Majelis Ulama

… General formally declared the sect Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah to be heretical and illegal throughout Indonesia on 7th November, after a meeting with representatives of the Clerics' Council (MUI), the Department of Religion, Military Intelligence, the police, and the State Intelligence Agency (BIN), and based on MUI conclusions that the group's teachings were not in accordance with the Qur'an and Sunnah. tempo

The head of BIN, Syamsir Siregar, said on the 2nd there were about 8,000 …

Comment by Rambutan: … becoming a good Indonesian citizen and patriot??? …

Kontes Kecantikan Miss Indonesia

Perlombaan Miss Indonesia di Palembang dituduh menyebarkan sipilis.

Tidak Cocok

Pemilihan Grand Final Miss Indonesia 2008 yang dijadwalkan untuk diselenggarakan di Palembang, Sumatra Selatan, telah dibatalkan oleh Gubernur Syahrial Oesman pada tanggal 23 Januari lalu.

"Rencana pemilihan Miss Indonesia 2008 di Palembang sudah saya batalkan. Alasannya, memang tidak pas saja untuk digelar di …

Comment by Cubi-Cubi: … ampunilah rakyat Indonesia yg dah salah kaprah ini”, …

Miss Indonesia

The Miss Indonesia beauty contest in Palembang is accused of spreading syphilis.

Newsflash

Sandra Angelia - Miss Indonesia 2008.

Unfit

The Grand Final of the Miss Indonesia 2008 beauty pageant selection process, which had been scheduled to take place in Palembang, South Sumatra, was cancelled by provincial governor Syahrial Oesman on 23rd January 2008.

I've cancelled it, it's …

Comment by sonia: … I”M SUPPORT MISS INDONESIA 2008. Because it can make us …

Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama

Another new political party, the Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama (PKNU), a split off from the PKB.

As if 27 new political parties were not enough, and hot on the heels of another new Muslim-based party, the Partai Matahari Bangsa, now comes the formation of the Partai Kebangkitan Nasional Ulama (PKNU), the National Clerics' Awakening Party, or perhaps more correctly, the Clerics' National Awakening Party.

The birth of the PKNU is the result …

Comment by Ryan revolt: … have to change the Indonesia political system with the …

Majelis Mujahidin Unhappy

The Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia, MMI, have issued a "summons" to the police, claiming there is a witch-hunt against the Muslim community.

The Mujahidin Council, long fond of the summons tactic, (see their summons of the leaders of Bali ), filed their complaint to the police special anti-terrorist unit, Detachment 88 (Densus 88) specifically over the raid on a terrorist hideout in central …

Nahdlatul Ulama Moving Rightwards

Voices have been raised that the largest Muslim organisation in the country, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), is moving towards intolerance.

Nahdlatul Ulama, whose name means something like "the awakening of the traditional Islamic teachers and scholars", has recently demonstrated its support both for the Indonesian Ulema Council's (MUI) fatwa which declares the Jamaah Ahmadiyah sect heretical and and for Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni's statement that the Ahmadiyah …

Comment by the Moslem: … of law. For Indonesia, it is clear that the frame …

Wag the Dog à la Indonesia

… government creates distractions and the media willingly participate, to hide the real problems of Indonesia.

Wag the Dog à la Indonesia

If you are an Indonesian like me, or a foreigner living in Indonesia, or someone who has been following Indonesian current events, you might agree with me when I say that Barry Levinson's " Wag the Dog " rings a familiar bell. It is somewhat similar to what has been happening lately in Indonesia.

The government knows the people is much more …

Comment by Cukurungan: … poorer people) of indonesia can’t afford gas or …

Google Maps Indonesia

Google insults the people of Indonesia with their sub-par maps.

This is Google Maps' view of East Java. It's an improvement on not too long ago, when the dot for Malang was bigger than the dot for Surabaya - now they've gotten onto equal terms, so moving in the right direction.

But the spelling hasn't improved yet, - there are old Dutch forms, and some odd ones, like:

Madium for Madiun
Badad (is …

Comment by Patung: … going to “do” Indonesia mapwise next year, it’s …

Self Publish Books in Indonesia

Ross on how to self-publish books in Indonesia.

It is always a matter of interest, fascination, even, to walk round Jakarta bookshops and see how many expats put pen to paper and reveal what they think about the country they've adopted. Some of these are a darned good read, but how easy is it to publish here?

Speaking from personal experience, very.

Having had some modest success elsewhere, I didn't bother …

Pacaran dengan Gadis-gadis Indonesia

Berpacaran dengan perempuan Indonesia bukan untuk semua orang.

