Islam, Corruption, Good Governance, and Civil Society: The Indonesian Experience

Abstract

Corruption is no doubt one of the most serious problems faced by many countries, including Muslim countries such as Indonesia. Sometimes it might seem that the teachings of Islam - a religion which prohibits corruption - alone do not work to prevent Muslims from conducting such harmful acts. The author of this article therefore looks at other factors that influence Muslims in their daily lives and reviews the status of governance. In his view, one way to address the problem of corruption would be the fostering of good governance. However, at the same time Muslims would need a vibrant and dynamic civil society that can play a crucial role in the creation and empowerment of good governance. In Indonesia, a majority Muslim country - in fact the largest Muslim country in the world - a large number of Islam-based civil societies exist. The author discusses the role of Islamic teachings against corruption, and the recent experiences of Indonesia in combating this vice, particularly the role of an Islamic civil society sphere.