Fatwa and Transnational Solidarity: Examining Faith-Based Movement in Indonesia in Addressing the Israel-Palestine Conflict
Keywords:
Fatwa MUI 83/2023, Indonesian Muslims, Palestine, Transnational solidarity
Abstract
This research explores the dynamics of transnational solidarity among Indonesian Muslims in their support of the Palestine cause, grounded in Fatwa MUI 83/2023, through the lens of Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA). This study investigates how religious and moral directives shape individual and collective actions. Data from questionnaires show that respondents' motivations to support Palestine stem from both humanitarian and religious convictions, amplified by the fatwa's ideological framework. The study finds that religious discourse transforms solidarity into concrete actions such as donations, boycotts, and digital activism. Furthermore, the fatwa facilitates the globalization of local actions, linking grassroots efforts to a broader international campaign for Palestinian rights. This research underscores the power of religious authority in shaping transnational solidarity movements and highlights how digital platforms enable local actions to resonate globally.
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Boehnke, K., Rippl, S., & Fuss, D. (2015). Sustainable civil-society engagement: Potentials of a transnational civil society in French-German, Polish-German, and Czech-German border regions. Sustainability, 7(4), 4078–4099. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7044078
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Horstmann, A. (2011). Ethical dilemmas and faith-based humanitarian organizations' responses to the Karen refugee crisis. Journal of Refugee Studies, 24(3), 513–532. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fer031
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Ibrahim, B., Arifin, M., & Abd Rashid, S. Z. (2015). The role of fatwa and mufti in contemporary Muslim society. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 23(S), 1–10.
Khagram, S., Riker, J. V., & Sikkink, K. (Eds.). (2002). Restructuring world politics: Transnational social movements, networks, and norms. University of Minnesota Press.
Laville, J.-L. (2010). The Solidarity Economy: An International Movement. RCCS Annual Review, 2. https://doi.org/10.4000/rccsar.202
Lohmeyer, N., Schüßler, E., & Helfen, M. (2018). Can solidarity be organized “from below” in global supply chains? The case of ExChains. Industrielle Beziehungen: Zeitschrift für Arbeit, Organisation und Management, 25(4), 400–424. https://doi.org/10.3224/indbez.v25i4.02
Mahmudah, N. (2023). Hukum dukungan terhadap perjuangan Palestina [Fatwa]. Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI). https://mui.or.id/baca/fatwa/hukum-dukungan-terhadap-perjuangan-palestina
Millward, P., & Takhar, S. (2019). Social movements, collective action, and activism. Sociology, 53(3), NP1–NP12. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038518817287
Motamedi, M. (2023, December 20). Are Houthi Red Sea attacks hurting Israel and disrupting global trade? Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/20/are-houthi-red-sea-attacks-hurting-israel-and-disrupting-global-trade
Muhammad, N. (2011). Fatwa rulings in Islam: A Malaysian perspective on their role in Muslim consumer behavior. In Handbook of Islamic marketing (Vol. 35, pp. 120–132). Routledge.
Nadig, S. (2023, November 20). What are the implications of the Israel–Palestine war on the global oil and gas markets? Offshore Technology. https://www.offshore-technology.com/features/what-are-the-implications-of-israel-palestine-war-on-the-global-oil-and-gas-markets/
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Ritonga, S., Samosir, H. E., Luthi, M., Junaidi, J., & Nugroho, E. (2020). Clash of civilizations in the news reality construction of the anti-Ahok rally in Kompas and Republika newspapers. Jurnal Komunikasi Ikatan Sarjana Komunikasi Indonesia, 5(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.25008/jkiski.v5i1.370
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Sarihan, A. (2014). In search of the Arab uprisings: Social movement, revolution, or democratization? Turkish Journal of Politics, 5(1), 39–56.
