A NATION THAT IS RELIGIOUS INDONESIA, THE AHMADIYAH, AND THE STATE’S SARA ECHOES by Daniel C. Bottomley A dissertation submitted to the Faculty of the University of Delaware in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science and International Relations Spring 2014 © 2014 Daniel C. Bottomley All Rights Reserved UMI Number: 3631156 All rights reserved INFORMATION TO ALL USERS The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. In the unlikely event that the author did not send a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. UMI 3631156 Published by ProQuest LLC (2014). Copyright in the Dissertation held by the Author. Microform Edition © ProQuest LLC. All rights reserved. This work is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code ProQuest LLC. 789 East Eisenhower Parkway P.O. Box 1346 Ann Arbor, MI 48106 - 1346 A NATION THAT IS RELIGIOUS INDONESIA, THE AHMADIYAH, AND THE STATE’S SARA ECHOES by Daniel C. Bottomley Approved: __________________________________________________________ Gretchen Bauer, Ph.D. Chair of the Department of Political Science & International Relations Approved: __________________________________________________________ George Watson, Ph.D. Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences Approved: __________________________________________________________ James G. Richards, Ph.D. Vice Provost for Graduate and Professional Education I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: __________________________________________________________ Alice Ba, Ph.D. Professor in charge of dissertation I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: __________________________________________________________ Aaron Fichtelberg, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: __________________________________________________________ Muqtedar Khan, Ph.D. Member of dissertation committee I certify that I have read this dissertation and that in my opinion it meets the academic and professional standard required by the University as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Signed: __________________________________________________________ Patricia Sloane-White, DPhil. Member of dissertation committee ACKNOWLEDGMENTS A work of such (personal) magnitude as this cannot be undertaken without the support and guidance of friends and family. I would first like to thank my dissertation committee: Alice Ba, Aaron Fichtelberg, Patricia Sloane-White, and Muqtedar Khan for their thoughtful advice and patience throughout the research and writing process. I would especially like to thank Aaron, whose levity and constructive comments helped momentarily keep the dissertation stress monster at bay, and Patricia, whose insight really helped develop my voice and vantage point. A big thank you also goes to my chair, Alice Ba, who constantly reminded me to focus on the big picture and not go off chasing tangents (an arduous task to be sure). I would also like to thank the Institute for Global Studies and Nancy Guerra, who have shown tremendous support and encouragement throughout the writing process and kept me on course to (finally) finish what I had started. Tony Rivera has been a great sound board throughout, and I cherish the conversations we’ve had and continue to have. Fun fact: Tony is the friend mentioned in the opening paragraph, so without him mentioning Indonesia and the Ahmadiyah a lifetime ago I might not have written this dissertation. Others to thank include Dustin Parrett, Ryan McCabe, Rachel Garcia, and numerous Political Science Graduate Students who made the program feel like a big cooperative instead of a competition. Redhi Setiadi deserves so much credit for his help both in Delaware and Indonesia. From chatting with me in Indonesian over coffee at Brew Ha Ha to helping with translations to connecting me with Surabayan Ahmadis to helping me find a hotel iv and letting me use his motorbike, Redhi has been a crucial supporter of my research and writing. Terima kasih banyak Mas! Others to thank on the Indonesian side of the world include Bu Peni, Pak Gatut, and my Indonesian instructors at Universitas Negri Malang (Mas Kusen, Mbak Ardhana, Mbak Risca, and Mbak Wuri) who helped prepare me for the arduous task of interviewing in Indonesian. Kelas Lombok Yeaaaah! A special CLS thanks goes to Amanda Buonopane for the great discussions on Indonesian research, pointing me in the right direction for publishing, and of course for introducing us to our rescue dog Louie. I have to also send a thank you to my family for the love and support they have shown me throughout this process. They never asked me why it was taking so long to finish and always remained a positive influence. Earl Simon Semar’s attitude made me laugh during the most stressful of writing sessions, and he deserves his own thanks here. Special thanks also goes to my mom who taught me to keep going and not give up on my academic dreams. I may never be an engineer, but thank you mom for telling me that’s okay. Lastly, I thank my wife/editor/amazing mother to our newborn daughter Mae, Caitlin. I’m finding it difficult to accurately describe how important you have been to getting this thing done, but just know that I would never be where I am today without you and I love you dearly. This dissertation is dedicated to you and Mae, truly. v TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................... vii ABSTRACT ................................................................................................................ viii Chapter 1 AN INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 1 2 THEORY AND METHOD .............................................................................. 59 3 KTP NATIONALISM AND THE FIRST SARA ECHO .............................. 102 4 LOCALIZED NATIONALISM AND THE SECOND SARA ECHO .......... 132 5 YOUTUBE NATIONALISM AND THE THIRD SARA ECHO ................. 170 6 A CONCLUSION .......................................................................................... 207 REFERENCES ........................................................................................................... 240 Appendix A IRB APPROVAL NOTIFICATION .............................................................. 255 vi LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: The Ahmadi mosque’s exterior. The office where we held our conversations is on the other side of the first floor green doors with the prayer room on the second level. The framed photos of the Indonesian President and Vice-President and the national symbol of Indonesia all appear directly above the doors pictured. Photo courtesy of the author. .......................................................................................... 166 Figure 2: Photographs of the Ahmadiyah Caliphs from inside the Ahmadi offices. Note that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad’s picture hovers above the others. Photo courtesy of the author. ................................................................ 167 Figure 3: Photograph of Mirza Tahir Ahmad and H. Amin Rais. Photo courtesy of the author. ............................................................................................. 168 Figure 4: Framed portraits of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Vice- President Boediono, and the national symbol of Indonesia from inside the Ahmadi offices. Photo courtesy of the author. ............................... 169 vii ABSTRACT This study explores the Indonesian state’s role in the constitution, renegotiation, and regulation of Islamic and Indonesian identities through the Ahmadiyah controversy. The Ahmadis (a small sect whose beliefs regarding the Islamic Prophethood diverge from mainstream Islam) provide a lens through which state actions and non-elite reactions can be critically engaged and understood in Indonesia’s broader context and history. What it reveals is an Indonesian governing apparatus that continues to rely on SARA logics of discipline and control used under the authoritarian rule of Suharto despite Indonesia’s post-authoritarian transformations in government and governing. Through three cases of these SARA echoes of the past, snapshots of Indonesian nationalism emerge as the state’s evolving role in regulating Muslim identities in Indonesia and prosaic responses to the state can be better understood. Ultimately, the Ahmadi dilemma provides a partial glimpse into Indonesia’s ongoing national evolution and the means through which the nation is reproduced and disciplined. viii Chapter 1 AN INTRODUCTION The research you are about to read began with a simple phone conversation in 2008. While chatting with a close friend on politics and Indonesia, he mentioned a news report that had just came out about an Indonesian demonstration turning violent with several beatings caught on film and reported around