Perempuan Indonesia, khususnya yang berada di Pulau Jawa, sangatlah cantik. Biasanya mereka cenderung amat feminin, berkulit indah, tidak terlalu tinggi, dan memiliki senyuman yang mempesona. Banyak keuntungan dari segi tersebut.

Bila kita mesti jujur, kebanyakan lelaki menginginkan wanita yang mau mengurusnya, mengerjakan pekerjaan rumah tangga tanpa …

Comment by COndro: Pacara ama gadis indonesia, …memang enak dan bisa …

Interview with Indonesia Matters

Just for fun... Janma interviews Indonesia Matters.

IM (Indonesia Matters)
J (Janma, intrepid reporter)

IM:

You know I do think it's quite odd all these questionnaires flying around and not a single person has asked my opinion in all this time....

J:

Well, that's about to end you know.....I am really interested in your views on the kinds of posts or comments you get and how you feel about being such a …

Bahasa Indonesia

Australians don't want to learn Indonesian.

Australian ambassador to Indonesia Bill Farmer said in Surabaya on 16th November that in recent years the demand for studying bahasa Indonesia in Australian schools had continued to fall.

When Indonesia was ruled by Suharto learning Indonesian in both Australian elementary and high schools became somewhat popular but in the last 10 years languages such as Chinese, Korean, …

Comment by Jose Miguel: Bahasa Indonesia is greatly influenced by …

Visit Indonesia Year 2008

The government is to hold a "Visit Indonesia Year" in 2008.

As part of the effort to improve visitor numbers, says the Jakarta Post, improvements will be made to basic infrastructure in some of the country's top tourist destinations as part of "Visit Indonesia Year 2008".

The official announcement of the campaign, the second that will be held by the country after an earlier one in 1992, will be made in July, and will …

Comment by Achmad Sudarsono: … to nitpick at Indonesia whilst failing to clean the …

Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI)

The Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) will be disbanded.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on the 24th that Indonesia would no longer seek financial aid through the Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI), as there was no longer any need for it. He said that Indonesia no longer needed the special assistance of the CGI because the country was now able to overcome its foreign debt problems acting alone.

I …

Comment by Gary: Indonesia has had its independence now …

Australia & Indonesia

Australians and Indonesians regard each other with at least some degree of mutual suspicion, and some hostility, a report says.

Published by the Lowy Institute , of Australia, the poll is based on interviews with 1007 Australians in June/July 2006, done by Market Focus International, and with 1200 Indonesians, done by DEKA Marketing Research.

Indonesian View

Some of the more interesting …

Critiques of Moderate Indonesia

Articles from the world's press increasingly focus on the lack of moderation in Indonesia and Indonesian Islam.

First up is Bloomberg with a report on the implications of the anti-porn law currently being debated.

Fauzia Damayanti stands to spend 10 years in prison unless she mends her wicked ways. Her possible crime? The Jakarta housewife wears miniskirts.

Keep reading Miniskirts Clash With Islam as Indonesia Drafts Pornography Law.

The Asia Times has a …

Comment by Karlira Kanakahuko: … among Indonesians, especially uneducated …

1990’s Chaos in Indonesia

New book out concerning a journalist's memories of the tumultous period of the late 1990's in Indonesia, In the Time of Madness: Indonesia on the Edge of Chaos.

The work, by Richard Lloyd Parry, is a portrayal of Indonesia in the late nineties, when Suharto's authoritarian regime was collapsing in chaos, but from a very personal perspective.

Events covered include the ethnic cleansing war of the Dayak tribe against Madurese immigrants, the world of Jakarta's universities …

Indonesia Counterterrorism Report

… States Department of State Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism country report for Indonesia, April 2006.

Following deadly terrorist bombings this year, the Indonesian government, led by the country's first directly elected president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, demonstrated a new urgency on counterterrorism that could spawn needed institutional changes and a more comprehensive counterterrorism policy. The Indonesian government actively pursues the perpetrators of …

Rubbish From Indonesia & Australia

Indonesia and Australia are both provincial, unimportant places, far away from the real centres of power, and this likely affects their ability to interpret and respond to current events in a mature way. The cartoon fiasco at present is some evidence of this, certainly if looking at it from the Indonesian side, which I do.

What makes me say this is having just read the editorial by Media …

Future of Indonesia

This book, called Indonesia Matters, of all things, is subtitled "Diversity, Unity, and Stability in Fragile Times".

