Curing Homosexuality

The hardline stand taken by Indonesian clerics against homosexuality wins applause from Ross.

A welcome display of solidarity between established Islamic, Catholic, and Protestant faiths appeared in the Jakarta Post with statements from leaders disassociating themselves from the fringe elements who declared that perversion is acceptable to their followers.

Ma'aruf Amin, chairman …

Comment by Murphy: … disaster destroyed their home world. I spent my …

Khofifah Indar Parawansa

On whether women, in this case Khofifah Indar Parawansa, are suitable for regional leadership positions.

On 28th March Suryadharma Ali of the Development Party, Partai Persatuan Pembangunan (PPP) announced the candidacy of Khofifah Indar Parawansa for the East Java governor's election in July.

Khofifah Indar Parawansa.

Khofifah is the head of the womens' wing of Nahdlatul Ulama, …

Comment by Teng: … power totally destroyed it from within. Like Lairedion …

Jalan Jaksa Under Threat

Ross fears that Jalan Jaksa in Jakarta is going to suffer re-development.

Jalan Jaksa at Risk?

Last month I had a chat with an expat on Jalan Jaksa who told me he'd seen plans to develop the famous little street, including a huge hypermarket on its corner with Jalan Wahid Hasyim.

I should state at this point that the talk occurred during my once-a-week afternoon visit, when - …

Comment by MbakAditya: … Rabbi, though Roy’s Hair would know about that in …

Sandra Dewi

… purportedly showing her naked. On March 18th 2008 Sandra held a press conference and produced Roy Suryo, technology expert extraordinaire, to say that the photos were faked.

All round expert Roy Suryo.

At the press conference Sandra cried and said maybe it was just a horrible test for her, and remembered that Jesus was whipped and crucified because people had said false things about him too.

Sandra said her faith was very important to her and that God favoured her, when she …

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 …

Comment by timdog: … the country/destroyed the country (usually at the …

Youth Groups & Activists Running Amok

Boisterous youth groups in search of alcohol and the attractions of Batam.

There is a quote in the film " Ayat Ayat Cinta ",

Sabar dan ikhlas. Itu adalah Islam! (Patience and sincerity. That's what Islam is!)

There may be plenty of people who manage to live up to this, as far as is humanly possible, these people don't appear to be among them:

The Sport of Sweeping in Solo …

Comment by Lairedion: … as they do not destroy the nature balance they shall not …

Fitna by Geert Wilders

… could be a possible date. For anyone interested bookmark www.fitnathemovie.com in your favorites.

Comment by Barry Prima: … Kejawen, not destroyed it. Otherwise you would still be …

Nyepi in Bali

Commercialisation of the Hindu festival of Nyepi in Bali and how Muslims should behave during it.

Nyepi, the Balinese "Day of Silence", which falls this year on March 7th, marking Bali's Lunar New Year (Tahun Baru Saka 1930), is a day meant to be reserved for quiet, very quiet, self-reflection, and anything that might spoil attempts at such reflection, such as the lighting of fires, …

Comment by Lairedion: … drain, being destroyed by greed. Yeah, but this is …

Literature Commissar

… nature. Tempo informs us that

Lekra was also influential in campaigning to destroy independent publishers, such as the one that dared to deliver "Dr Zhivago", plus Islamic publishers too.

In 1962, the respected Muslim writer Hamka was insulted, demonized and jailed for 3 years in Sukabumi. Mochtar Lubis, one of the 1995 protest signatories, had his Indonesia Raya newspaper closed down and spent some 9 years behind bars for his opposition to the Reds.

Pramoedya …

Female Genital Mutilation

Foreign efforts to eradicate female genital mutilation.

United Nations

On February 27th ten United Nations agencies pledged to engage in a renewed effort to eliminate female genital mutilation (FGM), or female circumcision , within a generation.

UN Deputy Secretary General Asha-Rose Migiro said:

If we can come together for a sustained push, female genital mutilation can vanish …

Comment by justin et: … the exception of royalty and the loaded Brits in Dubai, …

Regional Arms Race

Australia's regional hegemonic aspirations and Indonesian defence procurements.

