More Gain, More Pain: The Development of Indonesia's Islamic Economy Movement (1980s–2012)

Jul 8, 2026

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The paper analyzes the development of Indonesia’s Islamic economy movement and the Islamic economy project in both discursive and practical dimensions from the early stages to 2012. It uses a 2008 television advertisement for i-B Islamic banking to illustrate a shift from overt religious messaging toward a secularized emphasis on “sharing fairly.” The discussion distinguishes Islamic banking from the broader Islamic economy movement, describing how organized actors pursue the Islamization of the entire economic system.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryReligion & Spirituality

FormatPDF

Pages49

Reading Time2 h 3 min

Introduction

Islamic Economy Movement and Islamic Economy Project

More Gain, More Pain: The Development of Indonesia's Islamic Economy Movement (1980s–2012) Author(s): Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad Source: Indonesia , No. 95 (April 2013), pp. 125-172 Published by: Southeast Asia Program Publications at Cornell University Stable URL: [https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5728/indonesia.95.0125](https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.5728/indonesia.95.0125) JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [support@jstor.org](support@jstor.org). Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at [https://about.jstor.org/terms](https://about.jstor.org/terms) Southeast Asia Program Publications at Cornell University is collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to Indonesia This content downloaded from [152.118.150.186](152.118.150.186) on Wed, 23 Oct 2019 08:00:12 UTC All use subject to [https://about.jstor.org/terms](https://about.jstor.org/terms) MORE GAIN, MORE PAIN: THE DEVELOPMENT OF INDONESIA’S ISLAMIC ECONOMY MOVEMENT (1980 S–2012) Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad Introduction In 2008, a television advertisement used to promote the Indonesian i-B (Islamic Banking)1 looked similar to an advertisement produced by its “conventional” (i.e., interest-based) counterparts. The commercial opened with a scene of a businesswoman, without a veil, entering a bank. The following scenes that unfolded were: a husband cooking while his wife was busy at work; somebody stopping a quarrel between two bus passengers by giving them a pillow, thus allowing them to share the space comfortably; a Chineselooking businessman helping his driver push his broken-down car, and then sharing a drink from the same bottle; and a little girl playing basketball with a cool, sporty looking boy. There was no instance of a Muslim preacher or quotation from the 1 “i-B”(Ai-Bi) is the common identifier for Islamic banking in Indonesia launched by the Central Bank of Indonesia, BI, on July 2, 2007. The fancy name was intentionally chosen to influence the audience and connect it with “modern” brands such as iPhone, iPod, and ibank, and thus build a modern image for Islamic banking services. Indonesia 95 (April 2013) This content downloaded from [152.118.150.186](152.118.150.186) on Wed, 23 Oct 2019 08:00:12 UTC All use subject to [https://about.jstor.org/terms](https://about.jstor.org/terms) 126 Shofwan Al Banna Choiruzzad Qur’an. The differentiation of Islamic banking from conventional banking was highlighted smoothly by illustrating the benefit of “sharing fairly” in all of the scenes. 2 This commercial was interesting due to the fact that, not so long ago, in the late 1990s and even until early 2000, the first (and only) Islamic bank in Indonesia was still very fond of using religious passages in its marketing brochures, condemning interest as riba (usury), and threatening readers with divine punishment.3 Far deeper than a simple marketing gimmick, the TV commercial was a vivid illustration of how the Islamic banking industry and the wider Islamic economy project in Indonesia, at both the discursive and practical levels, had undergone significant change throughout its development. This paper will provide a comprehensive picture of the development of Indonesia’s Islamic economy movement from its early stages until the present. The Islamic Economy Movement and Islamic Economy Project Before proceeding further, it is important to distinguish clearly between “Islamic banking” and the “Islamic economy movement.”“Islamic banking” is a term used to refer to banking practices that, according to the Islamic economy movement, are conducted in accordance with Islamic

FAQs

What does the 2008 i-B television advertisement illustrate about the Islamic banking industry?

It shows a change in marketing style: Islamic banking is differentiated smoothly through the idea of “sharing fairly,” without relying on Muslim preachers or direct Qur’an quotations.

How is “Islamic banking” distinguished from the “Islamic economy movement” in the paper?

Islamic banking refers to banking practices conducted in accordance with Islamic law (shari’a), while the Islamic economy movement encompasses organized individuals and groups working to Islamize the entire economic system.

What key concept is presented as the central difference between Islamic banking and interest-based banking?

Islamic banking prohibits charging interest and instead provides services based on profit sharing (bagi hasil), which supports the advertisement’s message of fair sharing.

Jul 8, 2026

Upload by Skyler