Abstract:
Islam Nusantara It is not a new sect, nor is it a new school in Islam, but a
characteristic of Muslims in the Nusantara. This concept was only popularized by the public when the PBNU was led by K.H. Said Aqil Siraj making it as the theme of the 33rd NU Congress in Jombang. Islam Nusantara is present as an effort to ward off radicalism and show the whole world the face of a peaceful, tolerant and cultured Islam. The presence of this concept as a form of Islamic understanding based on local identity to preserve the culture of the Nusantara and foster the spirit of community nationalism towards the nation and to dispel the arrival of transnational ideology, for example like radical Islamic ideologies to Indonesia and its neighboring countries Malaysia and Singapore. The methodology used by the author is a qualitative method, sourced from international journals and books collected online and also from the official websites of NU and related ones. This study explores the efforts to implement the Islam Nusantara in Malaysia and Singapore as a means of diplomacy through a cultural approach. And also the efforts made mainly by Nahdhatul Ulama (NU) led by K.H. Said Aqil Siradj as an organization that started this idea in socializing the Islam Nusantara also support from government to be well received in Malaysia and Singapore. Islam Nusantara believed to be a new symbol of Islam that emerged from the Nusantara which could be proof that Islam can blend with culture.
