Image of the other as Enemy: Radical Discourse in Indonesia

Muhammad Iqbal Ahnaf

This book analyzes the systematic construction of the image of the Other, that is, non-Muslims, by two radical Islamic groups, Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) and Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI). The author documents discourse patterns in the groups' publications and speeches stereotyping non-Muslims as hostile towards Islam and imagining Islam's imminent victory after an inevitable clash with all other civilizations. Although these groups do not engage in physical violence, the author categorizes their efforts to stereotype non-Muslims as “symbolic violence.” Moreover, in the long run, their activities may be counterproductive because of the religious and ethnic pluralism of Indonesian society.

Muhammad Iqbal Ahnaf is a lecturer and researcher at the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies at Gadjah Mada University and at Darul Ulum Islamic University, Lamongan, Indonesia.

Islam in Southeast Asia: Views from Within series is a research fellowship program offered by the Asian Muslim Action Network (AMAN). Grants are awarded to promising Muslim scholars in Southeast Asia for innovative research on economic, socio-political, and cultural changes taking place in their diverse communities. Written from an insider's perspective, the publications promote a wider understanding of the role of Islam in Southeast Asia.