Beyond Radicalism: Islamist Attitudes and Democratic Support in Indonesia

Democracy in Indonesia exhibits distinctive characteristics, particularly regarding the prevailing influence of Islamism. Islamist movements are frequently portrayed as threats to democracy, often linked with radicalism and intolerance. However, Islamism in Indonesia is not monolithic entity with identical tendencies to political issues in democracy. While some Islamist groups may exhibit anti-democratic tendencies, others are strongly advocate for democracy, human rights, and oppose intolerance. This study examines how individual Islamist attitudes shape support for democracy among Indonesian Muslims. Using original national survey data and multivariate regression analyses, it develops a disaggregated index of political Islam to measure ideological orientations across four categories, Islamists, moderate Islamists, moderate secularists, and secularists. The findings challenge prevailing assumptions by showing that individuals with Islamist orientations, particularly moderate Islamists, demonstrate higher levels of democratic support than some secular respondents, specifically regarding democratic commitment and opposition to intolerant Islamic organizations. These attitudes are grounded in the historical state-Islam relations, rather than liberal-secular ideology. The study also finds lower democratic support among certain secular respondents, suggesting that partisanship and elite alignments may shape democratic attitudes more than ideology alone. This research contributes to the broader literature by shifting focus from elites and organized movements to public opinion, offering a nuanced understanding of how Islam and democracy interact in Indonesia.