Australia

Rahmad Nasution, the Canberra Bureau Chief of Antara, writes that Australia has ambitions to attain regional military supremacy, most clearly evidenced in its efforts to persuade the United States to sell its most technologically advanced plane, the F-22 Raptor, which currently by law the US …

Comment by Aluang Anak Bayang: … buildings or the royal residential palace of the royal …

Barongsai, & Cultural Assimilation

The assimilation of Chinese into Indonesian society, and rules for celebrating Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year/Imlek and Cap Go Meh 2559

Since the year 2000 public celebrations of Chinese New Year in Indonesia have been legally permitted however in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, the mayor of the town issued a special decree, No 127/2008, forbidding any staging of barongsai and …

Comment by Aluang Anak Bayang: … are related to the Royal families. The best one can get …

Airline Blacklist

The EU airline blacklist and whether President Yudhoyono will visit the Netherlands.

A story from "De Volkskrant", 13th February 2008, a Dutch daily newspaper:

Indonesia cancels state visit

Amsterdam - Indonesian authorities have cancelled preparations of a state visit by president Yudhoyono to the Netherlands because the national airline Garuda is not allowed to land on Schiphol …

Comment by Moi: … as well sue the royal Javanese families of radens for …

Jewish Conspiracy

Whether Valentine's Day is a 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 …

Comment by Goobers: … do anything to destroy the one true religion for all …

Study in Australia

Indonesian students in Australia often have a bad time.

Friendless

A study by Monash and Melbourne Universities claims that Asian students studying abroad at Australian universities suffer very high levels of isolation and loneliness.

200 students from Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, China, and India were surveyed with 67% of female and 62% of male respondents saying they often …

Comment by Purba Negoro: … girl- she is a royal! Her sari- finest silk, she is …

Rise of Islam

The West always tries to destroy Islam in Indonesia.

Professor Dr H Muslim Nasution, MA, a lecturer at Jakarta State Islamic University (UIN), in a discussion at Medan, February 1st, on the future of Islam, said that currently there were two regions that had the capability to lead the world Islamic community into the future, they being:

the Indian sub-continent
South-east Asia, comprising Malaysia, …

Comment by sputjam: … or german, and destroy rainforest in the billions of acres …

Neo Colonialism in Bali

… on tourism and thus forced to conform to the desires of the modern nDoro Tuan (colonial master)?

Comment by ausdag: … to damage or destroy or steal this culture are …

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 …

Comment by Savitri: … jangan2 merupakan proyeksi atas ketidakmampuan/kekurangan …

Cultural Diversity

The PKS broadens its electoral and cultural horizons, in Bali.

The Islamist political party, Partai Keadilan Sejahtera (Justice Party, PKS), holds its national meeting in Sanur, Bali in early February, spread over three lovely hotel locations, Grand Bali Beach , Sanur Beach , and Sanur Paradise Plaza , bringing about 2,000 participants from Jakarta and the provinces, led by parliament …

Comment by take_side: … are eager to destroy indonesian indigenous identity from …

The Indonesian Way of Death

… but one part caught my attention, namely the feature on the recently launched enterprise known as "Royal Casket". This little business is apparently getting bigger, and has a huge potential market, for it caters to dead bules (ed. westerners).

Actually, it's both good business and a valuable service, for it apparently handles all the arrangements for expats who die here. If your loved ones are far away, it is bound to be hard for them to navigate through the bureaucracy that Indonesia …

Anti Communist Massacres

… to contemplate the later question if they want to build a more democratic Indonesian in the future.

Comment by Adrian Vickers: … civil war that destroyed most institutions (William …

Global Recession

The effects of a global recession on Indonesia.

Some responses to the likelihood of an American, and global, recession, and its impacts on Indonesia.

Price Stability - Rice

Economy minister Boediono said the government is most concerned about ensuring that prices and supplies of vital goods are stable, above all rice, production of which is hoped to be increased by 2 million tons …

Comment by Sputjam: … plan was destroyed/delayed in the aftermath of …

Persecuted Church

Why there are so many attacks on churches in western Java.

