Tyler Gnietwotta and Yohanna Ririhena, The Jakarta Post, Sometimes a phrase can be much more than just words and can find its way into everyday use in all aspects of life. This holds true with the Indonesian saying ‘from tragedy to opportunity’ as the nation overcame obstacles faced in the […]
Tom Allard Jakarta Ulil Abshar Abdalla is a Harvard-educated Islamic reformer, an adviser to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and one of Indonesia’s most perceptive intellectuals. Ask him about what has happened to Islam in Indonesia since the September 11 attacks, and he says: ”I think there has been a trend […]
Most Indonesians oppose the use of violence against the minority Muslim sect Ahmadiyah and think its followers here are their compatriots and should not be facing oppression, a survey by a human rights watchdog showed on Thursday. Many respondents also said the deadly February attack in Cikeusik, Banten, occured because the government […]
In the Footsteps of Their Father, Gus Dur When former President Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid passed away on Dec. 30, 2009, his youngest daughter, Inayah Wulandari Rahman, was by his side. His death came just one day before her 27th birthday. “It’s a heartbreaking moment when celebrations of life and […]
Jakarta Globe Indonesia’s justice system, like any other nation’s, is a work in progress. We cannot dispute that great progress has been made over the past few years in terms of law enforcement and independence of the courts. The police, for example, are more proactive and responsive in maintaining public […]
Jakarta Globe: Lydia Tomkiw Historian Michael Laffan’s new book explores the influences of trade, travel and traditions on the spread of Islam in Indonesia. Historian, author and professor Michael Laffan studied Indonesian in high school in Australia before going on to study Arabic in college. Laffan wanted to connect the […]
WikiLeaks’ Asian Field Day In Indonesia, the national police are discovered to be using a hard-line Islamic group as its hidden “attack dog.” In Indonesia, octogenarian Singaporean founder Lee Kuan Yew calls Islam a “venomous religion. In Malaysia, UMNO leaders are “willing to blacken Malaysia’s reputation to ensure the end […]
Authorities are placating extremists, writes Tom Allard in Indonesia. Ulil Abshar Abdalla is one of Indonesia’s most perceptive intellectuals, a Harvard-educated Islamic reformer and an adviser to the President, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. When asked what has happened to Islam in Indonesia since the September 11 attacks, he says: ”I think […]
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The National Command Post for Idul Fitri reported that hundreds of people died in road accidents related to the annual homecoming exodus. “According to data from the police traffic corps, 433 people died in road accidents,” National Command Post head Hotma Simanjuntak said as quoted by […]
Testriono, Jakarta (The writer is a researcher at the Center for the Study of Islam and Society at the State Islamic University Syarif Hidayatullah, Jakarta) I recently met some friends through social media who were elementary or junior high students when the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the United States. Most […]
Jakarta Globe Not all Muslims celebrated Idul Fitri with jubilance and excitement. For members of the Ahmadiyah minority sect, this year’s celebration is marked by heartache and fear. Firdaus Mubarik, a spokesman for the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI), told the Jakarta Globe on Wednesday that approximately 600 Ahmadis in Sukadana […]
JAKARTA (REUTERS) – Indonesia’s government has declared that the moon is not in the right position for the Islamic fasting month of Ramadan to end as expected on Tuesday, causing hungry disappointment in the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Indonesians, 90 per cent of whom are Muslim, celebrate the end […]
Jakarta Globe: Alexandria. In a Catholic church located in the shadow of Mount Vernon, the estate of George Washington, the first US president, a group of Muslim faithful roll out their prayer rugs each week and kneel to pray to Allah. Polls show that Islam in the United States is […]
BERITAJAKARTA.COM — About 240 thousands of Muhammdiyah members have done Eid prayer today, Tuesday (8/30). Eid prayer was implemented in 120 Mosques and Mushalas (Muslim worship room) which spread in five areas of Jakarta and Bekasi. Chief of Jakarta DPW Muhammadiyah, Agus Suradika stated that the implementation of Eid prayer […]
Panca Nugraha, The Jakarta Post, North Lombok Peace and unity are beautiful. This message has been consistently maintained by residents of Karang Pangsor hamlet at Pemenang district in North Lombok regency, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB). It is demonstrated by Jami’ul Jamaah Mosque, which was built in collaboration by followers of […]
Eid a time of Jubilation in the Muslim World: http://www.demotix.com/news/808176/eid-ul-fitr-exodus-out-indonesia http://www.demotix.com/news/807413/mall-jakarta-crowded-people-end-ramadan
Indonesian Muslim youths keep faith amid reform According to a recent survey by Germany’s Goethe-Institute, the bulk of youths in the world’s largest Muslim-majority country share remarkably traditional values about faith and family, despite a decade of social and political change since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship. More than […]
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta University of Indonesia (UI) has come under a storm of protests for awarding an honorary doctorate to King Abdullah of Saudi Arabia, a leader whose commitment to human rights has been seriously questioned by labor activists. The award came just two months after the beheading of […]
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta The South Sulawesi administration says it forbids members of the Ahmadiyah Muslim community to conduct religious activities during the upcoming Idul Fitri holiday. South Sulawesi governor Syahrul Yasin Limpo said according to his subordinate’s report, the condition in the province was conducive, but he said he […]
The Jakarta Post As many as 1,860 US diplomatic cables concerning Indonesia were released by WikiLeaks on Wednesday night and are now available on its website. The leaked documents reveal the US’ views regarding a number of issues in Indonesia, including its approval of former finance minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati’s […]