It was started from several meetings and discussions among young Muslim intellectuals in ISAI ("Institut Studi Arus Informasi"; Institute for the Studies on Free Flow of Information), Jakarta, and then extended through discussion using a mailing list, islamliberal@yahoogroups.com in early 2001. The founders held the first discussion on February 21, 2001, at "Teater Utan Kayu", Jakarta, on "Akar-Akar Liberalisme Islam: Pengalaman Timur Tengah" ("The Roots of Islamic Liberalism: The Middle East Experience"), presented by a young progressive scholar, Luthfi Assyaukanie. That meeting was followed by other discussions, either in the form of face-to-face meetings or through the mailing list.