Transnational Religion: a Case Study of the Turkish United Islamic Cultural Centre of Indonesia (Uicci)
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TRANSNATIONAL RELIGION: A CASE STUDY OF THE TURKISH UNITED ISLAMIC CULTURAL CENTRE OF INDONESIA (UICCI) A thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Firdaus Wajdi Principal Supervisor: Professor Dr. Julia Day Howell Co-Supervisors: Associate Professor Dr. Mary Hawkins Dr. Arskal Salim RELIGION AND SOCIETY RESEARCH CENTRE SCHOOL OF SOCIAL SCIENCES AND PSYCHOLOGY WESTERN SYDNEY UNIVERSITY 2015 Dedication I dedicate this thesis to: My mother, Suirat, and my wife, Indah Nuchaidah, two exceptional women in my life. Also to my son, Kayyis Makarim Wajdi, and my daughter, Afaaf Mahestri Wajdi, for their patience and understanding. PhD Thesis | Western Sydney University | Firdaus Wajdi | Page ii Acknowledgements A number of people and institutions have supported me while I completed this thesis. My PhD program was made possible by Australian Leadership Awards Scholarships (ALAS), formerly managed by the AusAID and now administered by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), Australia, and was supported by the rector of Universitas Negeri Jakarta (UNJ [State University of Jakarta]), who granted permission for my study leave. I am grateful to those institutions for their support. Professor Dr Julia Day Howell, my principal supervisor, has devoted her time and insight, giving my work both theoretical and methodological guidance. In addition to being my academic guide, she has encouraged me to actively participate in a number of academic conferences and summer school through which I have learned a great deal. Associate Professor Dr Mary Hawkins and Dr Arskal Salim, my associate supervisors at the Religion and Society Research Centre (RSRC), University of Western Sydney, have given valuable feedback on my thesis drafts. Without their continuous support, encouragement and constructive criticism, I would not have been able to complete this thesis. I am therefore indebted to them all and I thank them sincerely. I am also truly thankful to Terri Drage for her review and comments on my drafts. I am grateful for her valuable insights and encouragement. Also to Ms Vanessa Goldie-Scot for her patient assistance with my writing skills and Ms Elena Knox who carried out the tedious work of proofreading and correcting the language of this thesis. Scholars and staff of the RSRC and School of Social Science and Psychology have helped me and made my study easier. Among them, Professor Dr Adam Possamai (the director of the Centre), and PhD Thesis | Western Sydney University | Firdaus Wajdi | Page iii Ms Eva Gracia (Centre Coordinator), Mrs Vicki Fox and Ms Nutan Muckle have provided both academic and administrative support during my program. I would also like to thank Dr Steven Drakeley and Dr Jan Ali, and my colleagues Mas Zen, Mas Muttaqin, Faroque, Mas Godo, Mbak Juni, Mbak Rully, Mas Arif Budiman, and Ferhat Kopuz Abi for their friendship. I am indebted to many people in Jakarta, Jogjakarta, Pangkalan Bun, Medan, Aceh, Istanbul, Kayseri, Frankfurt, Auburn and Meadow Heights, for their permission and support while I carried out my fieldwork in the Süleymancı boarding schools, Gülen affiliated institutions, as well as Nurcu’s dershanes. I owe them much for both their hospitality and their valuable information. I could not have completed this thesis without their support. Last, but not least, I offer both my thanks and apologies to those who have assisted me, but who are too numerous to be listed here. PhD Thesis | Western Sydney University | Firdaus Wajdi | Page iv Presentations Parts of an earlier draft of this thesis were presented at: 1. Asian Studies Association of Australia (ASAA) 19th Biennial Conference, “Knowing Asia: Asian Studies in an Asian Century”, The University of Western Sydney, 11-13 July 2012. 2. Religion, Nation(alism) and Transnationalism Symposium, The University of Western Sydney, 9 July 2014. 3. DORISEA - CETREN Summer School 2014, “Cityscapes and New Religiosities in Asia, The University of Göttingen, 10–17 August 2014. 4. 2014 Society for the Scientific Study of Religion (SSSR) Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, Indiana, 31 October-2 November 2014. 5. 2014 CILIS Islamic Studies Postgraduate Conference, The University of Melbourne, 11-12 November 2014. PhD Thesis | Western Sydney University | Firdaus Wajdi | Page v Statement of Authentication The work presented in this thesis is, to the best of my knowledge and belief, original except as acknowledged in the text. I hereby declare that I have not submitted this material, either in full or in part, for a degree at this or any other institution. .... Firdaus Wajdi 25 August, 2015 PhD Thesis | Western Sydney University | Firdaus Wajdi | Page vi Table of Contents Dedication ..................................................................................................................................... ii Acknowledgements .................................................................................................................... iii Presentations ................................................................................................................................ v Statement of Authentication ..................................................................................................... vi Table of Contents ....................................................................................................................... vii List of Figures ............................................................................................................................. xii Abstract ...................................................................................................................................... xiii Glossary and Abbreviations ..................................................................................................... xv CHAPTER I: INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................ 1 1.1 THESIS STATEMENT AND RESEARCH QUESTIONS ............................................... 1 1.1.1 Thesis Statement .................................................................................... 1 1.1.2 Research Questions ................................................................................ 6 1.2 THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK ........................................................................................ 7 1.2.1 Transnationalism and Transnational Religious Movements ................ 7 1.2.1.1 Foci of Transnationalism Studies ..................................................................... 8 1.2.1.2 History and Development of Transnational Religious Movements ............ 9 1.2.2 Opportunity Spaces ............................................................................. 14 1.2.2.1 The Development of Opportunity Spaces Theory ....................................... 15 1.2.2.2 Opportunity Spaces and the Historical Development of Three Turkish Muslim Social Movements ......................................................................................... 18 1.2.3 Glocalization ........................................................................................ 24 1.3 THE INDONESIAN CONTEXT: RECENT ISLAMIC REVIVAL AND TURKISH TRANSNATIONAL MOVEMENTS ...................................................................................... 27 1.3.1 Islamic Revivalism in Indonesia .......................................................... 27 1.3.2 Turkish Transnational Islamic Movements in Indonesia ................... 31 1.4 METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................... 35 1.5 THESIS STRUCTURE ........................................................................................................ 41 PhD Thesis | Western Sydney University | Firdaus Wajdi | Page vii CHAPTER II: ISLAM IN TURKEY AND THE RISE OF SÜLEYMANCIS ...46 2.1 INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................46 2.2 ISLAM IN MODERN TURKEY ................................................................................ 48 2.2.1 Islam Distanced from the State (1923–1950) ................................ 49 2.2.2 Integration into the State (1950s) .................................................. 50 2.2.3 Pluralization: 1980s ........................................................................ 51 2.2.4 Turkish Religious Movements of the Latter Twentieth Century ... 52 2.3 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SÜLEYMANCIS MOVEMENT IN TURKEY AND ABROAD ..................................................................................................................................... 53 2.3.1 The Süleymancı’s Founding Father ................................................ 53 2.3.2 Developments of Süleymancıs ....................................................... 56 2.3.2.1 Darul Arqam Period 1924–1950: Challenging Beginnings in a Loose Network .......................................................................................... 56 2.3.2.2 The Medina Period 1950–1959: The Beginning of Public Süleymancı Schools .................................................................................. 58 2.3.2.3 The Formation of the Süleymancı Organization and Movement Abroad (1959–2000s) ..............................................................................60 2.4 OVERSEAS BRANCHES OF THE SÜLEYMANCIS: GERMAN AND AUSTRALIAN EXAMPLES ................................................................................................... 68 2.4.1 The Süleymancı