Since the advent of democracy, Islam has become increasingly visible in Indonesian society and politics. Although a number of districts and municipalities have passed local regulations influenced by Islam, many of which unfairly police women’s dress and movement, the electoral success of Islamic parties remains limited.
To what extent are these changes unique to Indonesia and what can we learn from the experiences of other Muslim-majority countries? What does the future of Islamic populism in Indonesia look like – will Islamic parties ever be able to dominate politics?
In this edition of Talking Indonesia, I discuss these issues and more with Vedi Hadiz, professor of Asian Studies at the University of Melbourne’s Asia Institute and author of the recently published book Islamic Populism in Indonesia and the Middle East (Cambridge University Press, 2016).
Look out for a new Talking Indonesia podcast every fortnight, hosted alternately by Dr Dave McRae and Dr Ken Setiawan. Catch up on previous episodes here, subscribe via iTunes or listen to the entire Talking Indonesia podcast archive via Stitcher.
Photo by Flickr user Chris Lewis.
