KOLONIALISME BELANDA DI INDONESIA DALAM PERSPEKTIF TEORI RASIAL MURTADHA MUTHAHHARI

Abstract

Dutch colonialism in Indonesia operated not only through political domination and economic exploitation but also through a rigid racial construction that shaped colonial social hierarchy. This article examines Dutch colonialism through the racial theory of Murtadha Muthahhari, particularly his concept of aṣabiyyah (group fanaticism) and his critique of racism as a form of structural oppression. Under the Dutch colonial system, society was divided into Europeans, Foreign Orientals, and indigenous people (inlanders), with the latter positioned at the lowest level of the social order and denied equal access to education, economic resources, and political power. This racial hierarchy reflects what Muthahhari describes as aṣabiyyah jahiliyyah, a form of racial fanaticism that contradicts the Islamic principle of human equality as articulated in Quran Surah al-Hujurat verse 13. By analyzing colonial policies such as the Cultivation System, the Ethical Policy, and social and educational segregation, this study demonstrates that racism functioned as a tool to legitimize colonial domination. Furthermore, colonialism is interpreted as a form of structural injustice and a moral pathology rooted in racial arrogance and the distortion of power. The impact of colonial racism extended beyond social stratification and educational exclusion, fostering a collective awareness among indigenous communities that racial oppression must be resisted. This awareness ultimately contributed to the emergence of nationalist movements and the active role of anti-colonial Muslim leaders in Indonesia.