Islam in Japanese Eyes

Written by a sociologist from Japan, this book was written based on more than a decade’s worth of research into the complexities of Islam in Indonesia. It contains many interviews and analyses of the opinions made by a number of Muslim luminaries from various madhhabs and schools of thoughts. What are the differences and similarities in how these figures perceive Islamic teaching? They are: Ulil Abshar Abdalla from Jaringan Islam Liberal (JIL); K.H. Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), the moderate ulema who became the President of the Republic of Indonesia; and Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, whom many know as a key figure of fundamentalist Islam. Is it true that members of Front Pembela Islam (FPI) are all fierce and violent? And is Abu Bakar Ba’asyir really hard to get access to?