BRANDS OF PIETY? Islamic Commodification of Polygamous Community in Indonesia

Abstract

The interrelation between the Islamic faith and consumerism has evoked abundant of religious expressions among Indonesian Muslims as well as identity contests and public piety. Despite the fact that consumerism is irrelevant to many developed countries and has shifted into postconsumerism culture, Indonesian Muslims are keen on practicing consumerism in every aspect of life, including religious practices. This article discusses religious commodification aspects within the practice of polygamy among Indonesian urban Muslims, especially the trend of polygamous marriage promoted on online media. It is through virtual ethnography methods on two distinctive polygamous groups, namely Forum Poligami Indonesia (Indonesian Polygamy Forum) and Rabbanian Family, that the data were gathered. We propose that polygamy has become commodified like any other economic objects due to freedom of expression brought about by democratic atmosphere and development of online media. Moreover, the rise of popular Islam that has conservative tendency, as expressed by middle-class Muslims in Indonesia, has become a strong indication of such a practice.