Eva F Nisa | The Australian National University (original) (raw)

Papers by Eva F Nisa

Journal of Law and Religion, 2018

The phenomenon of “secret” (siri) Muslim marriages—marriages that are conducted without state r... more The phenomenon of “secret” (siri) Muslim marriages—marriages that are conducted without state recognition—has become a hotly debated topic in Indonesia, particularly since the emergence of Muslim marriage agencies that organize unregistered online marriages. The issue is particularly contested between the state, women's activists, legal activists, and religious leaders. This article analyses the current efforts of the Indonesian state to bureaucratize Muslim marriages by insisting that unregistered marriages need to be registered with the state, and the societal responses to such regulations. Those who believe in the importance of state registration of Muslim marriage emphasize that it is an integral part of social reform. However, it has also been seen as creating problems when it only serves the interests of the majority and stands in the way of minority religious understandings, particularly by some conservative Muslims who believe that marriages within the Muslim community should be regulated by Muslim leaders (ʿulamāʾ) only, and not the state. This article argues that unregistered marriage has been the real test of the bureaucratization of religion in Indonesia. The government's effort to demonstrate its Islamic credentials by accommodating the people's majority religion has led it to assume an ambiguous position on the issue of unregistered marriages.

Journal of al-Tamaddun, 2018

In various Muslim majority countries, Muslim youth have developed a greater public presence, part... more In various Muslim majority countries, Muslim youth have developed a greater public presence, particularly on the daʿwa (proselytisation) scene. Malaysia is not immune from such a trend. The Malaysian public sphere has been surrounded by diverse voices and layers of Islamic understandings in which Malay Muslim youth have been the backbone. Drawing on ethnographic research conducted between 2015 to 2017, this article examines the expressions of Islam by urban Malay Muslims, in particular the role of Muslim youth in colouring the dynamics of the urban daʿwa stage in Malaysia. It analyses how youth in Malaysia try to make sense of their identities, being young Muslims in the contemporary globalised world. This article argues that Malaysian Muslim youth are active and vital agents in the development and distribution of Islamic understandings known by their suffixes, ranging from moderate Islam-including the stream of Sufi orders-conservative Islam to liberal Islam. The zeal of Muslim youth has been captured by elites in diverse Muslim groups, including people in daʿwa based business, which has led to the incorporation of youthful "tastes" and youth culture within their agenda in order to cater to and channel the minds and hearts of the "coolest generation" to become a part of their daʿwa movements.

Sociology of Islam, 2018

Indonesia is known in Malaysia as the main supplier of migrant workers. Under the Immigration Act... more Indonesia is known in Malaysia as the main supplier of migrant workers. Under the Immigration Act and based on their working contracts, Indonesian migrant workers cannot marry in Malaysia during their contract period. Hence, unregistered marriages are common among Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. This article investigates both the perspectives of migrant workers who have entered into non-state-registered marriages and the strategies of Indonesian diplomatic representatives in dealing with unregistered marriages of Indonesian migrant workers. Observing a growing trend of both unregistered marriages and of the recognition of such marriages by state agents, this article emphasizes the importance of taking into account the social, political, and religious context to understand how the law operates and how these workers navigate the constraints they are facing.

Insight No. 198, 2019

In the discussion of Muslim philanthropy, women are often portrayed chiefly as the beneficiaries,... more In the discussion of Muslim philanthropy, women are often portrayed chiefly as the beneficiaries, not as the principal agents, of philanthropic activities. Yet, throughout much of Islamic history, a number of Muslim women had contributed to diverse philanthropic sectors. This article focuses on one of Indonesia's most important Indonesian female philanthropists, who has been prominent in the flow of charitable assistance-in this case, not from the Middle East to Southeast Asia but in the opposite direction. It demonstrates the vital role of women not only as benefactors and volunteers but also as the leaders and initiators of diverse transnational philanthropic activities.

Handbook of Contemporary Islam and Muslim Lives, 2019

Migration, Mobility & Displacement, 2019

Asian Studies Review, 2019

The Indonesian democratic transition, which occurred after the collapse of the New Order, was a s... more The Indonesian democratic transition, which occurred after the collapse of the New Order, was a significant moment that enabled diverse Islamic groups to use media for their own interests. However, little has been discussed regarding the use of media in dakwah (Islamic proselytising) performed by Muslim activists who are not inclined to participate in radical activities. This article focuses on the use of social media in dakwah by One Day One Juz (ODOJ), which endeavours to encourage Muslims to revive the spirit of reading the Qur'an through the mobile application WhatsApp. Given that ODOJ has successfully recruited more than 140,000 followers in Indonesia and abroad, this article investigates the key actors of ODOJ and the extent to which it has mobilised religious sentiments among Muslims from diverse affiliations. It argues that WhatsApp has enabled the birth of a semi-virtual Qur'anic movement, which is rooted in the Tarbiyah movement. Unlike well established Islamic movements in Indonesia that harness global computer networks to strengthen their influence, ODOJ has been dependant on technology since its inception. It demonstrates the capacity of technology in generating and crafting this new semi-virtual socio-religious movement. ODOJ has painted new colour onto the contemporary Islamic public and its presence is imperative to understanding the transformation of the religious media-scape in Indonesia.

