Indonesia’s Islamic peace diplomacy: Crafting a role model for moderate Islam
The moderate Islam agenda for peace is characterised by the collaboration of state and non-state actors at the domestic and international level – despite their diverse understandings of what “moderate Islam” is.
Indonesia’s civil Islamic organisation Nahdlatul Ulama (“Revival of Islamic Scholars”) has recently transitioned from mere debating about moderate Islam to kicking off a global movement for reforming Islamic jurisprudence by interpretations that benefit all humans, regardless of religious affiliation. This includes the legitimisation of the United Nations Charter.
Indonesia’s internationalised Islamic higher education system is evolving as a central site for diplomatic practices. Islamic academia aims to disseminate a moderate Islamic message and position Indonesia as a peaceful soft power. Indonesia has thus inserted itself into the global competition over Islamic knowledge production. It directly challenges established centres of Islamic higher education, such as Egypt, Iran and Saudi Arabia.
The framing of Indonesia as a moderate, pluralist and peaceful Muslim-majority country contrasts with the so-called conservative turn underway in Indonesian politics and society. This tension may weaken the progressive impulses of the moderate Islam discourse.