It is well worth the read for those who want a deeper understanding of the political, economic, and social issues that shape Indonesia and its future. Buy it.

Comment by PerempuanRantau: … writer when I left Indonesia. It is indeed a good book to …

Denmark Tells Danish Citizens to Leave Indonesia

… withdrawing its embassy staff in Jakarta the Danish foreign ministry has now ordered all Danes in Indonesia to leave the country immediately.

There is concrete information that indicates that an extremist group actively will seek out Danes in protest of the publication of the Muhammad drawings.

All Danish in Indonesia were told to leave the country forthwith because they were facing "a significant and imminent danger", adding that the threat was focused on the eastern part of …

Map of Indonesia

A map of Indonesia.

A basic geographical map of Indonesia, see also the Indonesian provinces map.

For firefox users who can't see the full-sized image click http://www.indonesiamatters.com/images/map.png.

Allianz Indonesia Sharia Life Insurance Policies

Allianz Indonesia is planning to offer sharia life insurance policies.

You know something is becoming popular, like sharia compliant banking in Indonesia, a pseudo-Islamic country, when businesses and corporations start trying to make a buck from it. Allianz Indonesia, whose site is written in surprisingly bad English, has announced the offering of some "sharia products", namely insurance …

Indonesia Security Risk Upgraded

The 2006 Political & Economic Risk Map for Indonesia.

The 2006 Political & Economic Risk Map by Aon is out as of 10 January and shows a very modest improvement for Indonesia, with the country rising from the depths of high risk to the dizzy heights of medium high political risk. This is based on a five point scale, high risk being 5, medium high being 4.
Out of nine risk factors analysed Indonesia gets a red mark for all …

Moderate Islam in Indonesia

… would link to the article but Jakarta Post pages go awol after two days) about moderate Islam in Indonesia. He first posits two dangers, radicalism on the one hand, and liberalism on the other.

Religious radicalism and extremism have proven to be a danger to social stability and order. While liberalism and secularism often trigger fear among Muslims that they are being secularized and cut off from Islamic doctrines that govern the daily lives of Muslims.
While radicalism and …

Comment by Dimp: Allah is cursing Indonesia! Everyday there is a major …

Dedi Mulyadi

… or metaphorically, not literally.

In response the Purwakarta branch of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), sprang into action, holding an urgent meeting at which many leading religious figures attended. MUI Purwakarta boss Abdullah AR Joban, later accused Dedi of blasphemy against Islam.

This a serious matter. If it's allowed to stand we're worried the Muslim community will become upset/confused. If the Regent doesn't apologise we will report him to the police. …

Comment by Cukurungan: … wonder how Indonesia would look like if the Dutch …

Ryan of Jombang

… just been arrested, there has been much speculation over what punishment is suitable for him.

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Mar'uf Amin weighed in to the debate saying that even though Ryan seemed to suffer from some sort of mental disturbance he should be sentenced to death. inilah

An official psychiatric examination of Ryan however found that he did not suffer from any mental "disease", but suffered from a sexual disturbance (homosexuality) and had an ultra-sensitive …

Comment by rima fauzi: typical indonesian, that andrey guy. incest is …

ML, Mau Lagi

… scheduled for release on 15th May but now appears to have been delayed.

Protests

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidhan said in Jakarta on 13th May that "ML" should be banned from cinema screens, because it had pornographic overtones and was insulting to women. The MUI had already sent its request to the Department of Culture and the Lembaga Sensor Film (LSF).

Amidhan says he hasn't seen the film yet, but he has read a book with the same title, and it's bad. antara …

Comment by lampu: well, i disagree. indonesia is not mature enough. the …

Conspiracy Theories

… intervene militarily. beritasore

British Conspiracies

In West Sumatra the head of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI, Buya Masoed Abidin, recently said the Ahmadiyah sect had been created by Britain as a means of dividing Muslims and ensuring the success of their colonisation of the Indian sub-continent in the 19th century.

Buya Masoed Abidin, who incidentally is an internet geek, see http://hmasoed.wordpress.com/ and http://masoedabidin.blogspot.com/

Therefore …

Comment by Rob: … not! The idea of Indonesia developing into a superpower …

Amrozi Execution

… for Law.

Method

Mahendradatta of the TPM had requested clarification from the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) on whether death by firing squad was a legitimate method of capital punishment within Islam. detik

After a person has been shot they don't die for 5 minutes, so it's torture, but if firing squads are deemed within the bounds of Islamic law [by the MUI], well then that's it.

