LIFEWAYS 1 International Journal of Society, Development and Environment in the Developing World Volume 4, Issue 1, April 2020 (1-16) www.lifewaysjournal.com e-ISSN 2590-387X A Matter of Defending a Fundamental National Ideology?: Questioning the Ban of HTI (Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia) MOH. ANWAR SALAFUDIN 1 , NOORHAIDI HASAN 2 , AHMAD BUNYAN WAHIB 3 1 Doctorate Program in Islamic Though and Muslim Societies, State Islamic Universityof SunanKalijaga, Yogyakarta, Indonesia, 2 Postgraduate School, Political Islam Department, State Islamic University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia 3 Faculty of Syariah, State Islamic University, Yogyakarta, Indonesia Correspondence: Moh. Anwar Salafudin (email: m.anwarsalafudin@gmail.com) Abstract This article discusses the dissolution of HTI (Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia) by the Indonesian government on the basis as to whether the dismissal was for the reason of defending the state ideology or for the reason of politics. The ideology of HTI which aims to build the Caliphate was considered by the Indonesian government as an act against Pancasila and a threat to the form of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia. Was this single factor true? To scrutinise this problem further the author analyses systematically the Indonesia’s political development before, during, and after the Presidential election in 2019 using secondary data taken from media, books and previous research findings related to the dissolution of HTI. It was found that beside the formal state ideological argument the dissolution has a political content in that the government dissolved HTI at the insistence of NU (Nahdatul Ulama), a mainstreem Islamic organizations which supported the president in the last 2019 presidential election. Thus the dissolution of HTI has not just an ideological interest but also a pragmatic political interest. Keywords: questioning; ban; Hizb ut-Tahrir Indonesia (HTI); ideology Introduction Many Islamic organizations were banned during the New Order regime of President Suharto. After the reformation, several Islamic groups emerged and developed. The opening of this era provided an opportunity for the growth and development of the Islamic movement, including Islamic radicalism in Indonesia (Hasan, 2006). The Islamic movements in Indonesia had many variations either Islamic Dakwah movements or political Islam movements. The political Islam movements were divided into two, the first was political Islam that forms parties and participates in election contestations such as PKS (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera/Prosperous Justice Party), PPP (Partai Persatuan Pembangunan/United Development Party), PBB (Partai Bulan