Typology of Cultural – Political Challenges of Indonesian Muslims and How to Overcome Them

Comparing to other nations, the cultural and political typology of Malawian Muslims of Indonesia has especial diversity. After their independence in 1945, this country had Pluralist cultural and political activities. As a result, they faced numerous challenges regarding Islamic cultural and political approaches. Many researches have been conducted on diversity of ideas in Indonesia, especially on the influence of Wahhabism and other schools of thought among Muslim groups. However, no research has been done on the threats of cultural and political pluralism and no pattern has been introduced in overcoming such challenges. Therefore, the raised questions are: What are the influential cultural – political challenges among Indonesians? What is the most suitable pattern in resolving such Issues? Challenges between Traditionalist and Wahhabis, Neo-liberalists and Quranic-culture, modernists and Islamists, fundamentalists and seculars as well as reformists and traditionalists are regarded as most influential cultural and political issues in Indonesia.
The main purpose of the present paper is to present a typology of cultural and political challenges of Indonesian Muslims and also to introduce a pattern in resolving them. By means of a historical research methodology, the political and cultural challenges of Indonesian Muslims after their independence will be assessed. In addition, by using a descriptive – analytical approach the realities and status quo of that time will be discovered. According to the findings of the paper, although there are challenges among Muslim groups in Indonesia, they have common concepts such as pursuing freedom, independence, unity and opposing tyranny which are crucially important and can be used in forming cultural diplomatic relations between Islamic groups in Indonesia.