Abdurrahman Wahid's Cosmopolitanism in the Protection of Religious Freedom in Indonesia: Policy Analysis and Implementation Challenges

Difa Meetia Putri

doi:10.34050/els-jish.v9i2.50675

Authors

Difa Meetia Putri Universitas Airlangga

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.34050/els-jish.v9i2.50675

Keywords:

Cosmopolitanism, Pluralism, Gus Dur, Freedom of Religion, Democracy

Abstract

Indonesia as a pluralistic country faces challenges in ensuring religious freedom in the midst of ethnic, cultural, and religious diversity. Although various studies have discussed pluralism and are associated with the thought of Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), studies that specifically link the concept of cosmopolitanism with the implementation of public policies in the protection of religious freedom are still limited. This research aims to analyze the concept of Gus Dur's cosmopolitanism and its implementation in public policy and the challenges faced in the context in Indonesia. This research uses a qualitative approach with a literature study method, utilizing primary sources in the form of Gus Dur's writings and policies as well as secondary sources from relevant academic literature. Data analysis was carried out through content analysis techniques to interpret Gus Dur's ideas and policies in the socio-political context of Indonesia. The results of the study show that Gus Dur's cosmopolitanism is reflected in concrete policies such as the revocation of discriminatory regulations against the Confucian community and his defense of minority groups. However, the implementation of these values faces structural, political, and cultural challenges. This research confirms that Gus Dur's cosmopolitanism is relevant as a normative foundation in strengthening democracy and tolerance in Indonesia.

References

Abdullah, M. (2021). Gusdurians’ Environmental Advocacy, Cultural Politics, and Humanity in the Pandemic Era.

Abidin, Z. (2012). Pemikiran Abdurrahman Wahid Tentang Islam Dan Pluralitas. Humaniora, 3(2), 373–386.

Anis, M. Y., & Yuliarti, M. S. (2016). The Implementation of Abdurrahman Wahid’s Vision in Leadership to Create a Pluralistic Muslim Society in Indonesia: A Sufism Perspective and Discourse Analysis. Advanced Science Letters, 22(12), 4524–4527.

Aqsa, A., Trisasongko, D., Moreira, D. D. P., Yonesta, F., Halidin, H., Efendi, J., Putra, M. S., & Agus, S. A. (2015). Bantuan Hukum Di Wilayah Konflik.

Aryani, M. K. (2022). Inpres No. 14 Tahun 1967: Bentuk Diskriminasi Pemerintah Orde Baru Terhadap Etnis Tionghoa. Jurnal Pendidikan Sejarah, 2(2), 1–12.

Barton, G., Yilmaz, I., & Morieson, N. (2021). Authoritarianism, Democracy, Islamic Movements, and Contestations of Islamic Religious Ideas in Indonesia. Religions, 12(8), 641.

Basyir, M. (2016). Pembelaan Gus Dur Terhadap Kesesatan Ahmadiyah (Pembacaan Hermeneutika Schleiermacher). Religia, 19(1), 35–63.

BPHN. (1945). Pasal 29 UUD 1945.

Doni, B., & Susilo, S. (2024). Kebebasan Beragama Dalam Konstitusi Dan Perspektif Hak Asasi Manusia. 14(2), 87–105.

Faturohman, F., Febriyanti, A. N., & Hidayah, J. (2024). Kebebasan Beragama Sebagai Bagian Dari Hak Asasi Manusia. Aliansi: Jurnal Hukum, Pendidikan Dan Sosial Humaniora, 1(3), 312–323. https://doi.org/10.62383/aliansi.v1i3.229

Fauzi, M. N. (2019). Jejak Pemikiran Kosmopolitan Gus Dur: Antara Universalitas Islam Dan Partikularitas Kearifan Lokal. Transformatif, 3(2), 215–240.

Franklin, N. (2024). Gus Dur’s Enduring Legacy: Accruing Religious Merit in the Afterlife. Politics and Governance, 12, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.17645/pag.7874

Fuadi, M. A., Rifa’i, A. A., Triana, Y., & Ibrahim, R. (2024). Religious Moderation in the Context of Integration Between Religion and Local Culture in Indonesia. 19(1), 47–59.

Ghofur, A. (2017). The Implications of Democratization Towards Deformalization of Islamic Law in Indonesia: Study on Abdurrahman Wahid’s Thoughts. International Journal of Mechanical Engineering and Technology, 8(6), 70–84.

Habibullah, M. (2022). Kosmopolitanisme Dalam Budaya Islam.

Hidayatulloh, A. (2018). Love for All, Hatred for None: Dinamika Kehidupan Jemaat Ahmadiyah Malang.

Hoon, C. Y. (2017). Putting Religion Into Multiculturalism: Conceptualising Religious Multiculturalism in Indonesia. Asian Studies Review, 41(3), 476–493.

Hunain, I. (2024). Universalisme Islam Cosmopolitan Di Indonesia Dalam Perspektif Gus Dur Dan Cak Nur. Al-Mutharahah, 21(2), 821–834.

Iqbal Firdaus, S. (2021). Pemikiran Toleransi KH. Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) Dan Relevansinya Dalam Keberagaman Di Indonesia.

Laden, H. S., & Sari, N. P. (2025). Pancasila Sebagai Perekat Kebhinekaan Bangsa. Jurnal Pendidikan Kewarganegaraan Dan Filsafat, 3(1), 116–124.

