Law and Politics of Blasphemy in Indonesia: The Sacred, the State and the Ballot Box

This book examines the persistence of blasphemy provisions, their increasing use in post-authoritarian Indonesia and the extent to which religion has been instrumentalised for political ends justified by law.

Based on empirical research that connects evidence to theoretical discussions, this book traces the evolution and dynamics of capitalism in relation to the nature of legal order and the operation of laws, particularly those related to religion. Using an interdisciplinary approach, the author offers a rich analysis of the competing discourses on blasphemy in Indonesia. The work bridges the literatures of law and other social sciences. Providing an updated analysis of Indonesian blasphemy laws, this book also aims to shed light on the dynamics of legal order that affects how and why such laws exist. Rather than merely documenting regulations on and cases of blasphemy, the study aims to further understand the operation of law as a reflection of power relations.

Offering original contribution to scholarship on blasphemy, the politicisation of religion and illiberalism in democracies, this book will be of interest to academics in the field of Asian politics, law and Southeast Asia studies.

Rafiqa Qurrata A’yun is an Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Indonesia, and an associate at Centre for Indonesian Law, Islam and Society (CILIS), Melbourne Law School, University of Melbourne.