Persecuted Churches Nationally

On 14th January members of the Himpunan Warga Gereja Indonesia (HAGAI), Indonesian Churchgoers Association, visited the offices of the National Human Rights Commission, (Komnas HAM) in Jakarta to complain about attacks against churches and Christian congregations around the country.

Pastor …

Comment by Muliana Owoe: … because it has destroyed well over 2000 Christian worship …

Genocide

… to the millions worldwide who died at the hands of Communism. That is a genocide worth remembering.

Comment by Andrew: … must destroy his cemetery and his remain …

Suharto & the People

Suharto: Let the People Speak, Please Help Indonesia Matters do an informal poll.

Suharto: Let the People Speak, Please Help Indonesia Matters do an informal poll.

Friend,

The alleged near-death of Indonesia's former strongman President Soeharto has dominated the news and Indonesia Matters discussion in the past two weeks.

Was he a bloodthirsty despot or nation builder? …

Comment by Dragonwall: … of Philippines, Aroyo..Marcos, everyone. Even Mahatir …

Ahmadiyya

Ahmadiyah makes changes to its beliefs and avoids being banned by the government.

Continued from Religious Intolerance and Banning Islamic Sects .

No Ban

Pakem (Pengawas Aliran Kepercayaan Masyarakat, Overseers of the Peoples' Beliefs), made up of representatives of the Attorney General's Office, police, the State Intelligence Agency and the Religious Affairs Ministry, …

Comment by Shloka: … followers to destroy others idols and temples. He’s …

Pedophiles

… work. What’s ok at home is not always ok overseas.

Life’s not all about winning Olympic medals, Australia.

Comment by perseus: … treatment by the Royal Flying Doctor Service. They …

Javanese School Days

Compulsory Javanese speaking in schools.

As an attempt to save the Javanese language from decline and eventual extinction the Education Department of Surabaya in East Java has begun a policy of making the speaking of Javanese on all school grounds in the city compulsory on every Monday and Tuesday, for both teachers and students.

One student, Dani Swastiko at Angelus Custos Catholic …

Comment by Aluang Anak Bayang: … Now they destroyed pre-Islamic artifacts and …

2007 Investment

A big increase in foreign direct investment in 2007, with Singapore leading the way.

Foreign Investment

According to the National Investment Coordinating Board, (Badan Koordinasi Penanaman Modal, BKPM) realised foreign direct investment (FDI) in Indonesia rose by 72% on 2006 , reaching $10.34 billion.

The countries investing the most in Indonesia:

Singapore - $3.75 …

Comment by Sputjam: … who were from the Royal court of China, but peasants, …

Stupid Quotes

… and political stupidity of which you can find other sources to read.

Greed and stupidity destroy the last peat land wilderness, home to thousands of orangutan

It is due to the stupidity of Indonesia that allows Malaysia and Singapore to move forward.

if this time many art and Indonesian tradition claim owned by Malaysia, that is stupidity of Indonesia government"¦.

The US NAMRU infectious disease laboratory in Jakarta was the most advanced in the region and …

Kesetaraan Jender

… dan ekonomi negara sekaligus masyarakatnya, ujarnya, justru dana tersebut tersalurkan untuk proyek-proyek yang bermotivasi politik, seperti program kesetaraan jender. republika

Ternyata Benar

Sementara itu, pada tanggal 27 Desember, sebuah survey yang dikeluarkan oleh surat kabar Australia mendukung pendapat Ansari Yamamah, dengan menyatakan bahwa kebanyakan dari dana sebesar $400 miliar dolar yang telah disumbangakan Australia untuk bantuan tsunami Aceh 2004 telah digunakan …

Gender Equity

Western aid agencies and their gender equity agenda in Indonesia.

Western Agenda

Said to be a commentator on public affairs, Ansari Yamamah, M.A., Lecturer in Shariah Law at Medan IAIN, said on 12th December that western NGO's and aid agencies were trying to impose their own ideas of gender equality on Indonesians, as well as western conceptions of terrorism, human rights, and …

Comment by Dragonwall: … decided to destroy their colonial legacy, while …

White Men

White Men in Indonesia: A Guide By Achmad.

