Book Review: Gender,Islam,and sexuality in contemporary Indonesia

Discussions on Islam, gender, and sexuality in Indonesia continue to evolve in line with diverse and complex cultural and social interpretations. However, this diversity has been increasingly threatened since the beginning of Indonesia’s Reform era in 1998, following the fall of President Soeharto (Day 2007). During this period, policymakers began to enforce sexual morality through legislative measures, including the revised Criminal Code (Revisi Kitab Undang-undang Hukum Pidana, RKUHP) in December 2022 and the Sexual Violence Bill (Undang-undang Tindak Pidana Kekerasan Seksual, UU TPKS) in April 2022. These policies not only restrict individual freedom but also leave women vulnerable to discrimination. The dominance of patriarchal culture in Indonesia further limits women’s access to education, the economy, and health, and creates an environment that is less supportive of sexual diversity, thus causing the LGBTQ+ community to often face significant opposition. The book Gender, Islam, and Sexuality in Contemporary Indonesia explores these dynamics by examining the relationship between religious norms and modernity within the context of Islamic law and culture.

This book addresses conflicts, challenges, and social change in Indonesia in the face of globalization and technological development, with case studies highlighting the negotiation of gender and sexuality in Islamic societies. The book is divided into three main themes: sexuality and violence, halal lifestyles, and concepts of shame and identity. Each chapter offers a different perspective on sexual violence, LGBTQ+ rights, and phenomena such as Muslim fashion trends and the commodification of the body. Authored by an equal number of scholars from Indonesia and abroad, the work adopts a multidisciplinary approach to explore topics including advocacy for the Elimination of Sexual Violence Bill, LGBTQ positions in Muhammadiyah, Muslim fashion in New York, the AyoPoligami app, halal cosmetics, and representations of women in literature.

The first part of the book examines the issue of sexual violence and the factors that influence it in Indonesia. Beginning with Monika Arnez and Eva Nisa’s article, it analyzes how the criminalization of women, LGBTQ+ people, and children is shaped by cultural and institutional factors, with power dynamics at the core of the process. In the context of sexual violence in religious schools, spatially and ideologically closed systems exacerbate victims’ vulnerability by limiting their access to the outside world. Anwar Kholid’s chapter reviews the attitudes of major Muslim organizations, such as Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), towards the LGBTQ+ community (21–44). It highlights the ambivalence between nurturing and criminalization, as seen in these organizations, where LGBTQ+ people are regarded as deviant and in need of rehabilitation—creating a perceived moral obligation for grassroots members to act on their behalf.

The second part examines the halal lifestyle in Indonesia and the United States, focusing on modest fashion, halal cosmetics, and halal online dating. First, it explores the rise of Indonesian Muslim modest fashion and its connection to New York’s catwalk, where fashion is used as both a political statement and a marketing strategy amid anti-Muslim sentiment in the West. Second, it analyzes the role of halal certification in Indonesia’s cosmetics industry, particularly how advertising for halal cosmetics constructs new Islamic identities and beauty standards, and how Islamic preachers address these issues on YouTube. Third, it investigates the AyoPoligami online dating app and its role in promoting polygamy as part of an increasingly popular halal lifestyle in Indonesia. By comparing AyoPoligami with other apps such as Salam, the study demonstrates how the halal label is used to legitimize polygamy and make it more socially acceptable. Collectively, these three aspects of the halal lifestyle reveal the interplay between modesty and commodification in the global halal industry, showing how industry actors shape new narratives of modern Muslim identity. The analysis illustrates how Islam is marketed as a contemporary lifestyle that is both religious and aligned with global capitalism, thereby contributing to broader discussions on the intersection of Islam, the halal economy, and consumer culture in a global context.

The third part explores the relationship between shame, gender norms, and self-determination in the context of popular culture and the migration of Indonesian women. The representation of widows in music, drama, and popular literature in Indonesia reveals contradictions between the symbolism of state feminism and the evolving image of women in lower-class culture. Dominated by patriarchal perspectives, popular culture often portrays widows as both attractive and marginalized figures, reinforcing social stigma that restricts women’s autonomy. Moreover, the study highlights how shame functions as a social instrument to control Indonesian migrant women, both in their home country and destination countries. Indonesian migrant worker literature, particularly through short fiction anthologies written by domestic workers in Hong Kong, Singapore, and Taiwan, represents their experiences facing stigma and constructing alternative narratives about their identities and mobility. Analysis of these works shows that despite the various forms of vulnerability migrant workers face, they also negotiate spaces of agency within limiting gender discourse.

Additionally, the third part discusses how contemporary expressions of popular culture reflect the transformation of social norms through reinterpreted gender symbols. For example, Eni Martini’s (2007) novel Kembang Kertas portrays the inner struggles of an urban woman seeking her identity in a cosmopolitan life, ultimately choosing lesbian identity as an assertion of authenticity and resistance to social stigma. In the local context, the tabloid Sunda Galura contributes to discourses on marriage and family with narratives that reinforce social expectations of women, particularly regarding polygamy and adultery. This chapter also examines how women’s activism, such as that carried out by the Indonesian Women Ulama Congress (KUPI), confronts the rise of conservatism with complex digital and legal strategies. The struggle between gender, sexuality, and Islam in public and private spaces reflects the ever-changing dynamics of the global-local nexus, indicating that despite limitations, women continue to strive to expand their spaces of expression. Thus, the study affirms that although shame and social stigma remain obstacles for Indonesian women, there are collective and individual efforts to challenge these limitations through cultural representation and social activism.

The book Gender, Islam, and Sexuality in Contemporary Indonesia offers a valuable contribution to scholarship on gender, Islam, and sexuality in Indonesia. However, it also presents certain limitations that warrant critical attention. One notable shortcoming is the lack of regional representation and contextual diversity, as the analysis primarily centers on the experiences of urban, middle-class communities, with rural contexts receiving comparatively less attention. Furthermore, the theoretical framework leans heavily toward cultural and legal studies, while perspectives from other relevant disciplines, such as economics or psychology, are not examined in depth. The discussion also gives limited space to the views of conservative groups, who play a pivotal role in regulating morality, thereby potentially reducing the analytical balance of the work. Another limitation lies in the minimal consideration of concrete strategies or policy recommendations for advancing gender equality and addressing sexuality-related challenges in Indonesia. Moreover, although the book acknowledges the impact of globalization, its comparative engagement with other Muslim-majority countries confronting similar issues remains limited.

Nevertheless, the book provides valuable insights and can serve as a foundation for further research and discussion in this field. It contributes to academic debates by linking gender and Islamic studies with aspects of law, the economy, and popular culture. This is illustrated through its discussion of the Draft Bill on the Elimination of Sexual Violence, halal cosmetics, and Muslim fashion in New York. Such an approach distinguishes it from studies that focus primarily on the theological or political dimensions of Islam without considering the influence of globalization and technology on social transformation. Furthermore, the book enriches scholarship on gender and sexuality in Indonesia by drawing attention to marginalized groups, including the LGBTQ+ community and women in the diaspora. Through this more inclusive perspective, the book holds relevance not only for scholars in Islamic and gender studies but also for activists, policymakers, and other stakeholders concerned with social justice and human rights in Indonesia.