Fatwas and their controversy: The case of the Council of Indonesian Ulama (MUI) Mun'im Sirry This article discusses a different side of two controversial fatwas — one against Muslims participating in Christmas celebrations and the other against pluralism, lib- eralism and secularism — issued by the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI, Council of Indonesian Ulama). Most studies on MUI have emphasised the role that the Council’s fatwas have played in inciting sectarian violence in Indonesia. Without denying the connections between violence and the MUI fatwas, this article argues that these con- troversial fatwas have also opened up room for more fruitful and constructive discus- sions among different religious groups in Indonesia. This article asks: What were the roots of the controversy over these intolerant fatwas? How did the state respond to them? And what does the controversy over these fatwas tell us about the nature of public debate on Islam in Indonesia? By answering these questions this article will shed light on aspects of contemporary Indonesian public debates about Islam that have been overlooked in current scholarship. A fatwa is generally understood as an Islamic legal opinion given by an individual muftī (fatwa-giver) or group of muftīs or ulama at the request of someone, called mustaftī (fatwa seeker). As such, its main purpose is to provide definitive answers to legal questions. This purpose, however, may not always be achieved. Rather than settling an unresolved question, the fatwa may elicit further debate and controversy, as has been the case with some fatwas of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI, Council of Indonesian Ulama). Two such fatwas, one against Muslims attending Christmas celebrations and the other on religious pluralism, liberalism and secularism issued during the New Order and post-Suharto eras, respectively, will be discussed here. This article analyses what enabled the debates and controversies over the fatwas. To date, there has not been a systematic study of this question as scholars tend to focus on the political dimension of the MUI fatwas. Muhamad Atho Mudzhar, who has written extensively on the fatwas, argues that they reflect a complex relationship between MUI and the state on the one hand, and between MUI Mun’im Sirry is a post-doctoral research fellow at the University of Notre Dame, Indiana. Correspondence in connection with this paper should be addressed to: msirry@nd.edu. The author would like to thank Richard Fox, M. Syafi‘i Anwar, Dadi Darmadi and two anonymous reviewers for the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies for their suggestions and critical comments. Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 44(1), pp 100–117 February 2013. 100 © The National University of Singapore, 2013 doi:10.1017/S0022463412000641