White Men in Indonesia: A Guide By Achmad

Bule (white expat ) wipes the slobbering beer-froth from his jowls, as he stumbles, drunk, onto the pre-dawn dark of the bar-district in Jakarta, Jl. Felatehan, Blok M.

Thirty Bir Bintangs before, Bule had started the night wondering how it had come to this. Now, through the beer-fuelled haze, …

Comment by Oigal: … the Earth was destroyed to make way for an intergalatic …

Comfort Women

… So, the Netherlands knows how to demand for compensation.

HRH Queen Beatrix's "royal" Friesian cow mooed angrily:

IamIsaid! SHUT YOUR MOUTH!. And don't mix this with your earlier issue about whether the Dutch should compensate for their atrocities against the Indonesian natives. Bevatten! ?

Me:

The Palace cook will make royal satay out of you for President SBY's birthday. :p

What about Indonesia?

The clever Indonesians and such diplomatic …

Insults & Comebacks

Achmad's Christmas Tips on Insulting People.

Achmad's Christmas Tips on Insulting People

Dear Friends,

For this twin season of Idul Adha and Christmas, I thought I'd share with you a few secrets of the ancient art of insults.

We all need to let of steam every now and then.

What better way than insulting a complete stranger? What better forum than the internet?

After …

Comment by Achmad Sudarsono: … little Lord Fauntelroy. A buffoon is never addressed …

Dutch Compensation

… with a Friesian cow. It must have been her pet cow and it probably sat beside H.R.H Beatrix on Royal Dutch Airline - all the way to Indonesia.

"A cow and not a Rembrandt or a Van Gogh. Very rude. That's part of the Dutch soul, this rudeness."

the observer berated.

In the case of the Dutch, I do not know what a Friesian cow symbolises. I do know what a cow symbolises for the Hindus but then again, Indonesia is not predominantly Hindu. Oh well, it was better a cow than a Trojan …

Comment by Teng: … been done in destroying natives people around the globe …

Religious Intolerance

… boarding school called Miftahul Huda was burned down by a mob. Six motorcycles were also destroyed. About 50 students of the school ran away but no-one was hurt. Two fire engines put out the blaze while two platoons of police arrived. antara

Local people claimed the school taught an unorthodox type of Islam, called "Kunci Suci". l6 One villager complained:

They're heretical because they believe that you can see God's light when you close your eyes.

Garut

In …

Bali Travel Tips

Tips for travelling in Bali, by Dewaratugedeanom.

Travel Warnings

Following the suggestion of iamisaid (another commenter in this blog) in his opinion piece " Travel Horrors " I would like to submit a surat pembaca published in the Bali Post of April 11, 2006 by a Balinese individual whom I suppose to be a member of the Indonesian police force.

As the letter was published in …

Comment by timdog: … only bit not destroyed post-puputan by the Dutch) are …

Aburizal Bakrie

Aburizal Bakrie is Indonesia's richest man.

Forbes Asia list of Indonesia's richest men and families, the top ten: forbes

Aburizal Bakrie and family (Bakrie Group): $5.4 billion

Sukanto Tanoto (April and Asian Agri): $4.7 billion

R. Budi Hartono: $3.14 billion

Michael Hartono (Budi and Michael Hartono, part owners of Djarum and BCA): $3.08 billion

Eka …

Comment by Dragonwall: … units totally destroyed. The next thing he will organize …

Police Bribery & Graft

The police object to being labelled the most commonly bribed institution.

Transparency International released its "Global Corruption Barometer 2007" on 6th December ranking state institutions on a corruption scale of 0-5.

The results, based on questions asked to 1,010 people in Jakarta, Surabaya and Bandung, show the competition for most corrupt was fierce, with the police narrowly …

Comment by perseus: … down. It destroys business confidence. It destroys …

Flood Disaster

Doomsayers predict disaster for Indonesia as sea levels rise.

