The Decline of Liberal Islam in Indonesia

The intellectual network has been fragmented for much of the past decade, mirroring the broader state of liberal and progressive Islamic currents in Indonesia. The traditional leadership, embodied by institutions such as Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah, contends with elite co‑option as they vie for state resources while confronting ideological challenges from younger activists aligned with progressive, left‑leaning and environmentalist groups like Islam Bergerak and Muhammadiyah’s Green Cadres.

This ideological divide hampers former JIL figures — and Indonesia’s wider progressive Islamic movement — from advancing the interests of the ummah and from effectively countering the rise of Islamic conservatism.

Experts point to JIL’s decline as stemming from its “boundary‑testing” tactics, its elitist posture, and Indonesia’s wider “conservative turn.” Although all JIL thinkers profess support for religious civil liberties, they diverge sharply on other fronts: some champion libertarian and free‑market principles, while others embrace democratic socialism, earning them a “liberal‑left” label.

Although JIL no longer projects a unified “liberal” identity, its individual members continue to influence Islamic discourse through activism and platforms. Former JIL affiliates host the liberal YouTube channel Cokro TV and occupy leadership or membership roles in groups such as NU and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI‑P). Their visibility has done little to restore institutional coherence, and, if anything, these differing perspectives have accelerated JIL’s slide into irrelevance within Indonesia’s liberal movement.

Differing stance

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