The ethos of responsibility promoted by Muslim leaders of the UOIF assumes a particular flavor in the context of tight secular constraints. In France, the renewal of public discussions on laïcité since the 1990s has resulted in the consolidation of a hard, exclusivist understanding of secularism. Against the backdrop of such constraints and aligned with the revivalist tradition of contextually adapted Islamic rulings, Muslim leaders emphasize the importance of low-profile, unobtrusive forms of religiosity over more public forms. They exhort their coreligionists to practice discretion and self-restraint, whether in their sartorial practices, in the architecture of their mosques, or during the celebration of Ramadan. This requirement for discretion goes hand in hand with the celebration of an “intelligent” reading of the Scriptures. This class-layered exercise goes against the “ignorant” interpretations of migrant workers and Salafi followers while being aligned with the Islamic tradition of moderation (wasaṭiyya). The chapter concludes by delving into the case of Tareq Oubrou, a renowned Muslim scholar in Bordeaux, who advocates for a “theology of acculturation” in harmony with French republicanism. Oubrou’s theological endeavors further exemplify the reflective, intellectualized approach to religion promoted by UOIF leaders, as well as their middle-class sensibilities.

This chapter contextualizes how ethical values drawn from Pancasila and Islam are mutually reinforcing in the formulation of human dignity. By using a genealogical approach, I argue that the pursuit of human dignity in Indonesia is debated in terms of the inviolability of human beings and the fulfilment of rights by the state. First, I show how the discourses surrounding human dignity by secular and Muslim nationalists in the colonial contexts coalesced with the pursuit of progress and the need for a sovereign nation. I also trace how secular and Muslim nationalists came to an agreement on the formulation of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution of the Republic of Indonesia. Second, I draw values from Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution, in orienting the nation’s development and promotion of human dignity during the New Order regime. I also discusses the drawbacks of politicizing Pancasila and its impacts on the debates of human dignity and the way Islamic values were used as a framework for ethical and political considerations. I end the chapter by examining how Pancasila and Islam intersect as ethical frameworks in shaping human dignity as the fulfilment of rights.