Islam and political secularism: their convergence in an independence struggle

Damien Kingsbury

Working Papers - Programa Asia & Pacífico from Argentine Center of International Studies

Abstract: The Free Acheh Movement (Gerakan Acheh Merdeka, or GAM) has often been characterized as an Islamic organization. Despite clear Islamic influences, GAM is a nationalist organization the political goals of which are explicitly based on territory rather than religion. Further, explicit in the political agenda of GAM is the ending of the imposition of Islamic law in Aceh. According to the Prime Minister of the State of Acheh, Malik Mahmud: ‘GAM opposed the imposition of Syariah Laws in Acheh by Jakarta because GAM's struggle is motivated by and based on independence and not on religious issues. Jakarta is merely using syariah laws as a propaganda ploy to deviate public opinion from the real issue of the conflict.

Keywords: Gerakan Acheh Merdeka; Islamic organization; Indonesia (search for similar items in EconPapers)
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