By Ahmad Suaedy The Daily Star, Beirut In Yogyakarta, the cultural center of the island of Java in Indonesia, the governor, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, has set an interesting precedent by refusing to ban the Ahmadiyah religious group. The group was founded by a 19th century Indian religious leader, Mirza Ghulam […]
Indonesia’s image as a poster child for pluralism has been tarnished – the actions of Islamic radicals are increasingly controlling the agenda. In the opinion of some observers, the moderate majority must display a greater sense of unity and overcome the authoritarian heritage of the country. By Anett Keller A […]
Jakarta is winning the war on terror, but not the war against radicalism. Indonesia notched another victory in its war on Islamic terror this month when a court sentenced Abu Bakar Bashir for 15 years. Mr. Bashir, the spiritual leader of Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), the al Qaeda affiliate behind the […]
Diplomatic immunity was originally meant to protect embassy personnel from arbitrary harrassment. But a new case in Berlin, involving the alleged abuse of a Indonesian servant, makes it clear that human rights sometimes get lost in the shuffle. The case could go to Germany’s highest court. Where else could […]
I recently spent a bit of time in the Maluku Islands, one of Indonesia’s northeastern provinces and also an archipelago in its own right. Given it is less accessible to tourists and definitely well off the beaten track, I thought Asian Correspondent readers might like to be treated to a […]
When US Defense Secretary Robert Gates devoted his final policy speech this month to berating NATO and America’s European allies, he was engaging in a time-honored tradition: Americans have worried about Europeans shirking their share of global burdens since the start of the 60-year-old alliance. Gates sounded a pessimistic note, […]
The world is witnessing a chaotic transition to uncertainty. While there is a profound transformation in the balance of global economic power, the lack of leadership has created a serious vacuum. Not much more than a decade ago, the emerging economies — China, India, Indonesia, Turkey, Brazil, Mexico, South Africa, […]
Former Playboy Indonesia chief editor Erwin Arnada finally walked out of prison a free man on Friday following a Supreme Court acquittal. Many greeted his release as a triumph for freedom of the press in this predominantly Muslim country. Human rights activist and head of Erwin’s legal team, Todung Mulya […]
Indonesia, which has come under fire from abroad for its use of the death sentence, has decided is to bar its citizens from Saudi Arabia to work after an Indonesian maid was beheaded for murdering her Saudi employer. There are about 1.2 million Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, most […]
Australian police are considering using fingerprints to identify people wearing face-covering veils, after a judge said he could not be sure a burqa-clad woman was who she told police she was. The judge said this week that a case against Carnita Matthews, who a magistrate earlier found had made a […]
The Jakarta Post | Sat, 06/18/2011 11:27 PM| MAKASSAR: South Sulawesi Governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo has approved a proposal to ban Ahmadiyah activities in his province. A gubernatorial bylaw will be deliberated together with representatives of Muslim community organizations in the province, the governor said Thursday. The approval apparently responded […]
Could Ruyati Binti Sapubi have been spared from the gallows in Saudi Arabia? The government must now explain to the public yet another failure to protect its citizens abroad. The 54-year-old Ruyati was hanged on Saturday for the 2010 murder of a Saudi woman who employed her as a servant. […]
A noted Saudi scholar has claimed that Bahrain’s embattled Al Khalifa royal family is seeking Indonesian mercenaries to help maintain its iron grip over the country. Ali al-Ahmad, head of Washington-based think-tank the Institute for Gulf Affairs, told Iran’s PressTV on Sunday that Bahraini officials had traveled to Indonesia, Malaysia […]
Jakarta – In Yogyakarta, the cultural centre of the island of Java in Indonesia, the governor, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, has set an interesting precedent by refusing to ban the Ahmadiyah religious group. The group was founded by a 19th century Indian religious leader, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, who claimed he was the promised Messiah foretold […]
JAKARTA — A $70-million haul of Ming Dynasty porcelain has been found in a 16th-century shipwreck off the Indonesian island of Java, a Portugal-based salvage company said Friday. Arqueonautas Worldwide (AWW) and its Indonesia-based partner RM Discovery Inc. said an “archaeological reconnaissance operation” had confirmed the discovery of the “biggest […]
The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore has taken a firm stand against claims made by the Obedient Wives Club, saying the group’s views are contrary to Islamic teachings and demean women and the concept of family. In its first statement following news of plans for a Singapore branch of the […]
Human Rights Watch has criticized Indonesian authorities for failing to uncover the people behind February’s brutal attack on the Ahmadiyah community in western Java. In a statement obtained by the Jakarta Globe, the New York-based nongovernmental organization calls on police to mount a “full investigation” into the deadly religious violence […]
It is likely the only common ground they will ever have, but terrorism analysts and supporters of militant cleric Abu Bakar Bashir do agree on one thing — the 15-year jail term that he received on Thursday means he will likely spend the rest of his life behind bars. The conclusion […]
Wednesday, 15 June 2011 Jakarta – In Yogyakarta, the cultural centre of the island of Java in Indonesia, the governor, Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, has set an interesting precedent by refusing to ban the Ahmadiyah religious group. The group was founded by a 19th century Indian religious leader, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, […]
Despite recent criticism about severe land and water pollution, Bali has the best environment of all of the provinces, a government study shows. The report on Indonesia’s environmental quality index in 2010 conducted by the Environment Ministry showed that Bali had a score of 99.65, the highest of all the […]