Normalising Intolerance: Elections, Religion and Everyday Life in Indonesia

Abstract

Indonesia was built on the premise of pluralism, as enshrined in the state ideology, Pancasila but tension over the relationship between religion and the state has always been present. Recently, ‘othering’ along primordial lines became a prominent part of political and social discourse. During the 2017 Jakarta elections, the country saw divisive public debates and mobilisation, anchored in the intersection of politics and faith, driven by intolerance and primordialism. Having ignored the issue for decades, most Indonesians were caught off-guard. Why did this happen, and what does it mean for Indonesian democracy? In this paper, Dr Hamid looks at the every-day lives of Indonesians and asks what has allowed religious intolerance to take centre stage?