Impatient

Another TPM lawyer, Achmad Midhan, says he can't understand what …

Comment by Enigmatic: … then again this IS INDONESIA. Suppose their death sentence …

Julia Perez & Kamasutra

… (100 Ways to Make Love) but she was forced to drop the idea.

Goyang Fatwa

Meanwhile the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) in South Sumatra, Sumatera Selatan (Sumsel), have issued a fatwa, essentially directed against eight Jakarta based performers who are known to jiggle and gyrate themselves around too much on stage, they being: detik

Dewi Persik
Annisa Bahar
Inul Daratista
Julia Perez
Uut Permatasari
Trio Macan
Ira Swara
Nita Thalia

These singers …

Comment by adrey: … positive in Indonesia.

Ahmadiyah (Nearly) Banned

… Kepercayaan Masyarakat (Bakor Pakem)), the body that oversees (unorthodox) religious activity in Indonesia, has recommended that all activities of the sect Jemaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAI) be stopped and the JAI dissolved.

Wisnu Subroto of the Attorney General's office says the decision is final, no negotiations will be entered into, and was taken because Ahmadiyah is genuinely beyond the pale, - heretical because it recognises another prophet after Muhammad, - and because Ahmadiyah had …

Comment by Rene Wadlow: … the Ahmadiyya in Indonesia which could spill over into …

Ketika Cinta Bertasbih

… seeking advice on how to handle the Islamic aspects of the film.

On 1st April they met with Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Umar Shihab, who advised producer Heru Hendriyanto and director Chaerul Umam to avoid SARA issues, things that might upset minorities in Indonesia or cause division.

Another MUI official present, Anwar Abbas, said the example of Ayat Ayat Cinta should be followed. When the character of Maria ( Carissa Putri ) converts from Christianity to Islam the …

Battle of the Islam Movies

… he was moved to tears several times.

Tearful.

He said the film was a good example of how Indonesians should struggle to show the true face of Islam to the world, as a religion of peace, harmony, and tolerance.

SBY watched it at Studio XXI, EX Plaza, Jakarta, along with Tourism minister Jero Wacik, Religion minister Maftuh Basyuni, Trade minister Mari Elka Pangestu, Womens' Empowerment minister Meutia Hatta, presidential spokesman Dino Pattidjalal, Public Welfare …

Comment by djoko: … on Fridays in Indonesia for the past almost a year …

Easter Militancy & Mayhem

Easter celebrations in Indonesia, a service in Bogor is broken up, mayhem in Atambua, everywhere else humdrum.

Illegal Service in Bogor

On the 22nd an Easter celebration at the Yohanes Baptista Catholic parish in Parung, Bogor, was broken up by a group of people claiming to be from a Muslim clerical organisation.

The 200-odd parishioners had set up a tent on the 6000 meter plot of land owned by the …

Comment by Deng Xiao Phing: … and riots in Indonesia: It’s not the matter of IF …

Religious Cults & Religious Freedoms

… Laws
On March 7th at the Islamic Book Fair in Jakarta Kholil Ridwan of the Clerics' Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI), while discussing a newly released book called "Nabi-Nabi Palsu" (False Prophets), said the government needed to make a law against deviant Islamic sects.
There should be a special law for this, so that sects can't develop.
He said the Department of Religion should take the lead in preparing such a law, and once it was promulgated if there were any reports …

Comment by Rob: … Problems… 1. Indonesian Constitution - Does it or …

Nyepi in Bali

… prayer, and the roughly 5% of the population who are Muslims are being instructed by the MUI (Majelis Ulama Indonesia) to only visit a mosque that is nearby their homes, and go there on foot, and not to use the mosque's loudspeaker for the call to prayer.

Muslims have to respect Hindus observing Nyepi.

Says MUI Bali chief Hasan Ali. beritabali

Comment by Riyoz: … time for visiting Indonesia I recommend you to visit …

Female Genital Mutilation

… together for a sustained push, female genital mutilation can vanish within a generation.

In Indonesia only the populist press seemed to take an interest in the story with a Surya headline screaming "The United Nations Bans Female Circumcision": xinhuanet

MUI

Prof Dr Chuzaimah T Yanggo, the head of the Youth and Women's section of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), said of the United Nations:

What do they think they're doing, it's not their business. Religion …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … wide and indeed Indonesia vice: horny men want cake and …

New Order Relics

… that the government should not give any special credence or weight to fatwas issued by the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).

This country is based on the 1945 constitution and the basic law.

The fatwa against Ahmadiyah, and presumably the fatwas against other other Islamic sects, were based on a particular religious viewpoint, which the government should not heed, he said.

