1 Journal of Religion and Society Volume 11 (2009) The Kripke Center ISSN 1522-5658 Fatwa and Violence in Indonesia Luthfi Assyaukanie, Freedom Institute and Paramadina University, Jakarta Abstract Fatwa is often considered as a non-binding legal opinion. Some jurists use this caveat to reject any links between fatwa and violence. They argue that fatwa is one thing and violence is something else. This article is an attempt to disprove such a misleading argument by providing cases that took place in Indonesia. I argue that there is a strong connection between fatwa and intolerant actions. Introduction [1] The relationship between fatwa and violence typically does not attract many scholars, in spite of the fact that the issue has become increasingly important. Apart from Noorhaidi Hasan’s article on the role of the Middle Eastern fatwas in the jihad movement in Maluku, Indonesia, there is only one English book that specifically discusses the topic (Mozaffari). There seems to be a hesitation in studying this topic, either due to sensitivity or over- concern about the possible bias in it. Many Muslims would likely reject any attempt to associate fatwa with violence generally on normative grounds, 1 but a proper study explaining how certain fatwas could instigate violent actions or intolerant attitudes would be useful. This article is an attempt to provide such a study by examining some cases in Indonesia. [2] Indonesia is not the only Islamic country where the relationship between fatwa and violence is present. I mainly use Indonesia as the object of this study for pragmatic reasons as I am more familiar with the country than other Muslim countries. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world and is regularly labeled as tolerant, moderate, and “different from the Middle East.” This label can only be sustained if there are no violent or intolerant actions in the name of religion as has been the case in the Middle East. 1 One of the arguments commonly presented is that a fatwa is a religious opinion based on good intentions and objectives. It is irrelevant, so the argument goes, to say that a fatwa is “bad.”