Professor Bahtiar Effendy Launches Political and Islamic Essays

FISIP Auditorium, UIN News Online – Professor of political science UIN Jakarta Prof Dr Bahtiar Effendy launch his new book entitled “INSIGHT: Essays on Islam and Public Affairs” at FISIP Auditorium, campus II of UIN Jakarta, Tuesday (5/2). In addition to Bachtiar himself, the book launch event presents a number of reviewers such as intellectuals Fachry Ali, Executive Director of Freedom Institute Dr Rizal Mallarangeng, and Professor of Politics from LIPI Dewi Fortuna Anwar. Also presents in the event, LIPI historian Profesor Taufiq Abdullah, former chairman of PP Muhammadiyah and MUI Prof Din Syamsudian, and sociologist Prof Bambang Pranowo.

In his presentation, Bahtiar who finished his political doctoral study at Ohio State University, United States of America, said that the book that he launched this time is a compilation of his ideas about the dynamics of Islam and politic in Indonesia and the world throughout 2015-2014. All of his ideas have been published in the opinion column of the Jakarta Post daily newspaper.

“I started writing regularly in media opinion column shortly after completing a job as a senior research fellow at S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University (NTU), Singapore. There are many interesting discourses in the dynamics of the relationship between politics and religion in the context of Indonesian Muslim society,” he said.

The 237 pages book that is given a preface by the Professor Emeritus of Political Science, The Ohio State University of R. William Liddle is divided into five sections, among them are Islam and Public Affairs, The Reality of Democratic Politics, Islam and Electoral Politics, Religious Dialogue and International Affairs, and a small section that reflecting his thoughts on the fourth wave of democratization.

According to UIN News Online record, Bahtiar himself is quite productive in generating political ideas and his intersection with Islam in a form of books. Among them are Islam and the State in Indonesia (2003), Islam in Contemporary Indonesian Politics (2006), Putting All the Cards on the Table: Trust as a Factor in the War Against Terror (2008), dan Pangreh Praja During the Japanese Occupation (2009). (usa)