Progressive Islam and Conservative Islam in Southeast Asia: The Dialectics of Islam in the Current Modernity

Abstract

This article explores the dialectical relationship between progressive and conservative Islamic movements in Southeast Asia within the broader context of modernity. Progressive Islam emphasizes democratic values, social justice, and human rights by reinterpreting Islamic teachings in line with contemporary realities. In contrast, conservative Islam upholds the strict application of sharia and the preservation of traditional norms as central to political and legal systems. Through a qualitative approach and political discourse analysis, this study investigates how both ideological orientations shape Islamic activism, public policy, and the state–religion nexus in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. The findings reveal that while Indonesia offers greater space for progressive Islamic engagement, Malaysia and Brunei institutionalize more conservative expressions of Islam. This dynamic illustrates how Islamic movements in the region continuously negotiate their roles amid the pressures of political modernity and religious orthodoxy.