Myths of nationhood: Cultural nationalism, political Islam, and the movement against sculptures in Bangladesh

In November 2020, the government of Bangladesh announced plans to erect a 25-foot-tall sculpture of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman in the national memorial located in the country's capital, Dhaka. This announcement caused a massive uproar among the religious ulema and quickly turned into a quasi-mass scale movement, sparking a torrent of political and religious rhetoric from both sides. This article argues that behind the religious rhetoric, the true cause underlying this fracas was purely political in nature, and tied to the clash of two contrasting nationalist dogmas. The country's Islamic political parties and the Qawmi madrasas leaders face a clear and perceived threat from the nationalist narratives expounded by the ruling political party, the Bangladesh Awami League, and this movement was a retaliatory attempt and will not be the last.

Islamic Populism in Turkey

In the last two decades, multiple Islamic parties have become incumbent parties and/or joined coalition governments. Such a development brought debate as to whether these parties could moderate into democratic actors à la Christian Democratic Parties in Western Europe, or whether they were aiming at the formation of an Islamist state and society through electoral means. What remains relatively unaddressed in the literature, however, is to what degree Islamic parties truly derive their socio-political agenda from Islam. Hence, this paper will ask, how do Islamic parties utilize Islam? To answer this question, this paper will use a single case-study approach to test and to rethink Islamic political parties and what is “Islamic” about them in the Turkish case. This paper will study the Turkish case because the country’s incumbent party, the Justice and Development Party (JDP), has been governing Turkey since 2002, making the Party the longest ruling Islamic party still in power. Based on the literature on populism, this paper will argue that the way the JDP utilized Islam can be characterized as populism flavored by religion that is based on (i) a thin theological foundation, (ii) a majoritarian rather than a multivocal interpretation of Islam, and (iii) a Muslim unity rhetoric.

FORMATION AND SPREAD OF SALAFISM

The “Arab Spring” led to the rise of Islamists and the influx of Islamic movements throughout the region. Islamists have debated democracy, pluralism, and personal freedom. In this regard, it is important to understand the emerging concept of Islam among them and how the players in this game perceive themselves. The article provides a brief description and identification of modern Islamists. Features of Islamic political parties are described. The authors provide a definition of the most modern trends in neo-Islamism, including areas such as non-traditional religiosity, gradualism, modernization in Islam, nationalism, and pragmatic relations with the West.

مظاهر الازدهار الحضاري الإسلامي في إندونيسيا في أوائل القرن الحادي والعشرين MADHAHIR AL-IZDIHAR AL-HADHARI AL-ISLAMIY FI INDONESIA FI AWA’IL AL-QARN AL-HADI WA AL-‘ISRIN

تبحث هذه الدراسة عن مظاهر الازدهار الحضاري الإسلامي في إندونيسيا المعاصرة، من مظاهر الازدهار السياسي والثقافي والاقتصادي والعمراني الإسلامي في إندونيسيا. وتم اختيار في هذا البحث المنهج الوصفي الاستقرائي. ومن نتائج هذا البحث، أنه ظهر في عصر الإصلاح العديد من الأحزاب السياسة الإسلامية. وعلى الرغم من أن هذه الأحزاب الإسلامية لا تحظى بكثير من أصوات الناخبين، إلا أن ائتلافها يمكنها إخراج العديد من الشخصيات البارزة في المناصب الاستراتيجية في المؤسسات التنفيذية والتشريعية في البلاد. وفى عهد الإصلاح أيضا ظهر التقدم في مجال التربية والتعليم، ومن بينه إنشاء المدارس الإسلامية المتكاملة الأهلية والحكومية من المراحل الابتدائية والإعدادية والثانوية، كما أنشأت الجامعات الإسلامية الحكومية والأهلية التي فتحت الكليات العامة لخلق التكامل المعرفي فيها. وفى أواخر عهد سوهرتو بدأ التقدم في مجال الاقتصاد الإسلامي بإنشاء بنك المعاملات الإسلامي. وانتشرت بعد ذلك البنوك الإسلامية مثل BSM الشريعة BRI الشريعة BNI الشريعة وغيرها من البنوك الإسلامية. كما أنشئت كذلك المؤسسات المالية الإسلامية الأخرى. ومن مظاهر التقدم فى مجال الفنون المعمارية وجود الهندسة المعمارية للمساجد في إندونيسيا حيث انتهجت أنماطا كثيرة، وقلدت الدول الإسلامية في الشرق الأوسط. ومع ذلك هناك نمط معماري آخر في إندونيسيا الذي وضعته مؤسسة بانشاسيلا الخيرية الإسلامية (YAMP) التي بنت مئات من المساجد على نفس النمط المعماري.This article explores the manifestations of Islamic civilization prosperity in current Indonesia, from politics, education, economics, and architecture. The method used in this research is descriptive-inductive. In the early twenty-first century, especially in the era of reform, many Islamic political parties appeared. Although these Islamist parties do not receive many votes, their coalition can bring out some prominent figures in strategic positions in the country›s executive and legislative institutions. Meanwhile, in the field of education, the establishment of numerous Islamic private and public schools from any levels of education in which frames the concept of knowledge integration could be identified as one of the glories. The development as well as discovered in the field of economics and architectures. For the former, it started with the establishment of a huge number of Islamic Bank (Muamala) and other Islamic financial institutions. The latter is proven with the presence of mosque architecture adopting many styles of Islamic countries in the Middle East. There is another architectural style in Indonesia developed by the Pancasila Islamic Charitable Foundation (YAMP) which has built hundreds of mosques in the same architectural style.