Social media have become part of the private and public lifestyles of youth globally. Drawing on ... more Social media have become part of the private and public lifestyles of youth globally. Drawing on both online and offline research in Indonesia, this article focuses on the use of Instagram by Indonesian Muslim youth. It analyzes how religious messages up-loaded on Instagram through posts and captions have a significant effect on the way in which Indonesian Muslim youth understand their religion and accentuate their (pious) identities and life goals. This article argues that Instagram has recently become the ultimate platform for Indonesian female Muslim youth to educate each other in becoming virtuous Muslims. The creativity and zeal of the creators of Instagram daʿwa (proselytization), and their firm belief that 'a picture is worth a thousand words' , has positioned them as social media influencers, which in turn has enabled them to conduct both soft daʿwa and lucrative daʿwa through business. Keywords daʿwa – instagram – Islam – veiling and fashion – youth piety – Indonesia

Based on ethnographic fieldwork and literary analysis, this article analyses the Forum Lingkar Pe... more Based on ethnographic fieldwork and literary analysis, this article analyses the Forum Lingkar Pena (FLP), the largest transnational writers’ collective for Muslim readers, writers, and publishers in Indonesia. In the light of the different FLP ‘subcultures’ embedded within the local framework of the respective branches, we examine moral solidarity as a unifying element of the forum’s divisions. We presume that the FLP is characterized by moral solidarity, which is to be understood here to mean responding to the moral needs of other people by means of sympathetic understanding. This essay depicts the ways in which moral solidarity functions in the FLP, and how it opens up new perspectives for people who have a less privileged position in society. Moreover, it demonstrates that to better understand this writers’ collective and the wider FLP family, the concept of moral solidarity needs to be complemented by a consideration of individual moral agency.

This article addresses the novel phenomenon of the attachment of women from privileged background... more This article addresses the novel phenomenon of the attachment of women from privileged backgrounds to the Tablighi Jamā'at movement in Indonesia. How to understand the involvement of these urban wealthy women who eventually give up their high-class lifestyles for the sake of their new understanding of Islam? The common stereotype of Tablighi Jamā'at women is that they are oppressed, cannot exercise agency, and do not contribute to the development of the movement. However, based on an ethnographic study of middle and upper-class Tablighi Jamā'at women, I found that their passion to return to the true path of Islam and the commitments it embodies have made them aware of their capacity to exercise agency within the movement's structuring conditions. The women's privileged social background has enabled them to embrace the meaning of being active in a religious group. The most notable contribution of these women is their effort in undertaking recruitment and sustaining this religious network of shared meaning with their colleagues. Within these activities they are social agents, not just tools of the movement's men.

Young female preachers have become important agents for the proliferation of majelis ta'lim (meet... more Young female preachers have become important agents for the proliferation of majelis ta'lim (meeting places for learning Islam) in Jakarta. This article focuses on two talented female preachers belonging to the family of the Prophet, Sharifah Halimah Alaydrus and Sharifah Khadijah Al-Junayd. They are not only active in arranging majelis ta'lim but also in strengthening the position of other female preachers belonging to the family of the Prophet. I analyse their role in the development of da'wa and their position amidst the increasing number of mostly male 'pop' preachers in Indonesia. Their talent and their achievement in becoming students of Habib Umar bin Hafiz have made them authoritative voices both locally and transnationally. The case of Sharifah Halimah and Sharifah Khadijah demonstrates not only the new visibility of such women in Indonesian public Islam, but also illuminates the significant role played by female Indonesian preachers in the global Muslim world.

In our contemporary world, cultural orientation and the dynamics of alignments and dealignments a... more In our contemporary world, cultural orientation and the dynamics of alignments and
dealignments arise from the intersubjective level of transcultural encounters and social imaginaries. Yet this does not automatically lead to fluidity and cosmopolitanism. The current paper focuses on the cultural and religious orientations of Azharites (graduates of al-Azhar University in Egypt). The central question revolves around the identifications Azharites promote and how they are connected with Indonesian students’ social lives in Cairo. The paper argues that moderate Islam is in the minds and hearts of most Indonesian Azharites, a fact that corresponds to the concept of ‘Islam Nusantara’ as recently promoted by the Indonesian government. Yet, the meaning of moderacy needs to be reflected upon, as it refers to a middle way that excludes not only Islamism/radicalism but also secularism/liberalism/the political left. The authors suggest that Indonesian students in Cairo, following this middle way and mainly socializing with like-minded Indonesian friends, are not sufficiently prepared to engage in critical dialogues with Others.

This article analyses the life experiences of face-veiled university students and their involveme... more This article analyses the life experiences of face-veiled university students and their involvement in the Salafi Islamic revivalist movement in Indonesia. Studies on Salafi groups in Indonesia have often neglected the face-veiling practices of women, who are the main female constituents of the groups. Focusing on women’s adoption of the cadar (face veil) and their religious transformation, this article demonstrates how veiling shapes
women’s formation as religious subjects. Drawing on the life experiences of young women in several groups, this article shows that fulfilling religious obligation is the women’s main priority. Their life experiences and the process of negotiating wearing the cadar reveal their struggle to reconstruct their religious identity and their capacity for exercising a specific type of religious agency.