About The Islamic Union – The Survival of Puritanism in Indonesia

This blog is more of a repository of sorts for my ‘on the side’ research concerning the Persatuan Islam (Islamic Union) in Indonesia. I have an interest in Islamic movements in Indonesia, particularly puritan and modernist movements which I believe hold the greatest potential for reconciling Islam with modernity in Indonesia. It in fact has been in some ways ironic that those movements which have been at the forefront of trying to reconcile Islam and modernity have been traditionalist movements in Indonesia, particularly the Nahdlatul Ulama. However the figures behind this push, while originating from the traditionalist community, have in the end been forced to shed much of their religiosity and their traditionalist background, resulting in thought which is less about reconciling religion and modernity, than altering religion to such an extent that it can be made to appear compatible with modernity.

Puritan and modernist streams here have an opportunity to pull the equation back to the center, creating in the one movement something which is still modern and able to provide responses to the modern world, while at the same time not sacrificing religiosity and a strong sense of religious identity. However to this stage this opportunity has been squandered, as rather than trying to regain control of discourse on reconciling religion and modernity, many puritan and modernist movements have given up the fight all together, retreating into extremist fortresses and ways of thinking. Why has this happened? Do paths forward still exist for modernist and puritan movements? How can they effectively respond to the challenges of the modern world for the communities and do they have anything to offer the wider Islamic community?

My study focuses on the Persatuan Islam (Islamic Union) as a case study. Compared to the NU and the Muhammadiyah, Persis as it is known only has limited scope and influence, being largely focused in West Java. Despite this limited influence, some of its figures have previously played a prominent role on the national stage, including ideologue A Hassan who engaged in debates with Indonesia’s first president Soekarno over the role of Islam in the state, as well as Mohammad Natsir, Indonesia’s first Prime Minister and a champion of parliamentary democracy during the 1950s. However since the 1970s Persis has remained largely quiet on the national stage. Despite this lull, they have continued to exist, perserving and being a prominent local force in West Java. Why has Persis failed to grow to the level of other organisations such as NU and Muhammadiyah? Yet on the other hand why has it not merely been consumed by other movements? What does the future hold for Persis?

By gathering together resources on Persatuan Islam and some of its prominent figures from past and present, I hope to provide a basis for being able to answer these questions. Contributions or comments of course are always welcome.