THE NEW YORK TIMES: A conservative religious movement, spread through social media, has taken hold among Indonesian youth. The government wants to curb its influence.
A boy band belted out songs about loving the Prophet Muhammad. A young woman wearing a full-face veil was moved to tears by the faith of new converts. Later, the crowd applauded as a 15-year-old girl converted to Islam before their eyes. Many posted selfies on social media, delighting in their shared faith.
The scene was an annual festival in Padang, part of a new conservative Islamic movement in Indonesia known as Hijrah that is attracting millions of believers, many of them young and drawn by celebrity preachers on Instagram.
Islamic conservatism has been on the rise in Indonesia for years, even as the government has long tried to maintain a secular, religiously diverse society. The current iteration in the Hijrah movement is distinct in its use of social media to spread the word, and in its appeal to the young. And its popularity is generating concern among government and religious officials, who fear it could erode a more moderate brand of Islam. » | Sui-Lee Wee | Wednesday, April 12, 2023