Toward Islam Through Political Parties, Ideology, and Democracy: A Discourse Analysis on Turkey’s AK Party, Tunisian Ennahda, and Bangladesh Jamaat-e-Islami

This article aims to examine the legacy and policy of AK Party in Turkey, Ennahda’s political movement in Tunisia, and Jamaat-e-Islami (BJI) in Bangladesh, which is ostensibly identified with Islamic political ideology and acquainted with the world as a ‘moderate-conservative political Islam party.’ The study interrogates the nature, processes, and the characteristic features of the three countries’ administrative system, comparatively from three regions of the world, particularly from the Middle East and Europe region, Africa and Arab region, and the South Asian region. This study also highlights these political parties’ history, political ideology differences, and their practices reflective of democratic principles from a theoretical perspective on politics, policy, and philosophy. It also acknowledges whether the political development of Turkey from 2002 onward is feasible for Bangladeshi and Tunisian Islamic political parties to accept as a role model in their political arena.

Institusionalisasi Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (PKS) dan Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) di Kota Palembang

This research is entitled "INSTITUTIONALIZATION OF ISLAMIC POLITICAL PARTIES IN PALEMBANG CITY: A Case Study of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) and the United Development Party (PPP)". This research explains that the institutionalization of Islamic political parties in Palembang City can affect the results of the legislative elections and the existence of voters, which at the time of the 2019 legislative elections in Palembang City, the votes and seats of Islamic political parties experienced very significant changes in terms of the number of votes. and legislative seats. Islamic political parties that experienced an increase in the number of votes and legislative seats, namely the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) when the 2014 legislative general election received three seats but in the 2019 legislative general election it got five seats, while the Islamic political parties which experienced a decrease in the number of votes and legislative seats, namely the Party The Development Association (PPP) when the 2014 legislative election won two seats, but in the 2019 legislative general election, it only got one seat. The reason the author chose the title Institutionalization of Islamic Political Parties in Palembang City is due to the extent to which Islamic parties have or have not been institutionalized, this research on the institutionalization of political parties uses the theory of Vicky Randall and Lars Svasand political parties are considered institutionalized if there are four degrees of institutionalization such as Degree of System, Degree of Value Identity , Degree of Decision Autonomy and Degree of Public Knowledge. Based on the theory used, the results of this study, among others, prove that PKS can be said to have been institutionalized and PPP has not been institutionalized based on the four degrees of political party institutionalization theory concept according to Vicky Randall and Lars Svasand. So that it can be directly proven by the results of research findings where the institutionalization of PKS and PPP parties has similarities and differences between the two Islamic political parties in absorbing the people's aspirations and fighting for the interests of Muslims in Palembang City.

