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Today's Headlines Islam

  • Jakarta Governor Ahok Named Suspect in Blasphemy Investigation

    After a first hearing on Tuesday (15/11) Indonesia's Police named incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (better known as Ahok) as suspect in a blasphemy investigation case, implying that he cannot leave the country while investigation is conducted. This announcement was made on Wednesday morning (16/11). About a dozen people filed blasphemy allegations against Ahok after a manipulated recording surfaced on social media showing him expressing disrespectful language about a specific Quranic verse during a speech in Kepulauan Seribu, off the coast of Jakarta, in early October.

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  • Politics & Religion in Indonesia: Ahok's Blasphemy Allegations

    Jakarta's Police Department said chances are small that there will be another anti-Ahok demonstration in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta. Over the past week media reported that protesters want to stage another demonstration on 25 November 2016 to demand the arrest of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (known as Ahok). Protesters accuse Ahok (a Christian of Chinese descent) of blasphemy after seeing a manipulated video that showed Ahok (mis)quoting Quranic verses during a speech in Kepulauan Seribu, off the coast of Jakarta, in early October.

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  • 12th World Islamic Economic Forum Opened in Indonesia's Jakarta

    The 12th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF), held in Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta between 2 - 4 August 2016, was opened today by Indonesian President Joko Widodo and newly appointed Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati. The WIEF brings together government leaders, industrial leaders, academic scholars, regional experts, professionals and corporate leaders to discuss opportunities for business partnerships in the Muslim world. The 12th WIEF, attended by some 2,500 delegates from 69 nations, carries the theme "Decentralizing Growth, Empowering Future Business".

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  • Religious Violence Indonesia: Buddhist Temples Tanjung Balai Damaged

    Religious violence and intolerance flared up in Indonesia's North Sumatra over the weekend when an angry Muslim mob burned down (or damaged) 12 Buddhist temples in Tanjung Balai. According to local authorities the mob was mobilized after an Indonesian woman of Chinese descent complained about the loud volume of the calls to prayer and Koranic recitals at the mosque that is situated in front of her house. One day later, seven people were detained by Indonesian police on suspicion of attacking the temples.

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  • Indonesia's Mudik Travelers Estimated to Rise in 2016

    The Transportation Ministry of Indonesia predicts that there will be around 18 million people traveling back to their places of origin ahead of this year's Idul Fitri celebrations (the days that mark the end of the Ramadan fasting month). This prediction is 3.3 percent higher than the flow of people during last year's Idul Fitri (17.4 million). The annual exodus of Indonesian workers and professionals from the cities back to their hometowns - to spend some days with their parents - ahead of Idul Fitri (Lebaran) is called mudik in Indonesian.

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  • Inflation Indonesia: Heightened Money Circulation due to Ramadan & Idul Fitri

    The holy Islamic fasting month (Ramadan) is set to start in early June. One month later Indonesia will celebrate Idul Fitri (Lebaran), the celebration that marks the end of the Ramadan month. During Idul Fitri millions of Indonesians will travel back to their places of origin to spend some time with their families, a tradition called mudik. Although the Ramadan is a month characterized by self-control, this month and the subsequent Idul Fitri celebrations always cause rising consumption of food products as well as rising consumer spending on clothes, shoes, bags, and other articles.

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  • Saudi Arabian Airlines Plans to Increase Flights to Indonesia

    Saudi Arabian Airlines, the Jeddah-based flag carrier airline of Saudi Arabia, plans to increase its flight frequency to Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta from 14 flights to 18 flights per week. According to Marwan M. Altoumah, Saudi Airlines' Area Manager for Indonesia, Australia and New Zealand, demand for flights between Saudi Arabia and Indonesia is on the rise and therefore the airline wants to cater this demand. By the end of the year, Saudi Arabian Airlines intends to submit its request for additional flights to Jakarta and Surabaya.

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  • What are the Official National Public Holidays in Indonesia in 2016?

    Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago. Due to the country's sheer size (implying diversity) it contains a variety of different religions and traditional beliefs. The Constitution of Indonesia, a secular democratic country containing a Muslim-majority population, guarantees all Indonesian citizens the freedom of worship, each according to his or her own religion or belief. This also means that Indonesia contains many, mostly religion-inspired, public holidays on which financial markets are closed.

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  • Terrorist Attack Jakarta: Explosions & Gunfire in Central Jakarta - Update

    Several people, five terrorists and two civilians, have been killed in a series of multiple explosions and gunfire in the center of Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta. Around 10:50 am local Jakarta time the first explosion occurred near the Sarinah department store on Jalan M.H. Thamrin in Central Jakarta. Previously Indonesian authorities had already received a threat from Islamic State that the country would be in the spotlight of this terrorist organization. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for the attacks.

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  • Radical Islam in Indonesia: the Islamic State Returnees

    Sutiyoso, Director of Indonesia's State Intelligence Agency (BIN), said authorities will closely monitor those Indonesians that return home after having joined the militant Islamic State in Syria. It is estimated that more than 100 Indonesians have traveled back to the Archipelago from Syria after having fought alongside the militant organization. Meanwhile, Indonesian policy is investigating a video that has been circulating on social media. This video displays a local terrorist group threatening to attack Indonesia's State Palace and Jakarta Policy headquarters.

