Interactions between Quietists and Jihadists in Indonesia: Polemics and Blurred Boundaries

Abstract

Salafism, which has thrived and exerted its influence among Indonesian Muslims since the second half of the 1980s, is not a monolithic movement. As a reconstituted form of Wahhabism, this movement has fragmented into various camps engaged in debates and competition to establish themselves as true Salafis. Embracing a position of apolitical quietism, the so-called quietists vehemently oppose the jihadists, who advocate the necessity of waging jihad against Islam’s enemies. In their perspective, Muslims should concentrate on their primary task of purifying Muslim beliefs and practices to avoid entanglement in political games. In this context, jihad is prohibited if it leads to physical violence among Muslims themselves. This paper aims to scrutinize the political contexts behind the polemics and explore how the contending parties interpret the main doctrines of Salafism, using them to justify their respective political stances. By utilizing primary sources, documentary data, and interviews with the movement’s followers, this paper argues that, despite doctrinal and ideological nuances, actors’ political interests may play a more decisive role in shaping the polemics, thus blurring their ideological boundaries.