Virtually (Im)moral: Pious Indonesian Muslim Women’s Use of Facebook

Since the fall of the Suharto regime in 1998, the Indonesian media landscape has been radically transformed. The country is now a highly saturated media space in which people are exposed to numerous media, ranging from television to social media. In this article, I explore the meanings of Facebook for Indonesian Muslim women, in which morality is a core concern. Facebook becomes a platform in which they address and (re)work their understanding of Islam and ultimately voice their sense of piety. Based on ethnographic research with Muslim women and Indonesian media, I discuss the way they are actively shaping their piety through Facebook, especially around the issue of veiling. Although some religious clerics have concerns regarding Facebook, suggesting that it could incite gossip and jeopardise marriages, my participants utilised Facebook to share and discuss Islamic tenets with other Muslim women. Hence, Facebook is not merely experienced as a site for passing time or for entertainment, but is also used as a medium through which Indonesian women shape and refashion their piety.