The Muslim community constituting 90% of Indonesla's total population, remains divided into two major factions: the Secular Nationalists, who believe in a radical separation between state and religion, and the Islamic Nationalists who, while not insisting on a fully Islamic State maintain that the Constitution should include a recognition of the special place of Islam. This thesis offers a study of the controversies surrounding the Five Basic Principles of the State, the Panca Sila, officia1ly formulated for the first time in the Jakarta Charter signed on June 22nd 1945. Special attentionis paid to the revision of the Charter on August 18, 1945, and the reopening of the debates on the Jakarta Charter following the President's Decree of July 5, 1959.

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This thesis investigates the activities of the Majlisul Islamil A`la Indonesia (MIAI), an Islamic federative organization of pre-independent Indonesia, elaborating in particular on the federation's socio-religious and political stance. Operating for only six years (1937--1943), the MIAI represented Muslim groups, as a counterpart to the "secularists," within the nationalist movement during both the final years of Dutch rule and the early stages of the Japanese occupation. The MIAI was established for the specific purpose of unifying the Islamic organizations---political and non-political, traditionalist and modernist alike---while at the same time reviving Muslim political and socio-religious strength after the decline of the Sarekat Islam, which had for almost fifteen years dominated the nationalist scene. / The mission of the MIAI was seen by Muslims as a response to the threat posed by external forces. It reacted in particular against Dutch policies considered discriminatory by Muslims concerning matters involving Islamic belief and practice, such as marriage and education. The federation also took a strong stand regarding Christian polemic aimed at Islam and took part in Indonesian Muslim response. That the establishment of the MIAI was favored by most Islamic organizations attested to the strong sentiment among Indonesian Muslims for a common front, regardless of their differences on socio-religious and political issues. Together with the GAPI (Gabungan Partai Politik Indonesia or the Federation of Indonesian Political Parties) and the PVPN (Persatuan Vakbonden Pegawai Negeri, or the Association of Government Employees), the MIAI took part in demanding political reform on behalf of Muslim groups. Indeed, notwithstanding its short life span, the MIAI was a pioneer for national unity in general and Indonesian Muslim unity in particular.

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Haji Agus Salim (1884--1954) was an Indonesian Muslim political figure of the Nationalist Era (1908--1945). He was influential in two important associations; Sarekat Islam (SI-Islamic Union) and the Jong Islamieten Bond (JIB-Young Muslim Union). Salim was born into religious family and had a Western education. In 1915 when he joined the Sarekat Islam it was at the height of its popularity. Salim became so engrossed with its goals, that he devoted most of his life to it. As such, he was soon able to obtain a high-ranking position in it, and to help formulate the movement's strategies. This thesis presents a number of Salim's positions on politics which show his disagreement and criticism of the Dutch Colonial policy and its effects, as well as his advocacy of an Islamic approach to politics rather than "socialism" as advocated by communist members of the SI. These views aimed at the paramount goal of freeing Indonesia from the Dutch colonialism. His views on "Nationalism" can be gleaned from his exchange of polemics with Sukarno, later president of Indonesia. These polemics portrayed Salim as a nationalist who would not depart from a religious viewpoint. Finally, his involvement with JIB was a continuation of his desire to implement and promote Islamic values among Young Indonesian Muslims of Western education, whom he regarded as the future leaders of the country.

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This thesis studies Wahid Hasyim's contribution to the development of the traditional educational institution (pesantren) and his involvement in political affairs during the colonial era and following independence. Although he grew up in traditionalist circles, his experience studying at this institution and in Arabia, in conjunction with his wide reading on various subjects, gave him an open attitude to innovation, particularly in the field of education. The backwardness of pesantren graduates in mastering secular sciences, compared to those who graduated from the Dutch schools, inspired him to modernize the pesantren system. The introduction of the madrasah into the pesantren system, an institution designed to offer courses in the secular sciences as well as on Islam, was evidence of his progressive aim to enhance the quality of Muslim education, and the traditionalist version in particular. In the political arena, he played a significant role in the struggle for independence and the development of modern Indonesia. Known as a prominent leader who had a close contacts with kyais through the pesantren network, he was able to mobilize Indonesian Muslims against colonial rule. His moderate attitude, which colored his political behavior, was vital to efforts at achieving compromise and at bridging the differences between traditionalists on the one hand and modernists as well as secular nationalists on the other.

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