Adnan Buyung Nasution

A member of the Presidential Advisory Council, Adnan Buyung Nasution, …

Comment by dragonwall: … politicians from Indonesia to Urumqi and from Asia to …

Jewish Conspiracy

… West Sumatra

Buya Mas'oed Abidin, the chairman of the West Sumatra branch of the Indonesian Clerics' Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, MUI) complained on 12th February that the celebration of Valentine's Day was proof that Indonesia was more and more subject to foreign, global culture.

We have to stop it, it's not appropriate in our culture.

The celebration of lover's day was proof that the youth of today had lost their love for Indonesia and its culture, he …

Comment by commenter: … day should not rob indonesia from its cultural identity it …

Ahmadiyyah

… (Bakorpakem) yang tergabung dari Kejaksaan Agung, Badan Intelijen Negara (BIN), Polisi Republik Indonesia (Polri) dan Departemen Keagamaan, memutuskan pada tanggal 15 Januari untuk tidak melarang berdirinya Ahmadiyyah, walaupun Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) telah mengeluarkan fatwa yang menyatakan Ahmadiyah sebagai aliran sesat.

Guru bukan Nabi

Keputusan untuk tidak melarang Ahmadiyyah dibuat setelah para pemimpin aliran tersebut memberikan 12 pernyataan yang menyebutkan bahwa …

Comment by Leo Kusuma: … ujian bagi bangsa Indonesia sekaligus pembuktian jika …

Ahmadiyya

… Religious Affairs Ministry, decided on 15th January not to ban Ahmadiyya, despite a fatwa by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) that had declared Ahmadiyya an heretical Islamic sect. antara

Teacher not Prophet

The decision not to ban the group was made after Ahmadiyya leaders caved into pressure and issued a 12-point statement saying they acknowledged Muhammad as the last prophet, and that Mirza Ghulam Ahmad was simply a teacher.

Pakem however said it may change its decision …

Comment by Qazi: … mullah-philes of Indonesia need to get their …

Islam Lunak

Merambatnya Islam lunak di Indonesia menurut pemerhati mancanegara.

Dalam nada yang sama dengan liputan " Vespa Girls (Gadis-gadis Vespa)" di majalah Time 2007, kini majalah The Economist yang berpendapat kalau Indonesia adalah tempat dimana "'Islam lunak' sedang menjalar". Laporan tersebut dimulai:

"Apakah Indonesia, negeri dengan masyarakat Muslim paling besar, sedang mengalami Islamisasi secara …

Banning Islamic Sects

… was founded in Punjab, India, in 1889 by Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, and has about 200,000 followers in Indonesia and some millions worldwide.

The "Tim Pakem " (Pengawas Aliran Kepercayaan Masyarakat, Overseers of the Peoples' Beliefs), part of the Attorney General's office, will hold a meeting on 8th January to begin discussions on the issue. antara

Umbrellas

A delegation from the Forum Umat Islam (FUI), which is said to be an umbrella organisation for 53 Islamic groups, handed a …

Comment by agam: … of demokrasi in Indonesia: - more segmented and …

Pelarangan Sekte-sekte Islam

… Punjab, India, pada tanggal 1889 oleh Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, dan memiliki sekitar 200,000 jemaah di Indonesia selain milyaran lain pengikutnya di sekeliling dunia.

"Tim Pakem" (Pengawas Aliran Kepercayaan Masyarakat) sebagai bagian dari Kejaksaan Agung akan menggelar pertemuan pada tanggal 8 Januari untuk memulai bahasan akan masalah ini.

Pemusatan

Sebuah delegasi dari Forum Umat Islam (FUI), suatu perkumpulan yang merupakan induk dari 53 organisasi masyarakat Islam lain, …

Comment by Taufic Amirullah: Saya orang indonesia asli, saya tamat kuliah di …

Pesta Tahun Baru

Pantas tidaknya perayaan tahun baru di Indonesia.

Maksiat

Pada tanggal 16 Desember, Ketua Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) Amidan menyuarakan kekhawatirannya akan pesta-pesta tahun baru yang cenderung terlalu 'bebas' dan bahaya malam tahun baru yang mampu menjadi malam maksiat.

Pelarangan

Walaupun Amidan tidak menyetujui dilarangnya perayaan-perayaan tersebut, Zulfikar, seorang anggota PKS (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera) …

New Year’s Eve Parties

Whether New Year's Eve parties are inappropriate in Indonesia.

