Indonesia was once known for its moderate and diverse Islam, but extremism is on the rise. Anger over the perceived “blasphemy” of former Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known as “Ahok”), a Chinese Christian, brought more than 200,000 people to the streets in 2016 and eventually led to his imprisonment. In August 2017 the government announced plans to further tighten blasphemy legislation, though a month earlier it ordered the disbandment of Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir “to protect Indonesia’s unity”.
Indonesia sees reduction in religious freedom violations
Indonesia saw fewer violations of religious freedom in 2017 than the year before, a national human rights group said this week, although it said it remained concerned about “the politicisation of religious and social differences”. In its ‘2017 Report on Religious Freedom and Religious Minorities in Indonesia’, the Setara Institute […]
Indonesian archbishop calls for ‘national unity’
In his New Year’s message the Archbishop of Jakarta has called for “national unity” in Indonesia after a year that saw religious and political divisions deepen. In his letter, Bishop Ignatius Suharyo Hardjoatmodjo urged Catholics “to deepen [their] understanding of the state philosophy – national unity – as embodied in […]
Indonesian Christians oppose new Jakarta Governor’s Christmas event
The Council of Churches in Indonesia has opposed a Christmas event organised by Jakarta’s new Islamist governor, reports Asia News. Anies Baswedan had invited Christians to the ‘Celebration of Christmas’ being held at the National Monument (Monas), a tower in central Jakarta that symbolises the country’s struggle for independence. Monas […]
Indonesia church leader charged with blasphemy
An Indonesian church leader has been charged with blasphemy – the first case of its kind in the country – and could face five years in prison. Rev. Abraham Ben Moses, 52, was arrested and detained last week in his home town of Tangerang, Java, 25 km west of the capital, […]
Indonesian children still in recovery mode one year after church bombing
Three-year-old Anita Sihotang is still too scared to leave her house. It has been just over a year since a terrorist threw a Molotov cocktail into the grounds of the church yard where she was playing in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province. The explosion killed one of her friends, two-year-old Intan […]
Indonesia: Vote only for Muslims in 2018/19, say hardliners
Hardline Islamic leaders have called on Indonesians to vote only for Muslim candidates at the regional and presidential elections over the next two years, reports UCA News. Indonesia needs leaders “who can defend Islam and make sure Islamic teachings are applied… We don’t want people like Ahok [the Christian former […]
Indonesia: Ahok’s accuser found guilty of hate speech
A key figure behind the jailing of the Christian former Governor of Jakarta for blasphemy has been sentenced to one and a half years in jail for hate speech. However, a West Java court ruled on Tuesday (14 November) that the defendant, Buni Yani, should not be detained immediately. A […]
‘Mutual respect’ needed to combat radicalisation in Indonesia
Religious leaders should be more involved in creating an inclusive and pluralistic Indonesia and “leave the ‘comfort zone’” of their community, Catholic bishops were told at a conference this week. What the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation needs from its religious leaders now “is greater commitment to get involved more […]
Indonesia High Court in ‘milestone’ ruling for religious freedom
In a “milestone” ruling, Indonesia’s High Court on Tuesday (7 November) said all religious groups should be treated equally before the law in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, and that failing to do so would be “unconstitutional”. A law adopted in 2013 requires Indonesian citizens to declare their religious […]
Indonesia: ‘zero flexibility’ for adoptions by religious minorities
Religious minorities in Indonesia are discriminated against when they want to adopt, according to Human Rights Watch’s report, which highlights the case of a Christian policewoman from North Sumatra. Ida Maharani Hutagaol, took a month-old boy, found abandoned in a ditch in Binjal, to hospital and ensured he was well cared for. In […]