Islamic Fundamentalism Karen Armstrong's Perspective and Its Implications for the Identification of Fundamentalism Groups in Indonesia

Abstract

One of the developments at the end of the twentieth century was the emergence in every religious tradition a militant piety popularly called "fundamentalism". This term is also used to indicate a new movement in the rise of Islam. According to Karen Armstrong Islamic fundamentalism is textual and anti-modernism, Islamic fundamentalism, although with a conservative spirit, they have composed creative and innovative ideologies to make changes. Islamic fundamentalism is realized in the context of the application of Islamic sharia which is considered as an alternative solution to the resolution of the nation's problems. The offered solution to these problems is to carry out Islamic sharia in full with the literalist approach to the Qur'an. The implication of Karen Armstrong's thought in the fundamentalist movement in Indonesia is that the FPI and MMI movements are grouped in the Islamic fundamentalist movement because both movements are in accordance with the characteristics of the fundamentalism movement. FPI and MMI have a textual understanding of the Qur'an and Hadith. FPI and MMI took the Qur'anic texts and hadith literally to justify their actions. FPI and MMI have anti-modernist attitude in carrying out Islamic law which they understand. The power of FPI and MMI in Indonesia are politically in disadvantaged position.Keywords: Islamic Fundamentalism, Karen Armstrong, Fundamentalism GroupAbstrakSalah satu perkembangan pada akhir abad kedua puluh adalah munculnya di setiap tradisi agama sebuah kesalehan militan yang secara populer disebut “fundamentalisme”. Istilah ini juga dipakai untuk menunjukkan sebuah gerakan baru dalam kebangkitan Islam. Menurut Karen Armstrong fundamentalisme Islam adalah tekstual dan anti modernisme. Fundamentalisme Islam walaupun dengan semangat konservatif, telah merangkai ideologi yang kreatif dan inovatif untuk melakukan perubahan. Implikasi pemikiran Karen Armstrong dalam gerakan fundamentalisme di Indonesia adalah bahwa gerakan FPI dan MMI dikelompokkan dalam gerakan fundamentalisme Islam karena sesuai dengan karakteristik gerakan fundamentalisme. FPI dan MMI memiliki pemahaman secara tekstual dalam memahami Al-Qur’an dan Hadis. FPI dan MMI mengambil teks-teks Al-Qur’an dan hadis secara literalis untuk membenarkan aksi yang mereka lakukan. FPI dan MMI memiliki sikap anti modernisme dalam menjalankan syariat Islam yang mereka pahami. Kekuasaan FPI dan MMI secara politik di Indonesia tidak diuntungkan.