As last week tides burst through sea walls, briefly cutting a key access road to Jakarta 's international airport, some predictions for Indonesia if sea levels rise, from the UN climate change conference on Bali:

Jakarta airport to be under water by 2035.
about 25% of Jakarta will vanish by 2050.
…

Comment by Dragonwall: Yes. Destroy Sunter, Kelapa Gading, Pluit, …

Learning Indonesian

Ausdag explains why learning Indonesian is not popular in Australia.

Why Aren't Australians Learning Indonesian - A Response to " Bahasa Indonesia - Australians Don't Want to Learn Indonesian " (Indonesia Matters November 19th, 2007).

Having studied Indonesian at university level, then in-country and then teaching the language for five and a half years in an Australian primary school …

Comment by iamisaid: … appointed by the royal palace during ancient Chinese …

South Sulawesi Election

Both Islamic militants and Golkar lose in the South Sulawesi election.

The results for the South Sulawesi Governor's election:

Syahrul Yasin Limpo - 39.5%
Amin Syam - 38.7%
Abdul Aziz Kahar Mudzakkar - 21.7%

Syahrul Yasin Limpo, with about 1.4 million votes, was declared the South Sulawesi governor-elect on 15th November after the General Elections Commission (KPUD) …

Comment by agam: … the past, being a royal family was preferred by lay …

The Jakarta Pest

… One should not forget his sly style in the UK, where the Sunday Times took side-swipes at the Royal Family but held back from outright republicanism for fear of losing thousands of loyalist readers while his Economist (a much smaller circulation magazine) openly articulated his gut anti-monarchy sentiments.

But it was almost laughable to see the Soros put-down of Fox's claims to objectivity in a publication so slanted as the JP.
With The Point surely doomed to extinction due to its …

Comment by Subrata: … conservative, royalist, disgruntled Cannuck from …

Education Philosophy

… "budaya nasional" (national culture), which is more about "kekeluargaan" (family) and "gotong royong" (mutual cooperation) but less about personal creativity, democracy, open mindedness, and freedom of thinking. It does not mean that Indonesian culture is all bad but this particular culture will lead Indo to nowhere. The reason is the kekeluargaan and gotong royong culture only good to a certain extent, it is easily corruptible just like we see today. The bad leaders usually use this for …

Comment by Sylvester: … have to be gotong royong. But for whom? Is it for the …

Pribumi Business

Kalla on "native" entrepreneurs as against Chinese.

Vice president Jusuf Kalla said to a meeting of ethnic Bugis businessmen in Makassar, South Sulawesi, on 27th October that the numbers of "native" Indonesian (pribumi) businessmen had to rise but that in order to bring this about the government would not actively discriminate against ethnic Chinese businessmen, who are traditionally …

Comment by Cukurungan: … indefinitely destroyed. SUDAH JELAS BEDANYA ? Your …

Military Coup

Little chance of a military coup in Indonesia.

Alfred C. Stepan, Professor of Government from Columbia University in New York, said in Jakarta on 29th October that the TNI, the Indonesian military, would not follow the "trend" in south east Asia of staging a military coup d'etat, like in Thailand, or previously in Burma.

I've been to several south east Asian countries and their …

Comment by naga: … militias to destroy Indonesian society for short term …

Bahai

… leaders. Four others refused to change back to Islam, while the seventh did not turn up. antara

Comment by Frederick Glaysher: … effort to destroy other Bahais during the last year …

The Youth of Today

Janma wonders about the spirit of nationalism among young people today.

Janma wonders about the spirit of nationalism among young people today.

Many Indonesians (and indeed many of us here on IM!) have been taking a rather dim view of Indonesia and Indonesians of late. It sometimes seems that Indonesia as a nation, besides it's sterling reputation as a recruitment ground for …

Comment by Janma: … had a big gotong royong out there cleaning it up. They …

Muslim Beliefs

… that they were receiving payments from a certain country. Certain countries sought to destroy Indonesia, he said, but didn't say whether it was America, Israel, Australia, or Burkina Faso. antara

Mashadi, chairman of the Forum Umat Islam (FUI), said on 26th October that the existence of Al Qiyadah Al Islamiyah was part of a systematic plot by certain groups to create discord among Muslims, and to hijack true Islam. detik

Comment by Janma: … would want to destroy indonesia, imagine all the refugees …

Smelly Armpits

Achmad says Indonesians have a body odor problem.

