The End of Innocence is far removed from the hollow interpretations derived from this essentialist thesis. Andree Feillard and Remy Madinier position the evolution of Indonesian Islam within the broader context of the recent history of the archipelago and develop a rigorous analysis of the origins and causes of the 'radical temptation', deciphering its ideology and showing how it has been nourished by political manipulation. Their account explains the appeal of religious extremism and also the strong resistance it provokes in a country that has quickly become a key participant in the struggle and upheavals taking place throughout the Muslim world.

This is one of the most important books available on the origins and development of radical Islamism - including its terrorist offshoots - in Indonesia. The authors are among the best- informed, most soundly analytical and balanced ever to write on this subject. Their book is authoritative, wide-ranging and persuasive. Its appearance in an English translation is a boon for anyone seeking to understand the social, political and religious dynamics of Indonesia, the largest Muslim-majority nation in the world.

Comments

There have been several books on Islam and politics in Indonesia in the post-Suharto period, but Feillard and Madinier's work is by far the best. Engagingly written and comprehensive in its coverage, this brilliant book will be of interest to both specialists and the general reader interested in understanding the conundrum of politics in the world's most populous Muslim-majority country.
Robert Hefner (Director, Institute on Culture, Religion, and World Affairs. Boston University)

This work presents a rich and nuanced examination of the rise of Islamic radicalism over the course of the New Order period and beyond. The authors provide insightful and historically contextualized analyses of complex permutations across a whole range of Islamic institutions and organizations in relation to the political and broader social dynamics of the world's most populous Muslim nation. It is a must-read for anyone interested in contemporary Indonesia .
R. Michael Feener (Associate Professor, National University of Singapore)

This is one of the most important books available on the origins and development of radical Islamism - including its terrorist offshoots - in Indonesia . The authors are among the best-informed, most soundly analytical and balanced ever to write on this subject. Their book is authoritative, wide-ranging and persuasive. Its appearance in an English translation is a boon for anyone seeking to understand the social, political and religious dynamics of Indonesia , the largest Muslim-majority nation in the world.
M.C. Ricklefs (Professor of History, National University of Singapore - Adjunct Professor, Australian National University , and Monash University)

The Authors

Andrée Feillard is a senior researcher on political Islam in Indonesia at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris, and vice-director of the Centre for Southeast Asian Studies in Paris . She also belongs to the Institute for the Study of Islam and Muslim World Societies (IISMM), of the École des Hautes Études Sciences Sociales ( EHESS), Paris.

Rémy Madinier is a senior researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS), Paris. Based in Jakarta , he is also the representative in Indonesia for the Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (IRASEC).

IRASEC

The Research Institute on Contemporary Southeast Asia (USR 3142 – UMIFRE 22 CNRS- MAEE) has since 2001 focused its activities on the political, economic, social and environmental evolutions of the eleven countries of the region. Based in Bangkok , the Institute promotes a variety of approaches by calling on experts and specialists from all academic fields and teaming them up as required. Comparative approaches and transversal studies are favored as much as possible.