Indonesia's Islamic Peace Diplomacy: Crafting a Role Model for Moderate Islam

Abstract

Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim-majority nation, is continuously increasing its Islamic diplomacy portfolio. A central element herein is the deployment of a moderate Islam discourse for global peace. In doing so, the country seeks to weaken Arab dominance within Islamic discourse and rebrand itself as a progressive role model for the Islamic world. The moderate Islam agenda for peace is characterised by the collaboration of state and non-state actors at the domestic and international level - despite their diverse understandings of what "moderate Islam" is. Indonesia's civil Islamic organisation Nahdlatul Ulama ("Revival of Islamic Scholars") has recently transitioned from mere debating about moderate Islam to kicking off a global movement for reforming Islamic jurisprudence by interpretations that benefit all humans, regardless of religious affiliation. This includes the legitimisation of the United Nations Charter. Indonesia's internationalised Islamic higher education system is evolving as a central site for diplomatic practices. Islamic academia aims to disseminate a moderate Islamic message and position Indonesia as a peaceful soft power. Indonesia has thus inserted itself into the global competition over Islamic knowledge production. It directly challenges herewith established centres of Islamic higher education, such as Egypt, Iran, and Saudi Arabia. The framing of Indonesia as a moderate, pluralist, and peaceful Muslim-majority country contrasts with the so-called conservative turn underway in Indonesian politics and society. This tension may weaken the progressive impulses of the moderate Islam discourse. Foreign policy stakeholders, international development agencies, and university staff should join Indonesia's peace initiative. Indonesian Islamic actors should be considered partners in working towards realising the United Nations' Agenda 2030 on sustainable development. In this context, the implementation of Sustainable Development Goal 16 ("peace") is particularly suited for collaboration.