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Latest Columns Islam

  • Politics of Indonesia: Has Democracy Gone Over the Top?

    At the inauguration of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura)'s new central leadership board on Wednesday (22/02), Indonesian President Joko Widodo said "Indonesian democracy has recently gone over the top". He referred to the various controversial cases and demonstrations that have emerged in recent months involving hate speech related to race, religion, ethnicity and class.

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  • FPI Leader Shihab Named Suspect in Pancasila Insult Case

    Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front (in Indonesian: Front Pembela Islam, or FPI), has been named a suspect of insulting the Pancasila (Indonesia's state ideology) by the West Java branch of Indonesian Police on Monday (30/01). Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno, had filed a police report against Shihab after a speech surfaced in which the latter insulted and criticized the Pancasila as well as national hero Sukarno.

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  • Politics & Law in Indonesia: Ahok's Blasphemy Trial

    A high profile trial is about to start in Indonesia. On Tuesday (13/12) incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (better known as Ahok), a Christian of Chinese descent, will visit the Jakarta Court for the first day of his trial. Ahok is prosecuted for blasphemy, an offense that carries a maximum prison sentence of five years in Indonesia. After the Vietnamese iced coffee murder case, this is another huge court case followed not only by the Indonesian people, but also by the international community that is concerned about rising intolerance in Indonesia.

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  • Safety Alert Indonesia: Stay Clear of Friday's Rally in Jakarta

    Again we advise people, specifically expats, to stay away from Central Jakarta on Friday (02/12) when another massive rally is scheduled to take place. This second big protest rally, aimed against incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (better known as Ahok), may attract more than 150,000 protesters and could become the scene of riots and other forms of violence in the capital city of Indonesia. Many businesses will keep their doors shut on Friday to anticipate the unpredictable situation.

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  • Islamic Sharia Law in Aceh: 13 Indonesians Caned

    A total of 13 Indonesians were caned (a punishment under the Islamic Sharia law) at a local mosque in Banda Aceh in Indonesia's province of Aceh on Monday (17/10). These people (seven men and six women) allegedly exhibited behavior that is not allowed by Aceh's local Sharia law. Such behavior includes "too close contact" between unmarried people (such as touching and kissing). Over the past two days pictures of the caning spread in international media, accompanied by concerns about this brutal punishment and the state of human rights in Indonesia.

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  • Radical Islam in Indonesia: Lone Wolf Attack in Catholic Church

    The 17-year-old Ivan Armadi who tried to kill a Catholic priest and detonate a self-made bomb during the Sunday service (28/08) in a church in Medan (North Sumatra) is one example of the Islamic State sympathizers that are present in Indonesia. Although the police investigation indicates that there are no direct links between Armadi and existing militant networks within Indonesia or abroad, the case shows that there are so-called "lone-wolves" in Indonesia who are inspired by radical Islamic doctrine and can learn to make bombs from the Internet.

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  • Indonesia & Malaysia to Develop Global Center for Islamic Capital Markets

    The stock exchanges of Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to join hands to develop a World Sharia Stock Market Center. Both sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday (02/08) at the 12th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Jakarta. Both exchanges - the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and the Bursa Malaysia - are eager to establish a global benchmark for Islamic capital markets. This is part of an effort to broaden the usage and availability of Islamic liquidity and products worldwide.

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  • Islam & Indonesian Culture: Impact of Idul Fitri on the Economy

    Next week Indonesia's financial and stock markets are closed for Idul Fitri (also known as Lebaran or Eid al-Fitr), the celebrations that mark the end of the holy Islamic fasting month (Ramadan). As usual, during the Ramadan month (that started in early June) business activities in Indonesia start to slow and this slowdown will reach its "peak" during the Idul Fitri holiday, a national holiday (from Monday 4 July to Friday 8 July) when some 17.6 million Indonesians who live and work in the bigger cities will return to their places of origin for a couple of days (a tradition called mudik).

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  • Can Indonesia Become the Mecca of Islamic Fashion?

    Ahead of the Islamic Ramadan and Idul Fitri celebrations, consumption tends to increase in Indonesia. One of the products that is searched for by Indonesian consumers (those who adhere to Islam) is Muslim fashion such as clothes and the veil. In fact, the Indonesian government wants the nation to become Asia's center for Muslim fashion by the year 2018 and the world's Muslim fashion leader by 2020. Muslim clothes are also envisaged to become a key export product. Currently, Indonesia's Muslim fashion exports are still rather insignificant.

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  • Indonesia's Conventional Banks to Spin Off Islamic Units by 2024

    Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), the government agency that regulates and supervises the nation's financial services sector, is preparing a new regulation that requires conventional financial institutions in Indonesia to spin off their Islamic financial units before 17 October 2024. Islamic finance or Islamic banking is a type of banking that is in accordance to the principles of sharia (Islamic law). Based on the regulation, those financial institutions that generate at least 50 percent of their capital through Islamic finance have to comply with the new rule.

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