The rise of political Islam requires a balancing act from Indonesian President Joko Widodo
Jokowi may have had some tactical gains in the short run ... But, for the longer term, Jokowi, his government and the police have been playing a dangerous game
Recounting what happened behind the scenes that day, two senior officials told Reuters Widodo chose to ignore warnings from security chiefs and went into the crowd, appearing alongside the firebrand leader of a hardline Islamic group.
But critics worry Widodo’s decision may have conferred some legitimacy on a hardline strain of political Islam emerging in the world’s biggest Muslim-majority country, where politics is secular and the majority of believers are moderate, putting social stability at risk.
“Jokowi may have had some tactical gains in the short run,” said Tobias Basuki, an analyst at the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies, referring to the president by his popular name. “But, for the longer term, Jokowi, his government and the police have been playing a dangerous game. As a result, political Islam has been co-opted by hardliners and progressive Muslims have been sidelined.”
Many of the jihadis were first indoctrinated at mosques that spawned various Islamic vigilante groups similar to the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), which was at the forefront of the December 2 mass protest in Jakarta, according to counter-terrorism police. The FPI insists it is neither political nor militant but just wants to uphold Islamic principles.