1st Edition
Islam Beyond Conflict Indonesian Islam and Western Political Theory
Politically, Islam in Indonesia is part of a rich multi-cultural mix. Religious tolerance is seen as the cornerstone of relations between different faiths - and moderation is built into the country's constitutional framework. However, the advent of democracy coupled with the impact of the South-East Asian economic collapse in 1997, and the arrival of a tough new breed of Middle Eastern Islamic preachers, sowed the seeds of the current challenge to Indonesia's traditionally moderate form of Islam. This volume explores the extent to which moderate Indonesian Islam is able to assimilate leading concepts from Western political theory. The essays in the collection explore how concepts from Western political theory are compatible with a liberal interpretation of Islamic universals and how such universals can form the basis for a contemporary approach to the protection of human rights and the articulation of a modern Islamic civil society.
Biography
Azyumardi Azra is Professor of History and Rector at the State University of Islamic Studies, Jakarta, Indonesia. Wayne Hudson is a Professor of Philosophy and World History at Griffith University, Australia.
'Asking whether Islam and democracy are compatible requires us to explore our understandings of both. This important book brings together thinkers from two very relevant countries - Indonesia and Australia - to pursue the theoretical and real-world complexities that lurk here. It should be read by commentators, policy makers, activists and scholars. M. C. Ricklefs, National University of Singapore, Singapore 'This volume draws together well-informed critical reflections from both Western and Indonesian Islamic perspectives on citizenship, democratization, pluralism, civil society, and the rule of law. The conversations that emerge from this highlight internal tensions and complexities of both traditions in ways that illuminate important aspects of their contemporary interactions.' Michael Feener, National Univerisity of Singapore, Singapore
