Atheism in Indonesia State discourses of the past and social practices of the present

• Published in: South East Asia research Vol. 26; no. 2; pp. 161 - 175
• Main Author: Duile, Timo
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London, England SAGE Publications 01-06-2018
• Subjects: Atheism; state-driven discourses; Jakarta; Indonesia
• ISSN: 0967-828X; 2043-6874
• DOI: 10.1177/0967828X18770481

The phenomenon of atheism has often been neglected in academic research on Indonesia, a Muslim majority country in which every citizen is supposed to have a religious affiliation. In addressing that oversight, this article first outlines the state-driven discourses and practices in Indonesia concerning atheism before exploring the alterative discourses and social practices found within Indonesian atheist communities. Based on a long-term engagement with online atheist communities and four months of fieldwork in Jakarta, I suggest that hegemonic discourses and state practices on the one hand, and discourses and social practices within the atheist community on the other hand, sharply contradict each other. Whereas the state and large parts of society still consider atheism a threat since it is understood to connote communism, it is typically leftist atheists rather than their right-wing or liberal counterparts who not only acknowledge religion but are even eager to engage with progressive religious movements. The reasons for this, the article argues, lie in alternative narratives of Indonesia’s past and in the atheists’ engagement with global discourses. Finally, the article provides an example of a progressive religious community in which leftist atheists are involved, revealing a social practice that successfully ruptures state-driven discourses.