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Indonesian Islam beyond Habib Rizieq Shihab: Deconstructing Islamism and Populism

A'an Suryana|Nur Syafiqah Mohd Taufek

The radical Salafi ideology of Muhammad Rizieq Shihab and the Islamic Defender’s Front (FPI) have been at the centre of attention and study for quite a while. Islam in Indonesia, however, is not monolithic – there are some strands which are moderate. The recent retreat of radical and conservative Muslims following pressure from the Joko Widodo government provides a timely opportunity for proponents of moderate Islam to boost their presence on social media – a crucial battleground in the war of religious ideas.

COVID-19 Economic Recovery: ASEAN’s Mixed Pattern

Jayant Menon|Sithanonxay Suvannaphakdy

Half of the ASEAN members have contained the Covid-19 pandemic, but not Indonesia and The Philippines. Myanmar, Malaysia and Thailand are dealing with new waves of infection. For countries that have controlled local transmission of the virus, a V-shaped recovery looks likely. For the others, the possibility of a delayed or W-shaped recovery increases the longer reintroduced containment measures stay in place.