Indonesian West Sumatera Governor’s Ideological Dominance in The Discourse of Removing Minangkabau Language Gospel Application

Abstract

This study critically examines the ideological authority exercised by West Sumatra Governor Irwan Prayitno in the controversy surrounding the removal request of the Minangkabau-language Bible application from the Google Play Store. Using Norman Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), it analyzes the governor’s official correspondence and media statements to reveal linguistic and sociocultural strategies that legitimize the exclusion of the application. The discourse mobilizes the cultural-religious philosophy Adat Basandi Syarak, Syarak Basandi Kitabullah to conflate Minangkabau identity with Islamic values, reframing the removal request as cultural protection rather than religious intolerance. Counter-discourses from Minangkabau Christian leaders, civil society responses, and digital forums highlight marginalized perspectives. To enhance practical relevance, the study integrates policy analysis and human-rights frameworks related to freedom of expression and digital rights. Drawing on Foucault’s power/knowledge and Bourdieu’s symbolic capital, it uncovers ideological reproduction, resistance, and the contested nature of Minangkabau cultural identity in the digital era.