The 212 Movement: Flagging Political Fortunes
Syafiq Hasyim
The decline of the 212 Movement in Indonesia could well portend the decline of political Islam.

Syafiq Hasyim
The decline of the 212 Movement in Indonesia could well portend the decline of political Islam.
Syafiq Hasyim|Norshahril Saat
A member of the Council of Ulama Indonesia (MUI) was arrested recently for his involvement in Jemaah Islamiah. MUI should make amends by explaining how such an association came about, and effect a more rigorous recruitment regime.
Norshahril Saat
The Ulama Council of Indonesia (MUI) has evolved from a state “lackey” to an organisation with significant influence. With the shariatisation project becoming more mainstream in Indonesia today, this could be MUI’s biggest window of opportunity to further assert its influence.
Aisah Putri Budiatri|Ahmad Najib Burhani
The largest Islamic organisation in Indonesia will hold its congress in December to elect its next chairman. The new leader will have his work cut out for him.
Mohd Faizal Musa
The appointment of PAS ideologue Idris Ahmad as Malaysia’s new religious affairs minister provides the Islamist party significant latitude to advance its ideological agenda.
Wahyudi Akmaliah|Ahmad Najib Burhani
Covid-19 has forced various Muslim groups to adopt digital platforms in their religious activities. Controversy, however, abounds regarding the online version of the Friday Prayer. In Islamic law, this ritual is wajib (mandatory) for male Muslims.
Quinton Temby
A social media analysis of Indonesian salafi-jihadi and opposition Islamist chat groups indicates early but significant signs of crosspollination between both communities. As continuing government crackdowns drive both the violent jihadi and Islamist opposition groups into the virtual underground, there is a risk that the resultant crosspollination of both groups could push non-violent opposition activists into violent extremism.
A'an Suryana|Nur Syafiqah Mohd Taufek
Facing a sentence that will see him behind bars till 2025, radical cleric Habib Rizieq Shihab will face problems bouncing back from the political wilderness. His enforced absence from the political scene will be a boon to secular and nationalist presidential candidates.
Max Lane
Indonesia’s latest Covid-19 surge has piled pressure on the Widodo government, which is under pressure to reconsider some form of lockdown to rein in the spread of the coronavirus.
Syafiq Hasyim
The run-up to hajj 2021 saw the opponents of the Jokowi government opportunistically exploiting the issue to undermine the government. This reflects poorly on the quality of political debate in Indonesia today.