The ''Abangan'' are
Javanese people who are
Muslims and practice a much more
syncretic
Syncretism () is the practice of combining different beliefs and various schools of thought. Syncretism involves the merging or assimilation of several originally discrete traditions, especially in the theology and mythology of religion, thu ...
version of
Islam than the more orthodox
santri
In Indonesia, ''santri'' is a term for someone who follows Islamic religious education in ''pesantren'' (Islamic boarding schools). Santri usually stay in the place until their education is complete. After completing their study period, some of ...
. The term, apparently derived from the
Javanese language
Javanese (, , ; , Aksara Jawa: , Pegon: , IPA: ) is a Malayo-Polynesian language spoken by the Javanese people from the central and eastern parts of the island of Java, Indonesia. There are also pockets of Javanese speakers on the nort ...
word for red, ''abang'', was first developed by
Clifford Geertz, but the meaning has since shifted. ''Abangan'' are more inclined to follow a local system of beliefs called
adat and
Kebatinan than pure
Sharia (
Islamic law
Sharia (; ar, شريعة, sharīʿa ) is a body of religious law that forms a part of the Islamic tradition. It is derived from the religious precepts of Islam and is based on the sacred scriptures of Islam, particularly the Quran and the ...
). Their belief system integrates
Hinduism
Hinduism () is an Indian religion or '' dharma'', a religious and universal order or way of life by which followers abide. As a religion, it is the world's third-largest, with over 1.2–1.35 billion followers, or 15–16% of the global p ...
,
Buddhism
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religions, Indian religion or Indian philosophy#Buddhist philosophy, philosophical tradition based on Pre-sectarian Buddhism, teachings attributed to the Buddha. ...
and
animism
Animism (from Latin: ' meaning ' breath, spirit, life') is the belief that objects, places, and creatures all possess a distinct spiritual essence. Potentially, animism perceives all things— animals, plants, rocks, rivers, weather syst ...
. However, some scholars hold that what has classically been viewed as Indonesian variance from Islam is often a part of that faith in other countries. For example,
Martin van Bruinessen
Martin van Bruinessen (born 10 July 1946, Schoonhoven, Kingdom of the Netherlands) is a Dutch anthropologist and author, who has published a number of publications on the Kurdish, Indonesia, Turkish, Persian cultures, and also on aspects of Isl ...
notes similarity between ''adat'' and historical practice among Muslims in
Egypt
Egypt ( ar, مصر , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a transcontinental country spanning the northeast corner of Africa and southwest corner of Asia via a land bridge formed by the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Medit ...
as described by Edward Lane.
Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66
Many Abangans were supporters of the
Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI),
and their interests were thus supported by the PKI. They subsequently made up most of the people who were slaughtered in the anti-Communist
Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66
The Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66, also known as the Indonesian genocide, Indonesian Communist Purge, or Indonesian politicide ( id, Pembunuhan Massal Indonesia & Pembersihan G.30.S/PKI), were large-scale killings and civil unrest pr ...
. Abangans were targeted for attacks by Ansor, the youth wing of
Nahdlatul Ulama
Nahdlatul Ulama (, , NU) is an Islamic organization in Indonesia. Its membership estimates range from 40 million (2013) to over 95 million (2021), making it the largest Islamic organization in the world. NU also is a charitable body funding sch ...
and the Santri with help from the Indonesian Army.
Ricklefs 2008
p. 327. To avoid being classified as atheist and communists, Abangan Muslims were forced by the Indonesian government to convert to Hinduism and Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
in the aftermath of the slaughter.
References
Further reading
* Embree, Ainslie T. ed. ''Encyclopedia of Asian history'' (4 vol. 1988) 1:1.
*
External links
Global and local in Indonesian IslamAbangan - World History Study Guide
Islam in Indonesia
Java
{{Islam-stub