Schumacher, M. J. (2023). A holy peace: Religious values, collective identity, and the future of the Palestinian–Israeli conflict. Peace & Change, 48(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/pech.12574
Simangunsong, T. (2023, December 19). Indonesia’s non-Muslim religious groups join rallies in support of Palestine: “A matter of humanity.” South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3245532/indonesias-non-muslim-religious-groups-join-rallies-support-palestine-matter-humanity
Smith, J., Gemici, B., Plummer, S., & Hughes, M. M. (2018). Transnational social movement organizations and counter-hegemonic struggles today. Journal of World-Systems Research, 24(2), 372–403. https://doi.org/10.5195/jwsr.2018.850
Stewart, M., & Schultze, U. (2019). Producing solidarity in social media activism: The case of My Stealthy Freedom. Information and Organization, 29(3), 100251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2019.04.002
Suaedy, A., Alnizar, F., Ardiantoro, J., & Siroj, S. A. (2023). Language, authority, and digital media: The impact on the legitimacy of fatwas. Ahkam: Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, 23(1), 1–15.
Suhenda, D., & Janti, N. (2023, November 5). Indonesians join interfaith rally in solidarity with Palestine. The Jakarta Post. https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2023/11/05/indonesians-join-interfaith-rally-in-solidarity-with-palestine.html
Terry, P. (2018). Britain in Palestine (1917–1948): Occupation, the Palestine mandate, and international law. University of Bologna Law Review, 2(1), 187–251. https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.2531-6133/7663
Tilly, C., & Tarrow, S. G. (2015). Contentious politics (2nd ed., fully revised and updated). Oxford University Press.
Tov, Y. B.-S.-T. (2010). Barriers to peace in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies.
Violante, T. (2020). Coping with COVID-19 in Portugal: From constitutional normality to the state of emergency. Verfassungsblog: On Matters Constitutional. https://doi.org/10.17176/20200412-152458-0
Wahyudi, L. (2020, February 3). Urgent call for religious leaders to save Indonesian rainforests. Econusa. https://econusa.id/en/ecoblogs/urgent-call-for-religious-leaders-to-save-indonesian-rainforests/
Al Tahhan, Z. (2018, November 2). More than a century on: The Balfour Declaration explained. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2018/11/2/more-than-a-century-on-the-balfour-declaration-explained
Anhar, H. I. (2023). Judicial review of the boycott of Israeli products based on the Fatwa of the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI) Number 83 of 2023. Jurnal Gagasan Hukum, 5(2), 92–99.
Banko, L. (2019). Historiography and approaches to the British Mandate in Palestine: New questions and frameworks. Contemporary Levant, 4(1), 1–7. https://doi.org/10.1080/20581831.2019.1594618
Barghouti, O. (2011). BDS: Boycott, divestment, sanctions: The global struggle for Palestinian rights. Haymarket Books. https://books.google.com/books?hl=id&lr=&id=odEO0JqAuzMC&oi=fnd&pg=PP6&dq=boycott+divestment+sanctions+israel&ots=y9zwqTCrMj&sig=Un1xjutOwzpAw7fodDpL4-uoMQ0
Bartenstein, A. (2021). The concept of solidarity. Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft mbH & Co. KG. https://www.nomos-elibrary.de/10.5771/9783748927952/the-concept-of-solidarity?hitid=131403&page=1&l=de
Beerli, M. J. (2013). Solidarity intervention: An ethnography of nonviolent transnational contention in the West Bank. Graduate Institute Publications. https://doi.org/10.4000/books.iheid.776
Bisyri, M. H. (2020). Fatwa as a tool of social engineering: The study of fatwa of Tarjih Muhammadiyah. Jurnal Penelitian, 17(2), 131–144.
Boehnke, K., Rippl, S., & Fuss, D. (2015). Sustainable civil-society engagement: Potentials of a transnational civil society in French-German, Polish-German, and Czech-German border regions. Sustainability, 7(4), 4078–4099. https://doi.org/10.3390/su7044078
De Witte, F. (2015). Justice in the EU: The emergence of transnational solidarity. Oxford University Press. https://books.google.com/books?hl=id&lr=&id=ZRPsCQAAQBAJ
Della Porta, D., & Diani, M. (2011). Social movements: An introduction (2nd ed.). Blackwell.
