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REVIEW #2

Howard Zindiq: Shariah Don't Like It? Punk and Religion in Indonesia (pamphlet, Active Distribution)

Shariah Don't Like It book cover

In this pamphlet from Active Distribution, Howard Zindiq examines the marked differences in the relationship between religion and punk in Indonesia compared to other countries. In particular, he notes how, in the UK and Poland, punk loudly opposes religion while religion, whatever its power, is mostly unconcerned with punk outside of a few isolated moral panics. In Indonesia, on the other hand, religion is a far more all-encompassing presence, being deeply intertwined with the state, education, and community at every level - it's the justification and root of terror campaigns, the source of pressure from family and community, and on your ID card.

In a marked contrast to the so-called "West", in Indonesia the opposition flows in the other direction - both the state and autonomous religious groups actively repress punks, which most punks that Zindiq talked to sought to maintain a sense of religious identity and/or culture despite these pressures.

Interviews take up the bulk of this pamphlet, both with a variety of Indonesian punks (whether religious, semi-religious, or actively atheist) and with several punks in the UK and Polish scene. I would have personally preferred for the analysis of punk music coming out of Indonesia to dig a bit deeper - while specific groups are touched on, including those with both religious and atheist leanings, only two or three specific songs are analyzed and none of the groups are connected to specific interviewees. While this is somewhat understandable considering the risk that some of the interviewees took in stating their views even anonymously, the overall effect is far more disconnected than I would like.

I also feel that there is a bit too much emphasis on the UK and Polish viewpoints for a pamphlet that bills itself as being about Indonesian punk and religion. While some comparison is necessary, if only to mark the differences, considering the short length the amount of page space given over to "Western" punk is almost equal to that given to Indonesian punk. The overall effect is almost egregiously unbalanced, especially considering the amount of scholarship already out there about the UK scene.

Like many pamphlets, this feels like more of a prelude to a larger project than a finished work in and of itself. Still, it's alright when taken as a piece of groundwork, something to point you towards certain movements and bands from Indonesia rather than the be-all and end-all on punk and religion in Indonesia.