Moderate Islam Movements and Interfaith Coexistence in Indonesia

Sunarwoto, - (2026) Moderate Islam Movements and Interfaith Coexistence in Indonesia. Observatoire International du Religieux.

Preview

Text (Moderate Islam Movements and Interfaith Coexistence in Indonesia) Moderate Islam Movements and Interfaith Coexistence in Indonesia.pdf - Published Version Download (467kB) | Preview

Abstract

This article examines the emergence and development of moderate Islamic movements in Indonesia and their engagement with interfaith coexistence within a plural religious context. It focuses on three major actors: Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muhammadiyah, and Salafi groups, situating their initiatives within the state-sponsored religious moderation programme launched by the Indonesian government through the Ministry of Religious Affairs since 2018. NU’s Islam Nusantara and Muhammadiyah’s Islam Berkemajuan represent traditionalist and modernist articulations of moderate Islam, both emphasising balance, tolerance, and social harmony while responding differently to local culture and modernity. Challenging common perceptions that associate Salafism with radicalism, the article demonstrates how quietist Salafi groups have also developed forms of moderation grounded in loyalty to the state and non-confrontational interfaith relations. The study further explores the transnational dimensions of these movements by analysing their connections with Saudi Arabia’s reform agenda under Muhammad bin Salman and Egypt’s al-Azhar–led discourse on Islamic centrism (wasaṭiyya al-Islām). While moderate Islamic movements have contributed significantly to interreligious coexistence, the article argues that the persistence of Islamic conservatism—both outside and within mainstream organisations—poses an ongoing challenge to their inclusive aspirations.

Share this knowledge with your friends :

Actions (login required)

View Item