicity of the “Aksi Bela Islam 212”? Second, how is the relationship between moderate Islam and “Aksi Bela Islam”? This paper was a literature study which was supported by relevant references. The writer used a historical approach in this study. The results of this study showed that; First, the historicity of the “Aksi Bela Islam” does not stand alone, but it was supported by other preceded histories. One of them comes from the jealousy of some Islamic groups towards Jakarta which was controlled by non-Muslims. However, the most important thing was that “Aksi Bela Islam” tended to have strategic efforts in organizing political power as a "movement from below" to bind the public to conservatism as well as building political power through government opposition. Second, NU and Muhammadiyah as a group of "moderate Islam" have contributed to the amount of community participation and interest in the “Aksi Bela Islam”, as a result of the lack of firmness of the two CSOs in responding to blasphemy or “Aksi Bela Islam”.

Music, Contentious Politics, and Identity: A Cultural Analysis of “Aksi Bela Islam” March in Jakarta (2016)

This article examines the role of music as a repertoire of contention and as a framing device used to challenge the political legitimacy of the rulers and strengthen the collective identity of the participants in “Aksi Bela Islam” (ABI), a demonstration held in Jakarta at the end of 2016. Rizieq Shihab, one of the key actors of ABI, wrote two songs known as “Si Ahok Durjana” and “Mars Aksi Bela Islam”. This paper argues that the success of mass mobilization during ABI cannot be separated from the creative use of media and popular culture—including music. The key actors of ABI used music and popular media as framing devices to communicate cognitive meanings, mobilize potential adherents, delegitimize authorities, instill emotional feelings and awaken the collective identity of Muslims. This paper applies new social movement theory that emphasizes the significance and role of cultural factors in the dynamics of social movements.

Partisipasi Politik Umat Islam dalam Aksi Massa 212 dan Implikasinya terhadap Wajah Islam Indonesia

This article is based on premises that mass actions are something common in a democratic country. Mass actions such as defending Islam actions (The 212 rally) “Aksi Bela Islam 212” are one of the form public political participation. If likened to on organ in body, the public political participation takes the most vital one. The 212 rally that took place at the end of 2016 have formed new alliances which often take action by labelling themselves as the 212 rally. This series of mass actions had given an impact to the state (especially in terms of ideological and practical politics) and religious life. This article shows that the post mass of the 212 rally has opens up opportunities for the beares of the idea sharia Indonesia and khilafah concept to step forward and showing their existence –although in terms of quantity they are a minority. In relation to practicel politics, alliances which are member of the alumni 212 brotherhood have determined political elections for certain presidential candidates and political parties in 2019 elections. As for religious life, the 212 rally post mass has caused tension due to defferences in attitudes torwards political action and choices.Viewed from public political participation perspective, the 212 rally in 2nd December 2016 contributed to government policy in the blasphemy case by Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

GERAKAN SOSIAL MUHAMMADIYAH DI ERA REFORMASI

Aksi Bela Islam movement showed the ‘umat’ power involve democratization in Indonesia as a third big of democracy state in the world. Social movement that have characteristic such as solidarity for a same resistance showed by aksi Bela Islam movement fascinately. But, many accusation that this action contain political, make some big Islamic organization said that they not involved in this action directly, one of the organization is Muhammadiyah. Muhammadiyah is an Islamic organization be known by his role in education, health and social serviced, still should take the role as one of civil society power in the condition of ‘umat’ in Indonesia at that time. This draft analyze that how the Muhammadiyah take his different gesture and way by said not involved indirectly in organization. Using resources mobilization theory that one of factor in social movement, was found that Muhammadiyah’s resources participate in social movement that materialized by Aksi Bela Islam. The member of Muhammadiyah, the facilities, and figure from some leader of Muhammadiyah participating of succes the Aksi Bela Islam movement. Muhammadiyah just take different way roled as civil society by involved indirectly in social movement with others Islamic organization. The research is using qualitative method.

Relasi Politik dan Isu Agama: Dinamika Politik PKS dan Aksi Bela Islam pada Pemilu Serentak 2019

This paper believes the tendency to use religious issues as a political instrument in the momentum of elections in Indonesia. Some research said the issue of religion is a supporting factor for polarization in society and influences the subjectivity of voters in determining the representation of their aspirations. The author is interested in the consistency of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) political support for the Aksi Bela Islam (Islamic Defending Action) which emerged as a movement that raised the issue of blasphemy and the criminalization of Ulama. This study aims to analyzing the potential of PKS using religious issues as political instruments to obtain and strengthen support in elections. This research uses a library method in which there are several literatures and scientific sources that are relevant to the focus of the case. Political relations formed through religious issues between PKS and Aksi Bela Islam from 2016 to the 2019 Election were so dynamic. The results of the study interpret the PKS's political attitude against Aksi Bela Islam as (1) political support that reflects the practice of Indonesian democracy, (2) PKS calls on Muslims to actively participate in every agenda of the Aksi Bela Islam, by obeying and following the fatwas of Islamic leaders who delivered in the forum, and (3) PKS calls for not choosing leaders who have criminalized Ulama. Thus, studies show that PKS has an electoral interest behind political relations with Aksi Bela Islam by utilizing religious issues.

