Discursive Construction of Religious Minority: Minoritization of Ahmadiyya in Indonesia
Deutsches Asienforschungszentrum Asian Series Commentaries, Vol. 19, 2014
16 Pages Posted: 27 Jul 2014
Date Written: July 5, 2014
Abstract
For many years, Indonesia has been widely regarded as a model wellspring of moderate and peaceful Islam. However, these democratic pluralism images appear inconsistent with the many religious-inspired violent conflicts that have taken place continuously in Indonesia up until the present day (2014). Taking the perspective of historicity, the minoritization of certain religious communities in Indonesia is not a historical condition, but is rather constructed through specific historical processes, involving several actors that have an interest in power and representation. The Ahmadiyya case has remained a polemic until now and is an example to illustrate how the majority discourses are produced to create the identity of a minority group as “the other.”
This paper will address the question within the historical perspective of why and how Ahmadiyya became an antagonized minority. To answer this question, the discourses from several parties that address the Ahmadiyya issue will be identified, as well as how these discourses identify Ahmadis as the “antagonist minority.” Furthermore, discursive construction will be linked with the shifting landscape of the Indonesian political and cultural context to explain why there has been growing agitation against the Ahmadiyya, particularly since the reformation era, while previously the Ahmadiyya coexisted peacefully with other Islamic organizations in Indonesia.
Keywords: Minorities, Discursive Construction, Ahmadiyya, Indonesia, Religious Conflict
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