Dudouet, V. (2015). Sources, functions, and dilemmas of external assistance to civil resistance movements. In K. Schock (Ed.), Civil resistance: Comparative perspectives on nonviolent struggle (pp. 168–199). University of Minnesota Press.
Eby, J., Iverson, E., Smyers, J., & Kekic, E. (2011). The faith community’s role in refugee resettlement in the United States. Journal of Refugee Studies, 24(3), 586–605. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fer038
Eterovic, I., & Smith, J. (2001). From altruism to a new transnationalism? A look at transnational social movements. In M. Giugni & F. Passy (Eds.), Political altruism?: Solidarity movements in an international perspective (pp. 197–217). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers.
Ferris, E. (2005). Faith-based and secular humanitarian organizations. International Review of the Red Cross, 87(858), 311–325. https://international-review.icrc.org/sites/default/files/irrc_858-6.pdf
Ferris, E. (2011). Faith and humanitarianism: It is complicated. Journal of Refugee Studies, 24(3), 606–625. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fer028
Fitrah, A., Saiin, A., & Radiamoda, A. M. (2024). Call for boycott of pro-Israel products in MUI fatwa: An analysis of tafsīr maqāṣidī. Al-Qudwah, 2(2), 172–186.
Friedman, D., & McAdam, D. (1992). Collective identity and activism: Networks, choices, and the life of a social movement. In A. D. Morris & C. M. Mueller (Eds.), Frontiers in social movement theory (pp. 156–173). Yale University Press.
Gould, C. C. (2007). Transnational solidarities. Journal of Social Philosophy, 38(1), 148–164. http://www.carolcgould.com/uploads/1/2/5/0/12505497/transnational_solidarities_published.pdf
Hadden, J., & Jasny, L. (2024). How do NGOs choose their partners? The role of homophily in a transnational advocacy network on climate change. Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly, 53(5), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.1177/08997640241257930
Horstmann, A. (2011). Ethical dilemmas and faith-based humanitarian organizations' responses to the Karen refugee crisis. Journal of Refugee Studies, 24(3), 513–532. https://doi.org/10.1093/jrs/fer031
Huda, M. N., Nurmandi, A., Qodir, Z., Sutan, A. J., Misran, U. N., & Suswanta. (2022). Social media's role to support Palestinians in the Palestine–Israel conflict (2021). In D. Mutiarin, A. Nurmandi, A. K. Paksi, & Z. Rafique (Eds.), Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Innovation on Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences (ICOSI-HESS 2022) (pp. 901–913). Atlantis Press SARL. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-65-7_71
Ibrahim, B., Arifin, M., & Abd Rashid, S. Z. (2015). The role of fatwa and mufti in contemporary Muslim society. Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences & Humanities, 23(S), 1–10.
Khagram, S., Riker, J. V., & Sikkink, K. (Eds.). (2002). Restructuring world politics: Transnational social movements, networks, and norms. University of Minnesota Press.
Laville, J.-L. (2010). The Solidarity Economy: An International Movement. RCCS Annual Review, 2. https://doi.org/10.4000/rccsar.202
Lohmeyer, N., Schüßler, E., & Helfen, M. (2018). Can solidarity be organized “from below” in global supply chains? The case of ExChains. Industrielle Beziehungen: Zeitschrift für Arbeit, Organisation und Management, 25(4), 400–424. https://doi.org/10.3224/indbez.v25i4.02
Mahmudah, N. (2023). Hukum dukungan terhadap perjuangan Palestina [Fatwa]. Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI). https://mui.or.id/baca/fatwa/hukum-dukungan-terhadap-perjuangan-palestina
Millward, P., & Takhar, S. (2019). Social movements, collective action, and activism. Sociology, 53(3), NP1–NP12. https://doi.org/10.1177/0038038518817287
Motamedi, M. (2023, December 20). Are Houthi Red Sea attacks hurting Israel and disrupting global trade? Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/20/are-houthi-red-sea-attacks-hurting-israel-and-disrupting-global-trade
Muhammad, N. (2011). Fatwa rulings in Islam: A Malaysian perspective on their role in Muslim consumer behavior. In Handbook of Islamic marketing (Vol. 35, pp. 120–132). Routledge.
