Managing religious diversity and radicalisation in Malaysia and Indonesia

Malaysia and Indonesia are Muslim-majority countries with a significant presence of other religions such as Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Taoism. Both countries face major challenges in managing religious diversity and countering religiously inspired radicalisation. This policy brief provides insights into the successes and trade-offs of both countries in their efforts to address these challenges. While Islamist militancy has been more pronounced in Indonesia, top-down, state-driven Islamisation is increasing in Malaysia, infringing on the civil liberties of both Muslims and non-Muslims alike. Meanwhile, each state is now coping with a vocal strain of majoritarianism that seeks to exploit Islam’s status as the official or majority religion in order to impose an anti-pluralist and ultraconservative version of it. In doing so, right-wing Muslim majoritarianism is undermining efforts to successfully manage religious diversity in both countries. Comparing experiences with radicalisation, the case of Indonesia suggests that its greater degree of intra-Muslim diversity and more vibrant Muslim civil society has enabled the cultivation of different interpretations of moderate Islam to counter radical ones. The recommendations offered in this policy brief are addressed primarily to Indonesian and Malaysian stakeholders who have to make difficult choices to counter the threat of right-wing religious majoritarianism.