The political origins of religious rigidity and flexibility : the dissemination of contemporary political Islam in Malaysia and Indonesia

Abstract

Why do Moslim-majonty democracies express religious rigidity while others reflect flexibility Previous studies emphasize the religious constitutional forms and political rivalries in electoral competition between political parties chasing Muslim voters in addressing the question while overlooking the types of social capital within political struggle as a causal factor. This paper employs process tracing for theory-building and conducts comparative history in Malaysia and Indonesia. In proposing the interaction of two variables, political rivalry between political parties chasing Muslim voters and social capital to promote religious inclusivity, this thesis argues that the divergent power of social capital to promote religious inclusivity results in either political Islam expresses religious rigidity or reflects religious flexibility in a Muslim country with a democratic system. Malaysia is a case of weak social capital to promote religious inclusivity under political rivalry between political parties chasing Muslim voters, which triggers the undertaking of top-down Islamization policies in formal democracy and results in the spread of political Islam expressing religious rigidity. In contrast. Indonesia is a case of strong social capital to promote religious inclusivity under political rivalry among political parties chasing Muslim voters, which leads the policy to work from the bottom-up in the frame of substantive democracy and results in the dissemination of political Islam expressing religious flexibility.