A Year After the Ahmadi Murder, Why Is the Govt Going Soft on Hard-Liners?
The Jakarta Globe: One year ago today, Indonesia hit the headlines with the murder of three members of the Islamic Ahmadiyah sect, by a mob over a thousand strong in […]
Activists Question Indonesia President’s Silence Over Religious Violence
Activists are questioning the lack of response from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to a letter sent by international human rights organizations about the government’s handling of cases of religious discrimination. According to Indonesia’s Human Rights Working Group, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navanethem Pillay, has sent a letter […]
Religious radicalism and cultural change
Dadang Kahmad West Java has long been known for the tolerant nature of its society and culture. ‘Siger tengah’, or ‘the middle road’, is an underlying principle of Sundanese culture that promotes moderation and the avoidance of extremes of both right and left. ………….. Nevertheless, in recent times, it is […]
Indonesian Judge Faces 20 Years for Graft
Prosecutors at the Jakarta Anti- Corruption Court on Thursday demanded the maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for a suspended Central Jakarta District Court judge accused of accepting Rp […]
Religious conflicts and civilizing the civilians
Khairil Azhar, Jakarta Post: Shortly after the proclamation of Indonesian independence in 1945, a mob of Muslims hurriedly moved to Tugu Church in North Jakarta. They wanted to destroy the […]
‘Controversial religious affairs minister must go’
The Jakarta Post Rights activists and religious leaders have urged President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to dismiss Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali for his frequent statements that could fuel persecution against minority groups in the country. “Suryadharma doesn’t deserve the post because he has encouraged discrimination against Shiite by saying that […]
Atheism and Pancasila
Atheism does not violate Pancasila. All Indonesians may consciously and rationally choose their own beliefs. The country’s very foundation protects their right to do so.’ Alexander Aan, a civil servant […]
Drunk on Religion
Religion, juggernauts and the street violence Moh Yasir Alimi, The Jakarta Post: The fatal car crash in Gambir, Central Jakarta, on Sunday gives us a vivid illustration that can help us understand the nature of religious freedom in Indonesia. A driver, intoxicated after consuming alcohol and crystal methamphetamine, has been […]
Law Enforcers ‘Rarely Neutral’ in Religious Conflict
Jakarta Globe: When dealing with religious conflict in the field, police officers and other law enforcement officials tend to put their beliefs before their uniform, a researcher said on Wednesday. Gadjah Mada University political analyst Samsu Rizal Panggabean said that several factors explained why field officers were reluctant to take […]
Asylum-seeker boats to be turned back
Abbott boat plan causes concern in Jakarta A SENIOR Indonesian police official has voiced concerns about Opposition Leader Tony Abbott’s plan to turn back all asylum-seeker boats, warning the policy […]
Indonesians dump flowers, flip-flops for child rights
JAKARTA (AFP) – A community in eastern Indonesia has placed 1,000 pink adenium flowers outside the local parliament, police station and courtroom, not to say thanks, but to send a […]
Crocodile swallows 10-year-old girl as father watches helplessly
Maumere – Local officials in eastern Indonesia say a crocodile swallowed a 10-year-old girl while she frolicked in a river. The case is the second on that spot in the last two months. AFP reports that Viktor Mado Waton, a district head in East Nusa Tenggara province, said the incident […]
Rare Monkey Rediscovered in Indonesia
Washington. An endangered monkey known as the Miller’s Grizzled Langur has been discovered on the island of Borneo in an area it was not previously known to inhabit, international researchers […]
Breast milk couriers help working mothers in Indonesia
Courtesy: Daily Times Pakistan: Nursing mothers in the Indonesian capital who have to return to work but want to keep feeding their babies have a novel service they can turn […]
Ahmadiyah in Yogyakarta Under Surveillance by MUI Branch
Mainstream Islamic leaders in Yogyakarta are claiming the right to oversee the activities of Ahmadiyah groups after local adherents of the sect were threatened by an angry mob on Friday. “We will continue to supervise all activities of GAI [Indonesian Ahmadiyah Movement] and Jamaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia,” the head of the […]
Harassing Christians and Ahmadis, no problem but don’t throw stones at the Home Affairs Ministry.
Telegraph, UK Regal personage The Indonesian government signalled that it may finally act against the hard-line Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) after a mob stoned the Home Affairs Ministry in a […]
Indonesian Children Among Most ‘Cyberbullied’ in World: Poll Indicates
More than 10 percent of parents around the world say their child has been cyberbullied and nearly one-fourth know a youngster who has been a victim, according to a new […]
Bridging the Religious Divide Between Muslims in Indonesia
Jakarta Globe: An angry mob torched an Islamic boarding school, an adjacent mosque and a row of houses in Sampang, East Java, last Thursday. In February last year, a pesantren, […]
A Culture of Innovation Abounds In Indonesia’s SMK Classrooms
While two vocational schools in Solo are basking in the public spotlight for the sports utility vehicle their students have built, other vocational schools across the country are quietly churning […]
No Peace without dialogue among religions
Shiite property burning and violence in the name of religion Jakarta Post: The repeated violence in the name of religion, including the recently torching of a Shiite boarding school in […]