Nadig, S. (2023, November 20). What are the implications of the Israel–Palestine war on the global oil and gas markets? Offshore Technology. https://www.offshore-technology.com/features/what-are-the-implications-of-israel-palestine-war-on-the-global-oil-and-gas-markets/
Prayogo, A., Syawal, R., Pia, A., Zalukhu, D. S., & Harahap, E. W. (2024). Political economy and MUI Fatwa No. 83 of 2023: Literature review. Indonesian Journal of Innovation Multidisciplinary Research, 2(2), 291–299.
Ritonga, S., Samosir, H. E., Luthi, M., Junaidi, J., & Nugroho, E. (2020). Clash of civilizations in the news reality construction of the anti-Ahok rally in Kompas and Republika newspapers. Jurnal Komunikasi Ikatan Sarjana Komunikasi Indonesia, 5(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.25008/jkiski.v5i1.370
Rovnick, N., Mackenzie, N., & Jones, M. (2023, October 18). How the Israel–Gaza war could impact global markets. Reuters. https://www.reuters.com/markets/global-markets-middle-east-conflict-2023-10-18/
Sarihan, A. (2014). In search of the Arab uprisings: Social movement, revolution, or democratization? Turkish Journal of Politics, 5(1), 39–56.
Schumacher, M. J. (2023). A holy peace: Religious values, collective identity, and the future of the Palestinian–Israeli conflict. Peace & Change, 48(1), 21–38. https://doi.org/10.1111/pech.12574
Simangunsong, T. (2023, December 19). Indonesia’s non-Muslim religious groups join rallies in support of Palestine: “A matter of humanity.” South China Morning Post. https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/people/article/3245532/indonesias-non-muslim-religious-groups-join-rallies-support-palestine-matter-humanity
Smith, J., Gemici, B., Plummer, S., & Hughes, M. M. (2018). Transnational social movement organizations and counter-hegemonic struggles today. Journal of World-Systems Research, 24(2), 372–403. https://doi.org/10.5195/jwsr.2018.850
Stewart, M., & Schultze, U. (2019). Producing solidarity in social media activism: The case of My Stealthy Freedom. Information and Organization, 29(3), 100251. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.infoandorg.2019.04.002
Suaedy, A., Alnizar, F., Ardiantoro, J., & Siroj, S. A. (2023). Language, authority, and digital media: The impact on the legitimacy of fatwas. Ahkam: Jurnal Ilmu Syariah, 23(1), 1–15.
Suhenda, D., & Janti, N. (2023, November 5). Indonesians join interfaith rally in solidarity with Palestine. The Jakarta Post. https://www.thejakartapost.com/world/2023/11/05/indonesians-join-interfaith-rally-in-solidarity-with-palestine.html
Terry, P. (2018). Britain in Palestine (1917–1948): Occupation, the Palestine mandate, and international law. University of Bologna Law Review, 2(1), 187–251. https://doi.org/10.6092/ISSN.2531-6133/7663
Tilly, C., & Tarrow, S. G. (2015). Contentious politics (2nd ed., fully revised and updated). Oxford University Press.
Tov, Y. B.-S.-T. (2010). Barriers to peace in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict. The Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies.
Violante, T. (2020). Coping with COVID-19 in Portugal: From constitutional normality to the state of emergency. Verfassungsblog: On Matters Constitutional. https://doi.org/10.17176/20200412-152458-0
Wahyudi, L. (2020, February 3). Urgent call for religious leaders to save Indonesian rainforests. Econusa. https://econusa.id/en/ecoblogs/urgent-call-for-religious-leaders-to-save-indonesian-rainforests/
Published
2025-10-18
How to Cite
Noormansyah, R., Akhni, G., Widyantoro, S., Andini, A., Adinda, S., & Amalia, D. (2025). Fatwa and Transnational Solidarity: Examining Faith-Based Movement in Indonesia in Addressing the Israel-Palestine Conflict. Jurnal Kajian Peradaban Islam, 8(2), 134-144. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.47076/jkpis.v8i2.342
Section
Islamic Politics, Law, and Governance
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