Islamic Patriotism in General Sudirman Comic Strips of Suara Muhammadijah Magazine (1966-1967)

Abstract

This paper examines 29 editions of comic serials portraying the struggle of one of the most influential military commanders in modern Indonesian history, General Sudirman, published from 1966-67 by the official magazine of Muhammadiyah, Suara Muhammadijah. By using a historical and comic studies approach, this research reveals that the comic aimed to arouse a feeling of Islamic patriotism among readers of the magazine. The still-ill Sudirman was visually depicted as a devout Muslim, whose patriotism and survival ability in guerrilla operations deep in Java’s forests during the Dutch-Indonesian war were illustrated as being rooted in his Islamic faith and his experience as a young member of Hizbul Wathan, Muhammadiyah’s boy scout group. This study sheds light on comics, a neglected product of Indonesian Islamic cultural history, which sought to renegotiate the important place of Islam during the Dutch-Indonesian war (1945-1949), amid the new opportunities presented by the political turmoil that occurred during the final phase of President Sukarno’s rule, when this comic was published.