Talking Indonesia: queer Muslims and their allies

How do queer Muslims maintain their faith and religious practices in an increasingly hostile environment? While in the West religion and queerness are often seen as incompatible, how and why do LGBTQI+ Indonesian Muslims hold onto their faith? How does progressive Islam inform the work of their Allies and what support do they provide?

#KaburAjaDulu and the urge to resist, in whatever form, from whatever place

,
In a time when authoritarianism is on the rise globally, it is perhaps understandable to wish for bigger, louder, more forceful forms of resistance. But the truth is, in a country still in the hands of oligarchic elites, and lacking any potent, organised opposition, even the most massive demonstrations can only achieve, at best, temporary wins.

TALKING INDONESIA PODCASTSee all


Talking Indonesia: queer Muslims and their allies

How do queer Muslims maintain their faith and religious practices in an increasingly hostile environment? While in the West religion and queerness are often seen as incompatible, how and why do LGBTQI+ Indonesian Muslims hold onto their faith? How does progressive Islam inform the work of their Allies and what support do they provide?

#KaburAjaDulu and the urge to resist, in whatever form, from whatever place

,
In a time when authoritarianism is on the rise globally, it is perhaps understandable to wish for bigger, louder, more forceful forms of resistance. But the truth is, in a country still in the hands of oligarchic elites, and lacking any potent, organised opposition, even the most massive demonstrations can only achieve, at best, temporary wins.

The return of the protest song: Punk aesthetics in an age of a resurgent authoritarianism

, ,
Even in an era of intensifying authoritarianism, independent music communities continue to carve out spaces of resistance, proving that music can be more than just a medium of protest —  it can be a force for real political action.

Danantara: a new hope or a phantom menace?

,
The establishment of Danantara, Indonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund (SWF), has sparked both optimism and scepticism.

Talking Indonesia: Prabonomics

What is Prabowo’s economic agenda? How will it reshape the country and confront the key challenges in the years ahead? Will Prabowo’s economic plans take the country closer to its grand plans for Golden Indonesia 2045?

Danantara: It’s the politics, stupid!

, ,
For many observers, Danantara potentially reproduces Indonesia’s predatory political economy. On this view, SOEs embody rising economic nationalism, that is state capitalism, and crowd out capital formation by private firms. Yet, digging into its board structure, it is apparent that Danantara instead reflects combined forms of capitalism – private fossil-fuel and tech, as well as state capital – that have overall benefited from Indonesia’s oligarchic politics, as well sustaining its high costs.

Is Prabowo reviving the Soeharto regime?

,
It is true that Indonesia’s democracy has come under severe oligarchic pressures that would exist regardless of who won the last presidential election. However, Prabowo seems to have the know-how, and, more importantly, the personal determination, to recreate a socio-political order that closely reflects Soeharto’s Integralistic state — the political model instrumental for the creation and maintenance of his autocratic oligarchic system.

Could wastewater surveillance protect Indonesia from the next pandemic?

Mitigating the effects of future pandemics depends on having a strong health system that can detect infectious diseases early enough to implement a swift and informed response. One of the best ways to do this is by developing a monitoring system capable of detecting disease transmission at the community level.

Why Prabowo’s misguided ‘austerity’ is emblematic of his free-wheeling economic policy    

,
The Prabowo Subianto administration begins 2025 with a massive Rp 306 trillion fiscal spending cut, representing over 8% of this year’s state budget, delivered by Presidential instruction 1/2025.

Talking Indonesia: queer Muslims and their allies

How do queer Muslims maintain their faith and religious practices in an increasingly hostile environment? While in the West religion and queerness are often seen as incompatible, how and why do LGBTQI+ Indonesian Muslims hold onto their faith? How does progressive Islam inform the work of their Allies and what support do they provide?

#KaburAjaDulu and the urge to resist, in whatever form, from whatever place

,
In a time when authoritarianism is on the rise globally, it is perhaps understandable to wish for bigger, louder, more forceful forms of resistance. But the truth is, in a country still in the hands of oligarchic elites, and lacking any potent, organised opposition, even the most massive demonstrations can only achieve, at best, temporary wins.

The return of the protest song: Punk aesthetics in an age of a resurgent authoritarianism

, ,
Even in an era of intensifying authoritarianism, independent music communities continue to carve out spaces of resistance, proving that music can be more than just a medium of protest —  it can be a force for real political action.

Danantara: a new hope or a phantom menace?

,
The establishment of Danantara, Indonesia’s new sovereign wealth fund (SWF), has sparked both optimism and scepticism.

Talking Indonesia: Prabonomics

What is Prabowo’s economic agenda? How will it reshape the country and confront the key challenges in the years ahead? Will Prabowo’s economic plans take the country closer to its grand plans for Golden Indonesia 2045?

Danantara: It’s the politics, stupid!

, ,
For many observers, Danantara potentially reproduces Indonesia’s predatory political economy. On this view, SOEs embody rising economic nationalism, that is state capitalism, and crowd out capital formation by private firms. Yet, digging into its board structure, it is apparent that Danantara instead reflects combined forms of capitalism – private fossil-fuel and tech, as well as state capital – that have overall benefited from Indonesia’s oligarchic politics, as well sustaining its high costs.

Is Prabowo reviving the Soeharto regime?

,
It is true that Indonesia’s democracy has come under severe oligarchic pressures that would exist regardless of who won the last presidential election. However, Prabowo seems to have the know-how, and, more importantly, the personal determination, to recreate a socio-political order that closely reflects Soeharto’s Integralistic state — the political model instrumental for the creation and maintenance of his autocratic oligarchic system.

Could wastewater surveillance protect Indonesia from the next pandemic?

Mitigating the effects of future pandemics depends on having a strong health system that can detect infectious diseases early enough to implement a swift and informed response. One of the best ways to do this is by developing a monitoring system capable of detecting disease transmission at the community level.

Why Prabowo’s misguided ‘austerity’ is emblematic of his free-wheeling economic policy    

,
The Prabowo Subianto administration begins 2025 with a massive Rp 306 trillion fiscal spending cut, representing over 8% of this year’s state budget, delivered by Presidential instruction 1/2025.
TOP STORIES

TALKING INDONESIA PODCASTSee all


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19 August 2024/by Arya Fernandes, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/arya/

Jokowi’s power consolidation: navigating post-election politics

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These three parties could shape the future of political opposition in Indonesia

22 February 2024/by Yohanes Sulaiman, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/yohanes-sulaiman/

Prabowo victory secures Jokowi’s legacy

20 February 2024/by Virdika Rizky Utama, https://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/author/virdika-rizky-utama/

Indonesia at Melbourne is supported by:

Melbourne Law School Asia Institute Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society Indonesia Forum Faculty of Arts Indonesia Democracy Hallmark Research Initiative

Indonesia at Melbourne

Room 726, Level 7, 185 Pelham St,
The University of Melbourne
Parkville 3010 VIC Australia

Phone: +61 3 83448581

Email:  indo-at-melb@unimelb.edu.au

Date created: 1 July 2015

Editor: Ary Hermawan

Editorial board: 
Professor Tim Lindsey
Dr Tim Mann
Aron Corbett

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