Subjective View of Political Officers on Social Action: Phenomenology Study of Aksi Bela Islam (ABI) 212 (Action of Defending Islam) among Members of House of Representative of the Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI)

It was on 2 December 2016 that the enormous number of Islamic mass was on a gigantic demonstration, known as Aksi Bela Islam (ABI) 212 (Action of Defending Islam), in Jakarta which further was subject to the controversy by many parties including politicians. This research aims at finding out how ABI 212 is viewed by the 2014-2019 House of Representative of The Republic of Indonesia (DPR RI). 
 The research employed the interpretation framework of George Herbert Mead which put the view on ABI 212 as a Phenomenon interpretation. In line with the Mead theory which believes that view is in a subjective territory, the research employed perception phenomenology method with a subjective paradigm through the qualitative data analysis technique from Miles and Huberman.
 It was found that each of the representatives has their view on ABI 212. It was subjective and relative from one to another based on their intellectual and social background. The variety of the views can be united into those who are pro-ABI 212 because of the religious partisanship which has been formed long before the ABI 212. In regard with the "multi-generalized other", The organization’s view tends to be independent because of some aspects of the party's attitudes such as the market orientation shifting and the strong Islamic idealism legacy from their previous Islamic organizations.

Aksi Bela Islam: islamic clicktivism and the new authority of religious propaganda in the millennial age in Indonesia

The great Islamic mass rally which well known as “Aksi Bela Islam (Defending Islam action) 212” in Indonesia has always been claimed as the triumph of Islamic activism. This action continue to be voiced through social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and so forth with the jargon “ 212 spirit “. The voluminous actions of “Aksi Bela Islam 212” sound like an authoritative propaganda jargon which are exhaled to spread the Islamic identity through the internet. Along with the proliferation of online Islamic activism, some major questions emerge about: (1) whether online religious discourse is an authoritative source that gives Muslim society an authority in religious propaganda; (2) to what extent the proliferation of online Islamic activism has shaped the new Islamic propaganda authority? The objective of this article is to examine the discourse of Islamic activism in the online public sphere which makes the internet and online social media as a new vehicle in the transformation of traditional-modern Islamic propaganda authority for technologically literate generation. The article highlights some transformations of traditional religious propaganda authority to the new one which appropriated with the technological advancement. Using political sociology approach, this article will maps an Islamic online activism, which is termed as Islamic clicktivism, and its relation to the religious propaganda authority. The finding of this article reveals that Islamic clicktivism can be an authoritative method in shaping religious and political discourses. Finally, this article argues that Islamic social movement in the millennial age – especially in the post 212 movement – has consistency to play a role in political contestation through the Islamic clicktivism. Gerakan aksi masal Islam yang dikenal dengan Aksi Bela Islam di Indonesia selalu diklaim sebagai kemenangan aktivisme Islam. Menyusul Aksi Bela Islam dalam ranah gerakan sosial, wacana serupa juga disuarakan melalui gerakan aktivisme secara daring yang disebarkan melalui berbagai media social seperti Facebook, Twitter dan Istagram dengan jargo “spirit 212”. Aksi berjilid-jilid dari Aksi Bela Islam ini terdengan seakan menjadi jargon propaganda otoritatif yang dihembuskan untuk menyebarkan identitas Islam melalui internet. Seiring dengan fenomena proliferasi gerakan-gerakan Islam daring tersebut, beberapa pertanyaan muncul: pertama, apakah diskursus keagamaan daring menjadi sumber otoritatif yang memberikan otoritas kepada masyarkat Muslim dalam hal propaganda agama? Kedua, sejauh mana proliferasi aktivisme Islam daring membentuk otoritas propaganda keagamaan baru? Sasaran dari artikel ini adalah menguji wacana aktivisme Islam di ruang public daring yang menjadikan internet dan media social daring sebagai kendaraan baru dalam transformasi otoritas propaganda keagamaan dari tradisional ke modern bagi kalangan melek milenial yang melek teknologi. Artikel ini menyoroti beberapa trasnformasi propaganda keagamaan tradisional menuju modern yang disesuaikan dengan perkembangan teknologi. Dengan menggunakan pendekatan sosiologi-politik, artikel ini memetakan aktivisme Islam daring, yang diistilahkan dengan Islamic clicktivism, dan hubungannnya dengan otoritas propaganda keagamaan. Temuan artikel ini menunjukkan bahwa kliktifisme Islam dapat menjadi metode otoritatif dalam membentuk wacana keagamaan dan politik sekaligus. Pada akhirnya artikel ini menegaskan bahwa gerakan social Islam di era milenial – khususnya pasca gerakan 212 –secara konsisten mengambil peran dalam kontestasi politik identitas dengan menggunakan kliktifisme Islam.

