"Moderate Islam" as Public Diplomacy in Indonesian Foreign Policy During The First Period of President Joko Widodo

KURNIAWAN NETANYAHU, Dicky Sofjan, S. IP, MPP, M.A., Ph.D.

2021 | Tesis | MAGISTER AGAMA DAN LINTAS BUDAYA

Agama yang dahulu nya diasingkan dalam dinamika hubungan internasional karena dianggap sebagai varibel yang tidak dapat diukur sehingga memberikan kesulitan bagi para ilmuwan sosial. Namun, kini agama telah mengambil peranan yang sangat besar dalam hubungan internasional. Kemunculan agama dalam hubungan internasional disebabkan adanya gerakan pemberontakan yang dilakukan oleh kelompok fundamental agama. Mereka menentang aktor modernis yang telah kehilangan sebagian besar identitas mereka dan mengancam kesalehan anggotanya. Kejadian 9/11 menjadi salah satu contoh aksi pemberontakan berupa terorisme yang dilakukan kelompok fundamental agama dan tidak berselang lama Indonesia terkena dampak yaitu ketika mata dunia terarah ke Indonesia sebagai negara yang penduduk muslim terbanyak di dunia. Indonesia juga menjadi korban atas aksi terorisme tersebut yaitu adanya serangan bom bunuh diri yang terjadi di Bali pada tahun 2002 dan 2005 yang merengut puluhan korban termasuk WNA didalamnya. Citra Islam di Indonesia terancam oleh serangan bom bunuh diri oleh beberapa kelompok teroris yang memiliki koneksi dengan kelompok teroris internasional seperti ISIS. Alhasil Indonesia berusaha untuk memperbaiki citra Islam-Nya dengan membawa isu Islam Moderat pada urusan luar negeri Indonesia. Beragam keberhasilan yang diperoleh Indonesia dengan membawa isu Islam Moderat melalui praktik diplomasi publik dan diantara nya untuk memenuhi kepentingan nasional Indonesia yang mana itu menjadi motif Indonesia membawa isu Islam Moderat. Banyak aktor yang berperan dalam mempromosikan Islam Moderat sebagai citra Islam di Indonesia melalui praktik diplomasi publik seperti dari Kementerian Luar Negeri, Kementerian Agama, Nadhatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, kalangan akademisi, awak media dan praktisi-praktisi lainnya. Namun, Indonesia memiliki beragam tantangan dalam mempromosikan Islam Moderat di hadapan publik internasional salah satunya adalah adanya undang-undang yang memicu pelanggaran kebebasan beragama dan berkeyakinan.

Religion was previously isolated in the dynamics of international relations because it was considered an immeasurable variable, giving social scientists difficulties. However, nowadays religion has played a very large role in international. The emergence of religion in international relations is due to the existence of rebellious movements carried out by religious fundamental groups. They oppose modernist actors who have lost much of their identity and threaten the piety of their members. They oppose modernist actors who have lost much of their identity and threaten the piety of their members. The 9/11 incident became an example of an act of rebellion in the form of terrorism committed by religious fundamental groups and not long after that Indonesia was affected, namely when the world's eyes were focused on Indonesia as the country with the largest Muslim population in the world. Indonesia is also a victim of these acts of terrorism, namely the suicide bomb attacks that took place in Bali in 2002 and 2005 which claimed dozens of victims, including foreigners in it. The image of Islam in Indonesia is threatened by suicide bomb attacks by several terrorist groups with connections to international terrorist groups such as ISIS. As a result, Indonesia is trying to improve its Islamic image by bringing the issue of moderate Islam to Indonesia's foreign affairs. Various successes have been obtained by Indonesia by bringing the issue of moderate Islam through the practice of public diplomacy and among them to fulfill Indonesia's national interests, Indonesia's motive for bringing the issue of moderate Islam. Many actors play a role in promoting moderate Islam as the image of Islam in Indonesia through the practice of public diplomacies, such as from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Religion, Nadhatul Ulama, Muhammadiyah, academics, media crews, and other practitioners. However, Indonesia has various challenges in promoting moderate Islam in the international public, one of which, exists laws that trigger violations of freedom of religion and belief.

Kata Kunci : Religion, International Relations, Moderate Islam, Foreign Policy, Public Diplomacy