The dynamics and existence of Islamic party in 2019 General Election: Case Study of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)

The development of Islam in the political arena in Indonesia is interesting to be analyzed comprehensively. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existence of Islamic political parties after the 2019 simultaneous general elections. The main problem in political life in Indonesia is the decline of public trust in political parties. One of the main reasons is the corruption case that ensnared politicians. The presence of Islamic political parties is hopefully able to bring a change and alter the ugly stigma from the society towards the political parties. The method used in this paper is a qualitative method with a case study of PKS as a participant in the 2019 simultaneous general election, using an institutional assessment of the existence of political parties. The dynamics and existence of PKS before the 2019 general election were categorically high. It means that the PKS movement was active in society by offering strategic programs and policies for voters. PKS has a structured party system starting from the regeneration system to constituent treatment that can increase the number of voters in the 2019 elections. This research concludes that regeneration carried out through tarbiyah is able to instill party ideology in cadres, but fails to raise the party in a fast time. Based on the political dynamics of PKS during the Jokowi-JK administration period 2014-2019, identity politics was able to increase voter participation and increase PKS votes in the 2019 elections.

The dynamics and existence of Islamic party in 2019 general election: case study of Prosperous Justice Party (PKS)

The development of Islam in the political arena in Indonesia is interesting to be analyzed comprehensively. The purpose of this paper is to analyze the existence of Islamic political parties after the 2019 simultaneous general elections. The main problem in political life in Indonesia is the decline of public trust in political parties. One of the main reasons is the corruption case that ensnared politicians. The presence of Islamic political parties is hopefully able to bring a change and alter the ugly stigma from the society towards the political parties. The method used in this paper is a qualitative method with a case study of PKS as a participant in the 2019 simultaneous general election, using an institutional assessment of the existence of political parties. The dynamics and existence of PKS before the 2019 general election were categorically high. It means that the PKS movement was active in society by offering strategic programs and policies for voters. PKS has a structured party system starting from the regeneration system to constituent treatment that can increase the number of voters in the 2019 elections. This research concludes that regeneration carried out through tarbiyah is able to instill party ideology in cadres, but fails to raise the party in a fast time. Based on the political dynamics of PKS during the Jokowi-JK administration period 2014-2019, identity politics was able to increase voter participation and increase PKS votes in the 2019 elections.

Electoral Power Structure of Islamic Parties in Reform Era Indonesia

The Islamic political parties in the Reform era grew up exceeding the period of Parliamentary Democracy. In the electoral competition during the Reform era, Islamic political parties did not receive adequate votes. The votes won by Islamic parties tend to go down from election to election. There are several factors that have caused the Islamic party to fail to win the support of Muslim votes. First, Islamic parties are fragmented and internal conflict. Second, Muslim voters do a change in ideological orientation which no chooses an Islamic party but a nationalist party. Third, nationalist parties accommodate Muslim aspirations by forming Islamic organizations. Fourth, the crisis of leadership of the Islamic party. Fifth, the absence of a real party program. To improve the electoral, Islamic parties must concern on programs to improve people's welfare, democratization, eradicate corruption, and realize social justice. The leader of Islamic parties must be exemplary, visionary, integrity, and rooted in the community.

The changing political orientation of Air Tiris, Kampar, Riau community towards Islamic political parties in general elections (a case study: general elections in Indonesia)

Purpose The purpose of this study is to examine the changing political orientation of Air Tiris, Kampar, Riau community towards Islamic political parties in general elections; to analyze the factors that influenced the political orientation of Air Tiris community in general elections; and to realize the political rights of the society including Air Tiris community. Design/methodology/approach The subject in this study is the political orientation of the Air Tiris community in the 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 general elections with a period of research from 2009 to 2016. This qualitative research method consists of sources, data collection, informants, data collection techniques, data analysis and processing and writing systematics. Findings The results of the research indicate that there are three dominant factors affecting the change in the political orientation of the Air Tiris community towards Islamic political parties characterized by the deterioration of vote acquisition for Islamic political parties in Air Tiris village in 1999, 2004, 2009 and 2014 general elections. The weakening of the link between religious identity and voting behaviour, as well as the weakening of political movement. The identification or loyalty of the santri community towards Islamic parties has faded. Originality/value The originality of this research lies in the analysis of the political orientation of Air Tiris, Kampar, Riau community, in general, elections towards Islamic political parties. Traditionally, this community has more political orientation on religious/Islamic political parties but such orientation experiences developments and changes that lead to non-Islamic parties. This research contains new information about the analysis of the political orientation of Air Tiris, Kampar, Riau community in the general election of Islamic political parties.