Achmad says Indonesians have a body odor problem.

Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Smelliness

As I stepped out of Sukarno-Hatta airport one balmy night after a recent trip to Thailand, I was welcomed by the familiar scents of Indonesia: Kretek cigarettes, a touch of Kamboja flower, and the crushing, …

Comment by WP: … water just to destroy the natural habitat of a bunch of …

Rasa Sayange

Malaysian theft of the "Rasa Sayange" song.

"Rasa Sayange" is a traditional or folk song believed to have come from the eastern Indonesian islands of Maluku, or the Moluccas, whose modern version was first recorded in the 1950's. Following is a recording of it:

However in the latest instalment of the "Truly Asia" advertising campaign the song has been appropriated by the …

Comment by marv2000: … end up paying them royalties.

Juwono Sudarsono

Juwono Sudarsono offers advice for democracy obsessed westerners.

The minister for Defence, Juwono Sudarsono, suggests in his blog that westerners, especially "the often insufferably condescending British", should not try to impose their obsession with liberal democracy on Burma (Myanmar) and Pakistan without taking into account the historical, cultural and economic realities of those two …

Comment by Raden: … predatory destroying our traditional values plus …

Mojopahit Empire

Achmad envisages a new Mojopahit Empire with Australia as vassal state.

New columnist Achmad Sudarsono sees Australia destined for client state status under a revived Mojopahit Empire.

Australia's defeat in the Rugby World Cup at the hands of Britain on October 6th was more than a humiliation. It was a sign of a culture that is failing on every level and won't admit …

Comment by Oigal: … white men destroyed everything in their path, it’s …

Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah

Mini theocracy in Bogor and Padang.

MUI Fatwa

On 4th October the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued a fatwa against the "Al-Qiyadah Al-Islamiyah" sect, which is led by Ahmad Moshaddeq, real name Salam.

MUI Chairman, Ma'ruf Amin said the sect had grown rapidly since 2000 and that since July 23rd 2007 Ahmad Moshaddeq had been claiming to be a prophet after he spent 40 days and …

Comment by dewaratugedeanom: … us how to destroy them effectively D 2nd Destroy …

Ramadan Fasting

Video of an FPI raid on people not fasting for Ramadan.

This Ramadan, without much variation on last year , some militant Islamic groups, mainly in West Java and some of the more Islamically austere parts of the other islands, have attacked places selling food, and people eating in them, during the daylight hours, while Muslims are supposed to be fasting.

These news reports show men …

Comment by Ade Wanto: … that they destroy almost everything? Better they …

Indonesian Women

Laws that discriminate against women.

The recent 39th meeting of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) in New York recommended Indonesia revoke all laws that are viewed as biased against women, said the Minister for Women's Empowerment, Meutia Hatta, on 26th September.

Although Indonesia ratified the Convention 23 years ago Meutia …

Comment by Cukurungan: … husbands “¢ Royal Princesses “¢ Duchesses …

Fundamentalist Mosque

An LDII mosque is attacked in Jember.

A mosque or musholla belonging to the fundamentalist Indonesian Islamic Propagation Institute, (LDII, Lembaga Dakwah Islam ) was attacked and reduced to rubble by hundreds of local men in Tanggul Wetan village, Tanggul district ( map ), Jember, East Java, on 19th September.

An LDII person said:

It happened really quickly, about 500 men suddenly …

Comment by Maj Frukt: … it’s okay to destroy mosque during Ramadhan? I don’t …

Women in Mosques

Women are not allowed in the Sultan mosque in Ternate.

Women & Their Unholy Voices

While almost all mosques in Indonesia allow women to come inside and pray, although they have to sit behind the men, the Sultan mosque in Ternate, North Maluku (Maluku Utara, Malut) ( map ) is unique in forbidding women from entering.

Djafar, a local figure, explains:

Only men can pray in …

Comment by Shloka: … and the destroyer of Bamiyan Buddhas to Heaven then …

Palm Oil Plantations

Foreign buying of palm oil estates and plantations.

