Islam and Nation: Separatist Rebellion in Aceh, Indonesia

Islam and Nation: Separatist Rebellion in Aceh, Indonesia is a tour de force in the study of nationalist politics, presenting a fascinating study of the genesis, growth and decline of a nationalist movement. Drawing on hundreds of interviews with nationalist leaders, activists and guerillas, the author reveals how the Gerakan Aceh Merdeka (GAM) went from being a quixotic fantasy to a guerilla army in the space of a generation, leading to a bitter conflict in which thousands perished. And by exploring the complex relationship between Islam and nationalism, Aspinall also explains how a society famed for its Islamic piety gave rise to a guerilla movement that ended up rejecting the Islamic goals of its forebears.

Based on a range of interviews with protagonists from all levels of GAM, both within Aceh and without, the author traces how GAM developed as an organization over a period of some thirty years. Moreover, the reader of this volume will gain a good understanding of Acehnese society: the kinship networks, gender roles, life in religious boarding schools (the dayah), and the Dayah‘s place in disseminating ideas and cementing political and social relationships. The author has succeeded in doing two things with this book: he provides a fine-grained study about Aceh and the GAM and he situates Acehnese nationalism within the broader theories on nationalism, secession, and civil wars.