Intolerant groups in a democratic state : analyzing political entanglement between state and Aliansi Nasional Anti Syiah (annas) in Indonesia

Abstract

This thesis examines the relationship between the state and the Aliansi Nasional Anti Syiah (ANNAS), a nationwide mass organization established in 2014 in Bandung, West Java. ANNAS aims to curb the growth of Shiite teachings in Indonesia, which it considers deviant from the true Islamic faith. Due to this objective, scholars and NGOs categorized the organization as intolerant. This research analyzes the informal relationship between the state and ANNAS, exploring how they collaborate to achieve common goals and benefits. Clientelism network theory dissects the underlying motives for this informal relationship. I limit the research focus to the activities of the ANNAS Central Board in Bandung, West Java, and ANNAS Chapter in Solo Raya, Central Java. This qualitative study relies on indepth interviews as the primary data source, involving seven informants from the police, ANNAS Central Board Officer, ANNAS Chapter Officers in Solo, and member of Ikatan Jamaah Ahlul Bait Indonesia (IJABI). The interviews were conducted over three months, from April to June 2024. The findings suggest that the political entanglement between the state and ANNAS is based on a clientelistic network, an informal relationship that enables them to realize their common interests or goals. In Indonesia's nascent democracy, such clientelistic networks can arise due to the lack of robust regulations to limit this type of relationship. The state-ANNAS relationship, woven within this clientelistic scheme, aims to achieve two mutual benefits: the pursuit of social control and the state's religious partisanship.