George Soros

Amid increasing demand in the biofuel production sector, one of Indonesia's best performing export industries, comes news that billionaire fund manager George Soros is apparently keen to buy 20,000 hectares of oil palm plantation in the province of Aceh.

George Soros.

The Governor of Aceh, Irwandi Yusuf , …

Comment by Dragonwall: … are ready to destroy the rain forests at the expense of …

Batam Radio

The Batam airwaves are often a mix of foreign and religious content.

What is broadcast on the radio stations of Batam island ( map ) has frequently been raised in the media of late, with specific concerns related to foreign use of Batam airwaves.

Falun Gong

In May of 2007 Chinese embassy officials complained that the station Radio Era Baru 106.5 FM (Xi wang zhi sheng, New Era …

Comment by Sylvester: … for having destroy the nature. So the rule is there …

Metro TV Xin Wen

Ross on Metro TV's Chinese-language news service, Xin Wen.

The Metro TV Chinese-language news reported on the APEC conference in Sydney on its morning news. What did Metro show the Indonesian viewers? None other than the President of Red China making his speech. But Indonesia's own President, SBY, attended that gathering.

Jakarta's Metro TV is quite a young channel, which has …

Comment by Ross: … his testicles destroyed by bullets. Robertico weeping for …

Put Downs & Insults

Australia insults president Yudhoyono.

Golkar parliamentarian Yuddy Chrisnandi said on 9th September that Australia had insulted president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at the APEC summit in Sydney by placing him in the back row of the final photo shoot.

Regardless of our critical stance towards the president, as loyal patriots we want the president to be respected as the leader of the …

Comment by Enigmatic: … in front of Arroyo? 2. If someone standing at the …

Batak Church Attack

… Church of the Christian Synod" when more than 300 Islamic extremists attacked and "totally destroyed the community's property". The pastor, called Jau Dolokseribu, and six parishioners were seriously wounded. asianews

Meanwhile on 7th September a leader of the Christian Partai Damai Sejahtera (PDS), Pastor Saut Hasibuan, asked the government to take a firmer stand against church burnings and vandalising, foster inter-faith dialogue, and revise the houses of worship law of 2006. …

Comment by Dragonwall: … Such act of destroying churches are acts of COWARDS. I …

Live In Programs

Muslim-Christian live-in programs.

Religious Violence

In some of the last years of General Suharto's rule, around 1996-97, the province of East Java saw a sharp upturn in instances of anti-Christian violence, resulting in about 100 churches being burned down or vandalised, about 20 of them on a single day in October 1996 in the town of Situbondo.

A Catholic church burns in …

Comment by Augusto: … again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have …

Mixed Religion Marriages

Four ways you can possibly get around the law against 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 …

Comment by dewaratugedeanom: … says we must destroy any other religions, or …

Porn Videos

The young people of Indonesia are industrious porn video makers.

According to thorough, in-depth research carried out by the author of the book "500+ Gelombang Video Porno Indonesia" (The 500+ Wave of Indonesian Porn Videos), Seno Set, two homemade sex videos are produced in Indonesia every day.

There are currently over 500 homemade porn videos in circulation, 90% of them made by …

Comment by Bas: … numbers lol, a new Roy Suryo is born!

Siti, Susmiyati, & Donald

… and suggested that president Yudhoyono follow the example of Philippines president Gloria Arroyo and always stick up for his people when they are mistreated abroad. antara

Speaker of parliament Agung Laksono thundered:

This is an arrogant act of the Malaysian police against an Indonesian citizen. The government should lodge a strong protest to the Malaysian government.

He said Malaysians often acted like this towards Indonesian guest workers in the country as …

Traditional Markets

Attempting to save traditional markets and promote Indonesian products.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked regional administrations to make physical allocation for both modern and traditional markets in order to ensure the latter's survival. He said to a plenary session of the Regional Representatives Council (DPD) at the parliament building on August 23rd, in discussing its policies …

Comment by Abd al Halim Orr: … and have to destroy any fine grained traditional …

Rebecca Soejati Reijman

Singer Rebecca Reijman falls afoul of Islamic law in Aceh.

