Subnational Islamization through Secular Parties: Comparing Shari'a Politics in Two Indonesian Provinces

The Arab Spring has reinvigorated debate about the impact of Islamist groups on policymaking, particularly the adoption and implementation of Islamic law (shari'a), in democratizing, Muslim-majority countries. Most studies emphasize the causal primacy of Islamist parties in shari'a policymaking. Yet, determining policy agendas is almost never under the absolute control of one group. This is especially true for democratizing, Muslim-majority countries where decades of authoritarian rule have allowed secular elites to become deeply entrenched in state institutions. Field research in Indonesia shows that shari'a policymaking is politically mediated between secular elites and a broad range of Islamist forces situated both inside and outside the formal political arena.