Sin

On 16th December Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidan worried that New Year's Eve celebrations were often too "free" and that New Year's Eve would become known as a night of sin. detik

Ban

While Amidan didn't recommend banning such parties a member of the PKS (Partai Keadilan Sejahtera), Zulfikar, said the government could ban wild New Year's Eve …

Comment by Antonio: The Majilis Ulama have no credibility in my eyes! …

Religious Intolerance

… not taking action against Ahmadiyah and other heretical sects, especially considering that the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) had declared Ahmadiyah to be beyond the pale two years ago. l6

Bogor

In Bogor, West Java on 12th December members of the Gerakan Umat Islam (GUI) protested outside the secretariat office of Ahmadiyah in the centre of Bogor, and shouted "Allahu Akbar, Allahu Akbar".

Those inside the Ahmadiyah office had been pre-warned about the demonstration and they …

Comment by iamisaid: … that the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) had …

Smoking Sin

… is high, providing a living for millions, and consumption also high, the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), is having a difficult time deciding whether to issue a fatwa against smoking, or make it haram within Islam.

Maruf Amin of the MUI said on 25th October that the fate of the farmers who grow tobacco and the workers in cigarette factories had to be considered, and this would make an anti-smoking fatwa unlikely.

In countries like Saudi Arabia, where fatwas have …

Comment by cokki: … Country. as Ulama and their corps cant force any …

Muslim Beliefs

… Citizen's arrest of Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah member in Sleman, Central Java. l6

Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) leader Amidhan complained that the government was too weak in handling the problem of heresy. However he said militant Islamic groups that attacked heretics had to be reined in, and said policemen were often afraid of facing such groups. He urged people to not attack sect members. If Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah members were arrested it was not to put them in jail but …

Comment by panera: … many moron in Indonesia too that need to be slap in …

Grand Mufti

Indonesia doesn't need a Grand Mufti, the MUI is enough.

Chairman of Indonesian Ulema Council, (Majelis Ulama, MUI) Ma'ruf Amien says the country does not need a middle eastern style Mufti Council of Muslim clerics, with a Grand Mufti at the head of it, to issue binding rulings on Islamic law.

Maruf Amin, not a mufti.

Maruf says the MUI already does the job of issuing fatwas, and …

Comment by Sputjam: … will happen in indonesia with a grand mufti.

Religious TV

Television programs that violate Islamic law.

The annual topic of Indonesian television immorality during the fasting month of Ramadan.

Boycott

In Sumenep, Madura, East Java, the local branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama vowed on 12th September to boycott all television during the hours of 5pm and 8pm, because watching television at these times interfered with Muslims' holy obligations. antara

The NU often threatens to boycott television, in the …

Comment by Maj Frukt: … idiotic symbol of Indonesia.

Sex Cinemas

… cinemas, and how non-Muslims should behave during Ramadan.

The leader of the North Sumatra Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Lahmuddin Nasution, outlined on 12th September in Medan some basic rules for Ramadan observance for both Muslims and non-Muslims. antara

Cinemas should stop showing movies or advertisements of a sexual nature, because they would arouse sinful passions not appropriate during the fasting month.
Cafes, bars and discos should close down for the month. …

Comment by Parvita: … Patung, hope you don’t …

Wahidiyah

… Tasikmalaya.

Ajengan Asep is the leader of the West Java branch of the Mujahadin Council, Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI), who Wahid accuses of being behind the midnight attack on 12th September.

Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur).

Wahid also asked the police to arrest two of the leaders of the Tasikmalaya branch of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Saefudin Juhri and Dudung Akasah. The Tasikmalaya MUI recently condemned the Tasikmalaya Wahidiyah group as …

Comment by Sylvester: Poor indonesia, poor islam poisoned by …

PLTN Muria

… for some.

Haram

Dozens of Muslim leaders from Jepara, Central Java branch of Nahdlatul Ulama gathered together on 1st and 2nd September and issued a fatwa declaring that nuclear energy is haram, or forbidden, because it is likely to cause more harm than good.

The government, for the past few years, has been planning to build several nuclear power plants, at least one of them in the Jepara district, at Mt. Muria (PLTN Muria). Under the government's plan, the project at Mt. …

Comment by axlrose: Indonesia had a NPP. Just install …

Mixed Religion Marriages

… mixed-religion marriages.