Singer Rebecca Soejati Reijman, who is from the Netherlands, was performing on stage in Banda Aceh on 26th August in front of 4,000 people in support of the Jakarta-based band "Nidji" when the head covering that she was obliged to wear in the sharia-law province got caught in the wind and fell off, revealing her head, and the hair …

Comment by Arema: … of God” destroyed it instead of enhanced it. I dont …

.CO.ID Domains

Registering dot co id domains has become easier.

Pandi, the organisation controlling registrations of .id internet domains in Indonesia, has simplified the rules for the purchase of .co.id domain names.

From now on individuals and companies must provide their identity card or passport, company registration certificate (SUIP), and pay the yearly fee, says Teddy Sukardi of …

Comment by Bas: … choose a.co.id? Roy Suryo maybe… Simplified? Well …

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 …

Comment by Julita: … hell bent on destroying Islam. Truth always persist. …

National Character

… Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, the governor of Yogyakarta, and the head of the special region's royal house, said on 18th August that since the fall of Suharto and the beginning of the reform era the national character of Indonesia and the behaviour of its people had taken a sharp turn for the worse, becoming quarrelsome, disharmonious, easily provoked into violence, and lacking in good manners, and in particular relations between religious groups had become dire.

Inter-faith and …

Pasuruan Bomb

… blown clean off. A colossal amount of TNT and bomb-making paraphernalia was later found in the destroyed house, which was owned by a man who, the deputy mayor of the town explained, was very religious and often hosted prayer meetings.

One of the people who originally believed that terrorists were at work in Pasuruan was "intelligence expert" Wawan Purwanto (see Ambon Bomb & Jafar Umar Thalib ), who said soon after the bombing:

This is the work of an old group, but they've formed …

Islam & Pork

Pig and pork eating issues in the news in Sumatra.

In early June 2007 a housekeeper in Medan, called Risma, who comes from Palembang, reported her boss Andi (50) to the police for forcing her to eat some pork meat.

The case excited some passions in Medan, easily understandable for those who have noticed the visceral disgust and loathing that many Muslims have whenever pork appears in …

Comment by Klafooty: … roman empire destroyed Jerusalem.This tragedy caused the …

Book Burning

The burning of history books.

In March of 2007 the Attorney General's office banned a number of junior high school history books because the works were perceived to fail to blame the Communist Party of Indonesia for the 1965 coup attempt. Since then many regional attorney generals' offices have seized thousands of the books from schools and in some cases afterwards carried out public …

Comment by Shorty: … burning or destroying the book doesn’t destroy them, …

Learning Islam

Indonesian Muslims still have some way to go in learning Islam.

The minister of religion, Maftuh Basyuni said on 4th August that Islam did not teach violence or radicalism, and radicalism could not be allowed to flourish Indonesia because most people were opposed to it and it had no basis in the Quran. He advised people to not only read the Quran a lot but to learn it and understand …

Comment by dawud farquhar: … yet want to destroy the fabric from within. I know …

Aceh Abominations

… to governments who care about humanity to prevent these primitives lashing out at more civilized citizens.

Comment by Arema: … They can destroy each other. Indonesia has too many …

Prostitution Emergency

A State of Emergency needs to be declared in Bandung, because of prostitution.

The Bandung Sin Watch (Bandung Maksiat Watch (BMW)) association, which is an umbrella organisation for a number of Islamic groups including Majelis Mujahidin, Pemuda Muhammadiyah, and Tim Pengacara Muslim, and is led by Asep Syarifudin of the Front Pembela Islam (see Headscarf Ban ), has called on the Bandung …

Comment by Cukurungan: … effort and destroy theirs beliefs in mean time I …

Best Island Vacation

Bali is (still) the best island in the world.

Travel + Leisure magazine's 2007 list of the "World's Best Islands" to visit for a holiday is out and once again, for the eighth time, Bali heads the list of tropical vacation paradises, just beating out the Hawaiian islands of Maui and Kauai. travelandleisure The top 10:

Rank
Name
Score

1 Bali 86.30 …

Comment by Sputjam: … to fish, destroying the reef that are the breeding …