| dc.description.abstract | This study focuses on the way in which Muhammadiyah, one of Indonesia’s
largest Islamic organizations, stood in the 2019 General Election. Like its
counterpart Nahdlatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah has marked the moderation
of Islam in Indonesia, different from Islam elsewhere in the Middle East.
Since its establishment, Muhammadiyah has urged its members not to join
any specific political party, but rather to take a moderate position in political
pragmatism and support patriotism in broader national interest. Likewise,
in the 2019 election, Muhammadiyah did not organizationally support any
candidates, citing its “middle way” approach. However, this study identifies
a dualism in the political attitudes of Muhammadiyah’s elites. Even without
official orders or prohibitions from the central leadership, some Muhammadiyah
members got involved and carried their organization’s attributes to support
certain candidates, resulting in political division within the organization.
Some members of the organization took a clear political stance, whereas
others remain neutral. This created tension within the organization in both
elite and grass-root level. The main data for this study were collected through
interviews, unstructured discussions, and focus group discussions with several
Muhammadiyah elites. | en_US |
