DISPUTES WITHIN THE SALAFI

DISPUTES WITHIN THE SALAFI

COMMUNITY

The bitterness of splits and recrimination within the

salafi community is striking but not uncommon to

any radical faction that professes to maintain the

ideological purity of the larger whole. Most disputes

in Indonesia focus on the degree to which religious

purity has been compromised, in the view of one side,

by the other being too accommodating to individuals

with a greater tolerance for imperfection. In some

cases, the real source of friction may be competition

for Middle Eastern funding. The divisions are

illustrated by a few examples.