Some time ago Law Professor Wahyono Darmabrata of Universitas Indonesia (UI), Depok, suggested four ways those of mixed faiths could marry, they being:

by court order
marrying according to each partner's religion
submitting to your partner's religion for marriage purposes, but without converting
marrying overseas

The court order method is rare and was last done by one Andi Vonny Gani in 1989, however the revised law on Citizen …

Comment by lucia: Until Indonesia is peacefully and …

Priyo Budi Santoso

… a delegation from the religion department of Golkar met with leaders of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), at the Istiqal mosque, Jakarta, to discuss how the MUI and Golkar could together develop strategies for ensuring religious harmony and preventing the break-up of the country into warring tribes.

Priyo Budi Santoso.

Priyo Budi Santoso of Golkar, who replaced the amorous Yahya Zaini as the head of the party's Religion section, says his party is worried …

Batam Nightlife

… nightspots of Batam are urged to close down for Ramadhan.

Chairman of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), Ma'ruf Amin urged the owners of bars, discos, and probably brothels on the holiday island of Batam to close down entirely while Muslims observe the fasting month of Ramadan.

They make plenty of profit over 11 months, it's not too much to ask them to close down for one month.

He advised the government of Batam on August 24th to think carefully over how …

Comment by Naga: … predominantly all Indonesian men, I would guess around 90 …

Sharia Application

Sharia can be applied without making Indonesia an Islamic state.

Fuad Amsyari of the Crescent Star Party, Partai Bulan Bintang (PBB), said in Jakarta on 21st August that the basic form of the state, Pancasila, did not need to be changed in order that sharia be applied. Instead, every law that was made could incorporate Islamic law.

It was a mistake to think that sharia application depended on an Islamic state, he said, …

Comment by Riyoz: … without making Indonesia an Islamic state.’ DEAD …

Sexy Dangdut

Dangdut dancing and singing in Cianjur for independence day.

The Clerics' Council (Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI)) of Cianjur in West Java has issued a fatwa forbidding on-stage dangdut singing and dancing during celebrations for Indonesian independence day on August 17th. The fatwa firmly makes haram in particular the type of dangdut dancing which involves sexy or erotic movements, or any type of dangdut where the singer is female, (like Inul, who isn't welcome in Mataram …

Comment by Tomaculum: … china towns in Indonesia?

Islam & Pork

… in view, or when the subject of pork eating or even touching of pork comes up. Abdullah Syah of Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), for example, said anyone who forced a Muslim to eat pork was committing an insult to the whole Muslim community and he hoped that Andi would be given a suitably severe punishment. republika

Meanwhile, in early August 2007, further south in Risma's home town of Palembang, South Sumatra province, an unrelated incident involving accusations that a producer of …

Comment by Rob: … you are! It was Indonesians who rounded up and …

Heretic Outreach

… alone of North Bengkulu, called Sungai Hitam, there were 150 Ahmadiyah members, he worried. The Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) had already ruled that Ahmadiyah was unacceptable, he said, because Ahmadiyah recognised a prophet after Muhammad, Mirza Ghulam Ahmad of Pakistan, whereas in true Islam God had no more need of prophets after Muhammad bin Abdullah.

The call had already been sent out:

We have already invited them to return to true Islam, but the problem is that whether they …

Comment by Shiva: … of many Indonesians must be knowledge of the …

Sir Salman Rushdie

… "Sir Salman Rushdie".

Many protests have been heard around the world although in far-away Indonesia the news of Rushdie's knighthood seems to have taken a little longer to filter through to Antara, and get them on the phone to various Muslim leaders seeking reactions.

Sir Salman Rushdie.

First, on 21st June, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) chairman for Central Java, Ibnu Djarir, asked the government to seek an explanation from the British ambassador in Jakarta.

Britain has …

Comment by Arema: … yet from Arab or Indonesia qualified to hold that post. …

Environmental Fatwa

The environmentalist fatwa from the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).

The Central Kalimantan branch of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) last year issued a decree, or fatwa, against the burning down of forests or any area of land, thereby making unauthorised deforestation a haram, sinful matter for Muslims, or for those which accept the MUI's authority at any rate. On 19th June this year local MUI head Abdul Wahid Qosimy said …

Comment by Bas: … There still true Indonesian, mostly in villages, who …

Dark Rooms

… Islam sect is now said to exist in Nyompok village, Kopo, Serang, Banten, according to the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI). Like Islam Sejati this new sect, which doesn't seem to have a name yet, conducts some of their religious activities in dark rooms, or so it is said.

Syafe'i AN of the MUI Serang branch said on 15th June that a number of reports had been received from concerned residents of Nyompok village about the presence of a deviant religious group and the MUI was currently …

Hardline Islam

… the country.

