Muslims and Tolerance: Non-Muslim Minorities under Shariah in Indonesia (Islam in Southeast Asia: Views from Within)

Indonesia's Reformasi era ushered in a new atmosphere of political openness under which groups long suppressed have resurfaced, including those that were deemed "extreme left" and "extreme right" by previous regimes. Among the ideas being discussed is the implementation of Islamic law or shariah. Pramono U. Tanthowi begins with the question, "Does Islam tolerate non-Muslim minorities?," considering it from historical, political, and religious perspectives within the Indonesian context. Although the central government has not instituted Islamic law nationally, the local government of Cianjur regency in Sunda (West Java) has implemented certain aspects of Islamic law on its own. Using Cianjur as a case study, Tanthowi surveys the views of non-Muslims on shariah as it has been applied over the last several years. Pramono U. Tanthowi has served as a governmental advisor in Indonesia and is now studying political science at the University of Hawaii at Manoa.