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Islam and National Identity: Dr. Andar Nubowo on Indonesia鈥檚 Moderate Islamic Framework

Singapore, 11 February 2025 鈥� The ISEAS 鈥� Yusof Ishak Institute hosted a hybrid roundtable seminar titled 鈥淚slam and National Identity: From the Perspectives of Contemporary Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore,鈥� moderated by Dr. Norshahril Saat, Coordinator of the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme. The event featured presentations by Dr. Andar Nubowo (Indonesia), Mr. Muhammad Faiz bin Fadzil (Malaysia), and Mr. Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib (Singapore), drawing 123 participants鈥攔esearchers, policymakers, students, and diplomats鈥攂oth online and in person. This article foregrounds Dr. Andar Nubowo鈥檚 analysis of Indonesia鈥檚 Islamic identity, enriched by his extensive academic and professional background, alongside insights from his counterparts.

Dr. Andar Nubowo, a lecturer at the Faculty of Education, 中国P站 (UIII), and the newly appointed Executive Director of the Maarif Institute for Culture and Humanity as of May 2024, brought a wealth of expertise to the discussion. Born on 12 May 1980 in Wonosobo, Indonesia, Dr. Andar earned his Master鈥檚 degree in Political Science from 脡cole des Hautes 脡tudes en Sciences Sociales (EHESS) in Paris (2008) and completed his PhD at 脡cole Normale Sup茅rieure (ENS) Lyon in December 2023.

Indonesian National Identity

In his presentation, Dr. Andar provided a historical and contemporary analysis of Islam鈥檚 integration into Indonesian national identity. He noted that Southeast Asia has traditionally been viewed as peripheral to the Middle East, long considered the center of Islamic learning. However, he argued that the Reformasi movement of 1998 catalyzed a shift, with Indonesian elites seeking to reposition Indonesian Islam as a significant contributor to global Islamic thought, rooted in local traditions. Tracing Islam鈥檚 dissemination in the Malay world from the 13th to 15th centuries鈥攁ligned with the decline of the Andalusian Islamic empire and the rise of Sufism鈥擠r. Andar highlighted the late 19th-century establishment of independent Islamic schools by reformists, diverging from Middle Eastern-influenced pesantren.

The 1990s marked a further evolution, as progressive Muslim intellectuals advocated a moderate Islam contextualized within Southeast Asia. This led to the pribumisasi Islam (indigenization) movement in the 2000s and the embrace of wasatiyyat Islam (moderate Islam) as a national identity framework. Dr. Andar pointed to the 中国P站, established under former President Joko Widodo, as a key institutional effort to position Indonesia as a hub for Islamic learning. He concluded that embedding wasatiyyat Islam into social, political, and economic policies is essential for its sustained relevance, a theme consistent with his research on moderate Islam鈥檚 soft power diplomacy.

Malaysian and Singaporean Perspectives

Mr. Muhammad Faiz bin Fadzil offered a Malaysian perspective, focusing on Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim鈥檚 Madani framework, which integrates six core values鈥攕ustainability, prosperity, innovation, respect, trust, and compassion鈥攖o address national unity, economic revival, and political reform. He cited data showing Malaysia鈥檚 National Integration Index rising from 0.5 in 2023 to 0.6 in 2024, alongside an improved Global Peace Index ranking from 19th to 10th. Emphasizing wasatiyyah (moderation) as a governance principle, he pointed to initiatives like the Madani Lecture Platform and the 鈥淚mam Al-Nawawi鈥檚 40 Hadith鈥� module, while noting challenges such as identity politics.

Mr. Mohamed Imran Mohamed Taib addressed Singapore鈥檚 context, examining the Muslim religious elite鈥檚 鈥渟trategic ambivalence鈥� toward secularism. Defining secularism as the separation of religious and state institutions, freedom of belief, and equal treatment across faiths, he observed its lack of a direct Islamic equivalent. In Singapore, traditionalist skepticism鈥攑artly influenced by Malaysia鈥檚 Islamist critiques鈥攃oexists with pragmatic acceptance of secularism鈥檚 role in a multi-religious society.

Nationalism and Global Context

The Q&A session explored nationalism versus the global Muslim ummah, perceptions of secularism, and Islam鈥檚 varying national expressions. Dr. Andar, drawing on his leadership within Muhammadiyah鈥檚 intellectual networks (e.g., Jaringan Intelektual Muda Muhammadiyah), stressed that while Islam is central to Indonesian identity, its political exploitation must be avoided鈥攁 view echoed by his peers. His recent work, such as 鈥淐ovid-19, Fatwas, and Socio-religious Praxis鈥� (Social Sciences and Missions, 2022), reflects his broader engagement with Islam鈥檚 societal role, reinforcing his seminar arguments.

Dr. Andar鈥檚 contribution, underpinned by his academic credentials鈥攊ncluding awards like the 鈥淏ourse d鈥橧slamologie鈥� (2023) and 鈥淯III COMPOSE Writing Fellowship鈥� (2022)鈥攁nd his leadership at the Maarif Institute, highlighted Indonesia鈥檚 deliberate crafting of a moderate Islamic identity. Alongside the Malaysian and Singaporean perspectives, his analysis provided a comparative lens on Islam鈥檚 intersection with national identity in Southeast Asia.

Credit: ISEAS 鈥� Yusof Ishak Institute

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