MEMBANGUN PARTISIPASI POLITIK KELAS MENENGAH MUSLIM INDONESIA

Tulisan ini bertujuan untuk menganalisis mengenai karakter politik dan tipologi masyarakat kelas menengah Muslim Indonesia pascareformasi. Karakter tersebut menjadi penting dikaji untuk melihat basis-basis pembentukannya. Pada umumnya, kelas menengah Muslim Indonesia tumbuh karena dua sumber: intelektualisme dan borjuasi. Intelektualisme menandai adanya transformasi pemikiran Islam yang serba ortodoks dan puritan menjadi kritis. Sedangkan borjuasi menandai adanya pergeseran basis ekonomi yang semula bercorak agraris menjadi tergantung pada jasa, perdagangan, maupun birokrasi. Modernisasi menjadi kata kunci terhadap pembaruan kelas menengah Muslim Indonesia. Ia terbagi dalam tiga rentang waktu, yakni masa kolonialisme, pascakemerdekaan dan masa pascareformasi. Sejalan dengan modernisasi tersebut, arah partisipasi dan representasi politik kelas menengah Muslim Indonesia kemudian berkembang ke dalam ranah politik maupun non-politik. Secara politis, pendirian partai politik merupakan solusi bagi mereka dalam mengartikulasikan kepentingannya. Sedangkan,secara non-politis atau kultural, mereka umumnya terepresentasikan dalam kegiatan keagamaan dan pengajian kaum elit.This article aimed to analyze about political character of Indonesia Muslim middle class in postreformation era. In addition to analyze, this article is also describe the typology of Indonesian Muslim middle class. That typologies are becoming important to observe the establishment bases of Indonesian Muslim middle class. In general terms, Indonesian Muslim middle class have grown up due to intellectualism and bourgeoises. Intellectualism has indicated such transformation from traditional thinking method based on pesantren to critical studies. Meanwhile, bourgeoises indicated transformation from farming activities towards trade, bureaucracy, and manufactures. In other words, modernizationis pivotal words among Indonesian Muslim middle class which devided into three parts; colonialization, republicanism, and postreformation era. Those three parts have own modernization characteristic. In line with that growth pattern, political party establishment is sole solution among Indonesian middle class to articule their political interest. Furthermore, middle class who were not in political struggle tend to creating “majelis ta'lim” and other forms. It is came to conclusion that society strengthening is ultimate option to carry out political interest and representation. This article will elaborate more deeply about political participation among Indonesian Muslim middle class.