The dynamics of Salafism in Pekanbaru : from deprived muslims to a community of memory

Abstract

This thesis discusses the phenomenon of Islamic revivalism, represented by the Salafi movement in Pekanbaru, Indonesia. It focuses on how this movement tries to solve the problem of existential deprivation among non-religious Muslims by constructing a community of memory in which Salafis share values and beliefs, by referring to the interpretations of their pious predecessors or al-salaf al-sālih. This deprivation is a result of the spread of bid'a and of the perceived negative impacts of modernity. The term al-salaf al-sālih refers to the first three generation of Muslims, while Salafi (pl. Salafis) means the follower of al-salaf al-sālih, and Salafism refers to the interpretations of al-salaf al-sālih. This study addresses questions concerning how the Salafis develop and solve the problem of relative existential deprivation among non-religious Malay Muslims in Pekanbaru. In order to examine this phenomenon, I conducted ethnographic research in Pekanbaru from July 2015 to April 2016, in which I interviewed male Salafis and non-Salafis, and observed and became involved in the Salafi religious and social events. Findings in this study are four-fold. First, derived from relative deprivation theory, I conclude that the return of non-religious Muslims to Islam is as a result of various relative deprivations they have suffered, such as economic, social, and""most significantly""existential deprivation. The second finding is that the return of those deprived Muslims is closely related to cultural position of Islam as an "official" religion of Malay people. In many ways this continues to play a significant role as a key orientating value. The third conclusion is that Salafism is seen as being able to meet the religious and cognitive needs of those new reverts. The former is related to the perception that Salafism is pure, simple and more legitimate compared to other Islamic currents and organisations. The latter, cognitive need, concerns how new reverts search for a way to remove themselves from the prolonged disputes between some Islamic organisations. The fourth conclusion, derived from the theory of memory, is that the Salafi Group can be considered as a community of memory in which all Salafi members maintain a connection to the past (al-salaf al-sālih), guided by the Salafi preachers who serve as the main referents.

Date of Award	2019
Original language	English