The role of Islam in Indonesian politics can only be understood within this fluid, ever-changing context. Muslim democrats like those in Indonesia tend to be more civil democratic than they are liberal in spirit. They deny the need for an Islamic state. But they insist that society involve more than autonomous individuals, and democracy more than markets and the state. Civil Islam is dependent on having a civilized state. Civil Islam, is not a static concept but is based on the political power relations that exist in society. What one calls a civilized state is one with transparent laws, including the place of religion, which are accepted by its citizens. Islam is only one element to how the state functions. The key issue is whether the citizens believe in the laws and how they affect them. Islam has its religious laws, according to which the rules of the state are defined by the clerics. But as in all societies, who the clerics are and what they believe define the laws. The problem for Indonesian Islam was conforming to what was seen as a Western-type secular state with their worldview of Islam and politics where the two couldn't be separated. The founding fathers' wisdom was to base the state on Pancasila (respect for all religions) and not give priority to Islam, though most of the leaders were nominal or devout Muslims. The president and military, however, did not respect democracy or civil society. They abused their power for their own interests. This research used qualitative research which is primarily exploratory research. It is used to gain an understanding of underlying reasons, opinions, and motivations. It provides insights into the problem or helps to develop ideas or hypotheses for potential quantitative research. Qualitative Research is also used to uncover trends in thought and opinions, and dive deeper into the problem.