Islamic Activism, Local Politics, and Contradiction of Democratisation in North Sumatra

This paper focus on examining the transformation of Islamic activism in North Sumatra especially their movement, which was echoed by the Aksi Bela Islam in Jakarta 2016, in this region in post- punishment of Basuki Tjahaja Purnama between 2017 and 2018. The study analyses their movement in keeping the narration of politics, discourse of intimidated Islam, and then all these have been capitalised for political interest in regional election such as governor election in North Sumatra 2018. The study is approached by social movement theory, Islamic social movement, and then being related to the project of democratization and the contemporary narration of Indonesia nationalism. This study argues that firstly, this movement is still going on move longer than many scholar predicted because their ability to keep discourse and analize political structure opportunity. Secondly, fragmentation in the body of movement can not be avoided because working disorientation and their relation with political elit and electoral politics. Third, the shadow of this movement existence remains a big challenge for democratization project in North Sumatra and generally Indonesia.

Kontruksi Media Dalam Gerakan Islam Populis 212

This paper studied the movement of Aksi Bela Islam (ABI) which was propagated by the GNPF MUI group to bring down Basuki Tjahaja Purnama from the governor position. This demonstration not only in Jakarta but also the various cities in Indonesia. The involvement of Muslims are influenced by social media. Social media has succeeded in becoming a public sphere for society. Today, society can take a truth from social media. Therefore, social construction is not only formed from individuals or society but also social media. This research uses literature study with analytical descriptive writing method. This paper uses framing analysis approach and Islam populist. The results of this paper show that social media has an important role in the construction of public awareness. This social construction can be seen with the birth of Islam populist movement 212 which has a goal to reform the bureaucracy in government.Keyword: Social Contruction, Islam Populist, Aksi Bela Islam, Social Media, Post-Truth.

Riots in Indonesian Main Island: Peace Action of Defend Islam Impact on Economic Environment in Local Media Discourse

Indonesia is a maritime country with the largest numbers of islands in the world which covering more than seventeen thousands islands. There are thousand tribes and ethnics with their cultures suppose to be enriching the diversity of Indonesia. However a series of riots happening in Indonesia including Aksi Bela Islam (ABI) recently challenging the unity in diversity of Indonesia. This present study tries to describe Aksi Bela Islam (ABI) (The Peace Action of Defend Islam) rally that run peacefully brings impacts on Indonesia economic sector as stable social and political condition will bring significant impact on Indonesia economic sector. The rally is a long journey of Indonesia of Muslim majority to seek justice as the Republic of Indonesia State Police seems not to be serious to handle the Islamic blasphemy case. Through the framing approach, it will be described how ABI brings impacts on the economic sector focusing on the study on the media perspectives. From the perspective of one leading economic magazines in Indonesia Bisnis Indonesia.The framing from the media evidently showed that the rallyfollowed by millions of Indonesian Muslims does not bring negative impacts on the economic sector of Indonesia sinceit run peacefully, well manage and safe so the market gives a positive response and appreciationto the action.

AKU BERAGAMA, AKU ADA: PERSEPSI AKAN #AKSIBELAISLAM DALAM RANAH KONSEP SELF AND OTHER

The Islamic Defense Movement movement had made headlines from various national media outlets in Indonesia. Although the last series of demonstrations, when this research was written, took place on December 2nd, 2016, the echoes of the Islamic Defense Action can still be seen in various opinions of internet users on social networks. This study discusses the perceptions behind internet users’ opinions of the action, using the Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) method. Taking a sample of Twitter Twitter chants, the authors make a percentage of the main ideas behind the various opinions. As a result, the concept of self and other is the dominant idea behind the chirp with tagar #AksiBelaIslam .
 
 Keywords: Aksi Bela Islam, Twitter, Critical Discourse Analysis, Self, and Other

GOOGLE TRENDS DAN ANALISIS PENGELOLAAN KONFLIK SOSIAL DI RUANG PUBLIK VIRTUAL

One of the facilities provided by Google that can be used as a data analysis tool is Google Trends. This study aims to analyze the data recorded by Google Trends in 2016 and 2017 regarding social conflicts of Aksi Bela Islam that occur in virtual public spaces. This research uses a qualitative method with a netnographic approach. The results showed the keyword features provided by Google Trends became a media hegemony tool to direct news seekers to uniform information, resulting in mass polarisation in responding to the phenomenon of Aksi Bela Islam. Moreover, policies issued by the government strengthen polarization.