Abstrack:
Not only the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the USA and postulates like the ?clash of civilizations? (Huntington, 1996) but also a general growth of worldwide interrelations affecting all aspects of life and society, have contributed to an increased public interest in how the ?West? is perceived by the ?East? and in particular how the ?West? is perceived by ?Islam?. In this context, Indonesia has attracted international attention due to the Bali bombings in 2002, making the country, which has the world?s largest Muslim population (and is the largest Muslim-majority democracy), part of the so-called ?axis of evil? overnight. Yet, even though a social development in the direction of conservative interpretations of Islam can be observed, equating Indonesia exclusively with Islamic fundamentalism and terrorism is unjustified.
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