Islam Nusantara – Against Radicalism and Extremism

Abstract

Recently, the concept of Islam Nusantara appeared in the Islamic social thought of Indonesia. This term was officially put into circulation by the religious and educational organization Nahdatul Ulama (Revival of the Ulema) in 2015. Islam  Nusantara respects cultural and religious differences as manifestations of the will of Allah, believes that love and compassion are integral features of the Muslim religion. Islam Nusantara organically does not accept the authoritarian and pretending to be the truth in the last instance interpretations of Islam, imposed by extremists. Islam Nusantara is the reinterpretation of the basic theological principles of the NU, which combines classical Islamic theology (aqeedah), jurisprudence (fiqh) and local traditions. This approach suggests that Indonesian Muslims do not need to give up their national and local identity. On the contrary, traditional values can coexist harmoniously with Islamic identity, and an orthodox Muslim can simultaneously be an Indonesian nationalist. Supporters of the concept emphasize that this is not some new trend in Islamic social thought or another interpretation of Islam. Islam Nusantara is an Indonesian version of Muslim religious practice, historically developed in the process of its dissemination on the archipelago. Islam Nusantara provokes sharp rejection and condemnation of representatives of radical Muslim movements, especially Wahhabism and Salafism and their like, who seek to purify Islam from local traditions.