The Commodification of Religious Rituals: Representations of Political Actors in Indonesian Elections

Abstract

Elections in Indonesia are closely linked to religion, with politicians using religion as a medium to appeal to voters. In addition, the increasingly widespread commodification of religious rituals in Indonesian politics confirms that religious symbols in campaigns are still part of democratisation. This research aims to explain how to understand the phenomenon of Islamic religious commodification in the context of democracy in Indonesia, starting from the use of religious symbols, forms of commodification, and their implications. This research uses a descriptive qualitative method to analyse the commodification of religion by three Indonesian politicians running for the Indonesian presidential election 2024. Data was collected from Instagram, with 1,154 posts indicating the commodification of religion. The data was analysed using document searches and experts' views and combined for descriptive analysis. The commodification of religious rituals in Presidential Elections in Indonesia has transformed spiritual values into political interests, using religion to gain support and establish a leadership identity. The three politicians have intertwined religious symbols and relationships with clerics, resulting in Islamic populist ideology and identity politics. This has led to the polarisation of society and the recruitment of politicians for electoral purposes.