In practice...

In practice, however, “the progressive Muslim social concepts which it sought to advance could not be divested of the political consciousness of its members and of the pupils taught in its many schools.

It was a still, but deep, tributary of the stream of political nationalism and quietly but substantially nourished and strengthened that stream.”[^8] B: National Movement in Indonesia The degree of religious homogeneity in Indonesia that Islam had brought about was an important factor in the growth of national movement.

Islam served both as a symbol of social unity and as an ingroup solidarity against imperialistic foreign aggressors in a country where, in spite of diversity of race, language, and religion, the national feeling was strong. While the Dutch Govern­ment and the Christian organizations in Holland gave moral and material assistance to the Christian missions established in Indonesia, the Government did not allow the purely Muslim societies or organizations to propagate freely the principles of Islam.