Bodies, Religious Norms, and Public Policy: A Critical Reading of the Indonesian Ulema Council Vasectomy Fatwa

Abstract

While extensive normative studies have examined Sharia law regarding vasectomy, research employing a social science approach remains scarce. This article addresses this gap by examining vasectomy through an interdisciplinary perspective, analyzing it simultaneously as a medical practice, a legal product of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), and a discourse intersecting with state policy. It investigates how the fatwa on vasectomy can be understood through the lenses of body discipline and public policy driven by common interests. Utilizing Michael Foucault's theory of body discipline and M. Asrorun Niam's framework on fatwa authority in public policy, this study reveals that the MUI's fatwa functions as a mechanism of body control designed to keep Indonesian Muslims biologically productive. Although the fatwa accommodates specific exceptions, the institutionalization of vasectomy within public policy faces institutional resistance from religious authorities. Furthermore, the MUI's stance within the BKKBN family planning framework operates as a bayān iṣlāḥī (reformative clarification)—supporting the program's substance while correcting its ethical alignment with Islamic law. Ultimately, this article argues that the synergy of common interests between religious and state authorities dictates the efficacy of the MUI's fatwa as a vital tool of social control and social engineering within Indonesian Muslim communities.