On 9th June Ali Maschan Moesa, the head of the East Java branch of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said that today there were a great number of hardline Islamic groups in East Java which sought to establish an Islamic state or caliphate. He said this was disappointing and re-iterated NU's committment to Pancasila as the national ideology.

Ali Maschan Moesa

He also said that NU mosques, particularly in villages and out of the way places, were increasingly being …

Walisongo Massacre

… the Poso Walisongo Tragedy". Other figures in attendance were Abu Bakar Ba'asyir of the Majelis Mujahidin Indonesia (MMI), Habib Rizieq of the Front Pembela Islam (FPI), Ismail Yusanto of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), and Kholil Ridwan of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI).

Apart from the rebuilding of the school Al Khathath asked that refugees from the conflict be given the opportunity to return to their areas of origin, that the government apologise to the families of the …

Pagan Rituals

Indonesian Muslims are urged to defend their practice of Islam against accusations of paganism.

The leader of the Clerics' Council, Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), for Nusa Tenggara Barat (NTB) province in the east of the country, Syaiful Muslim, warned Muslims, particularly those on the islands of Lombok and Sumbawa, to be on guard against beliefs brought by people from the middle east. …

Comment by R. Patterson: … nations including Indonesia so backward, are Indonesians …

Preachers in Politics

… Boarding Schools, which is connected to the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Maftuh said that clerics' involvement in politics was only justified if they did so to improve the quality of education.

Maftuh Basyuni, pressing flesh.

The minister said Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, played a vital role in providing education for the poor.

A recent survey by the Islamic and Societal Research Centre found that Indonesians trusted Islamic …

Comment by Djoko: … like math, bahasa Indonesia, IPA, and IPS? On what is …

Holy Books Mix Up

… Hadi urged Muslims to stay calm and not be influenced by events.

Syamsul Huda of the Jombang Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) complained that the holy books mix-up was an insult to Islam.

We urge the police to take action and deal firmly with those responsible.

N. Hidayat of the Dewan Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia said in Jakarta that the matter was an example of Christianisation. eramuslim

Recently dozens of members of the Barisan Serba Guna Anshor (Banser), the para-military …

Comment by Andrew: … Dakwah Islamiyah Indonesia said in Jakarta that the …

Nationalization

… Assembly (MPR), AM Fatwa, on 4th May called for the nationalization of vital industries in Indonesia such as the oil, gas, and mining industries.

A.M. Fatwa, who has a professional background in the religious organisations of Muhammadiyah and Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), echoed the oft-heard sentiments of his party's leader, Amien Rais of Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN), in saying that the current government did not have the courage to take back the natural resources wealth of the …

Comment by Raden: … huge as compare to Indonesia’s 2006 GDP of USD 215B, so …

World’s Tallest Statue

… Mark II, he said, ie. a scene of Christian-Muslim war. republika

Meanwhile chairman of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) in Medan, Ngadiman, said the MUI had already given a verbal instruction that the statue construction was not allowed, if it used the name of Noah. However if Noah's name was not used the MUI did not object. waspada

Comment by Saipul: … population in Indonesia. Was there a similar uproar …

Pentecostal Church

… meeting was held in the neighbourhood hall attended by residents, representatives of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI), policemen, local government officials, and some Pentecostal pastors. Those opposed to the church said that the Pentecostals were trying to build the church in a secretive, dishonest way. Originally they had said that the building was going to be a family home, but now wanted to turn it into a church, it was claimed.

One person, Rudi, complained that there were …

Comment by Tomaculum: This is Indonesia. And this A …

Model Village

Building a model or example Islamic village.

The East Java branch of the Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) hopes to build a model or example Islamic village in the town of Pamekasan on Madura island. Abdus Somad Bukhori of MUI says the model village will display Islamic concepts in economics, culture, social relations, and democracy put into action.

The Regent of Pamekasan, Ach Sayfi'ie, welcomed the plan:

Whatever the East Java MUI wishes is very good.

And he …

Islam is for Arabs

… a follower.

Rochamim says that Islam is an Arab religion and has nothing to do with Java or Indonesia and that those Javanese people who embrace Islam have been tricked by Arabs. He also says that five times a day prayers are unnecessary, and that the Quran is full of lies.

Abdul Kodir, a neighbour of Rochamim, says:

In the beginning he made it known that he didn't like Arabs, and then that he didn't believe in Islam anymore. But he used to be a Muslim.

The Pasuruan area has …

Comment by Sunshine: … of all I am a non indonesian. I always admired the gentle …