UNSUR-UNSUR SEKULAR DALAM PARTI POLITIK ISLAM DI INDONESIA: KAJIAN TERHADAP PARTAI AMANAT NASIONAL (PAN)

Abstract

Political secularism is an interesting ideology that deserves thorough academic attention. Set within the context of Indonesian politics where the Muslim community constitutes the majority of the population, this article seeks to critically analyze the secular elements of an Indonesian Islamic political party, namely the Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN). The party is renown, not only because it was established as a result of the processes of Reformasi, but also of its historical and cultural ties with the Muhammadiyah; the second largest Muslim organization in Indonesia. Employing both a political sociology approach and the theory of secularization advanced by Donald Eugene Smith, this qualitative research has identified the secular elements of the PAN. The party’s prevailing alignment towards nationalism, at the expense of the fading away of Islam as both political identity and legitimacy of the party, serves to strengthen its secular elements.