Maghfuri, A. (2015). Islam Kosmopolitan Dalam Pandangan KH. Abdurrahman Wahid Dan Implikasinya Terhadap Konsep Pendidikan Islam Indonesia.

Mahdori, M., Rahman, F., Faisal, R., Aditya, T. P. M., Sosrohadi, S., & Sachiya, F. (2025). Revealing aspect of culture through literature: Learning from Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana. International Journal of Innovative Science and Research Technology, 10(3), 1211-1216.

Nafi’a, I. (2020). Gus Dur Di Mata Wong Cirebon.

Narendra, P., & Abidin. (2022). Perkembangan Pemikiran Pluralisme Gus Dur (1971–2001). Jurnal Pendidikan Sejarah, 11(2), 97–112.

Pamungkas, & Purnomo. (2024). Konstruksi Realitas Sosial Di Indonesia Dalam Peran Media Dan Identitas Budaya Di Era Globalisasi. Metta, 4(4), 28–36.

Prastyo. (2022). Penerapan Nilai-Nilai Kosmopolitanisme Islam Dalam Mencegah Radikalisme Agama Pada Masyarakat Muslim Plateau Dieng. Poros Onim, 3(1), 1–17.

Pratiwi, N. I., Sosrohadi, S., Rahman, F., Dalyan, M., Andini, C., & Muliyani. (2026). The use of code-mixing by edu-influencers in social media: A communication strategy in sociolinguistic perspective. International Journal of Research and Innovation in Social Science, 11(1), 1034–1042. https://doi.org/10.51584/IJRIAS.2026.11010088

Putra, A. R. W., Rahman, F., & Iswary, E. (2023). Code switching and code mixing Japanese and Indonesian: An interaction on vlog channel. International Journal of Education Humanities and Social Science, 6(5), 85–98. https://doi.org/10.54922/IJEHSS.2023.0578

Rahman, F., Abbas, A., Hasyim, M., Rahman, F., Abbas, A., & Hasyim, M. (2019). Facebook group as media of learning writing in ESP context: A case study at Hasanuddin University. Asian EFL Journal Research Articles, 26(6.1), 153-167.

Rijaal. (2021). Fenomena Intoleransi Antar Umat Beragama Serta Peran Media Sosial Akun Instagram Jaringan Gusdurian Indonesia Dalam Menyampaikan Pesan Toleransi. Jurnal Komunikasi Dan Penyiaran Islam, 1(2), 101–114.

Safitri, N. N. (2024). Gus Dur’s Philosophical Approach to Pluralism: Insights for Social Harmony in Indonesia.

Sahfutra, S. A. (2014). Gagasan Pluralisme Agama Gus Dur Untuk Kesetaraan Dan Kerukunan. Religi, 10(1), 89. https://doi.org/10.14421/rejusta.2014.1001-06

Samsudin, & Nurbaya. (2022). Konsep Pemikiran Abdurrahman Wahid Tentang Islam Kosmopolitan. FiTUA, 3(1), 56–66.

Siswanto, & Fakhruddin. (2022). Islam Kosmopolitan Gus Dur Dalam Konteks Sosio-Keagamaan Di Indonesia. Journal of Islamic Thought and Philosophy, 1(1), 1–26.

Suharningtyas. (2014). Analisa Kebijakan Presiden Abdurrahman Wahid Untuk Membuka Hubungan Diplomatik Dengan Israel Dalam Upaya Peduli Perdamaian Palestina–Israel. Jurnal Analisis Hubungan Internasional, 3(2), 841–856.

Sujoko, A., Rahmiati, D., & Rahman, F. (2023). The role of radio as the public sphere for public political education in the digital era: Challenges and pitfalls. Cogent Social Sciences, 9(1), 2239627.

Sukirman, & Abdullah, M. (2021). Gusdurians’ Environmental Advocacy, Cultural Politics, and Humanity in the Pandemic Era. E3S Web of Conferences. https://doi.org/10.1051/e3sconf/202131701047

Tho Seeth, A. (2023). The Indonesian Cosmopolitan Islamic Intellectual Revisited: A Focus on the Continued Prevalence of Cosmopatriotism and the West. International Journal of Islam in Asia, 2(2), 114–143.

United Nations. (1948). Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Utami, D. P., & Hidayat, A. (2021). Iklim Organisasi Kelurahan Dalam Perspektif Ekologi.

Wahid, A. (2015). The Wisdom of Tolerance: A Philosophy of Generosity and Peace.

Wahid, S. H., Manik, S. K., & Lohlker, R. (2025). The Butterfly Effect of Gusdurian Activists: The Resonance of Social and Humanitarian Change in Ponorogo, Indonesia. The International Journal of Religion and Spirituality in Society, 15(3).

Weda, S., Rahman, F., Atmowardoyo, H., Samad, I. A., Fitriani, S. S., Said, M. M., & Sakti, A. E. F. (2022). Intercultural communicative competence of students from different cultures in EFL classroom interaction in higher institution. International Journal of Research on English Teaching and Applied Linguistics, 3(1), 1-23.

Zahrotinnisa, K., & Fani, A. (2025). Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) Dan Moderasi Beragama: Tradisi Dan Modernitas Dalam.