Facts about

Indonesia
Indonesia (/ˌɪndəˈniːʒə/ (listen) IN-də-NEE-zhə, /-ˈniːziə/ -⁠NEE-zee-ə;
Indonesian: [ɪndoˈnesia]), officially the Republic of Indonesia (Indonesian: Republik
Indonesia [reˈpublik ɪndoˈnesia]),[a] is a country in Southeast Asia, between the
Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the world's largest island country, with more than
seventeen thousand islands,[11] and at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358
square miles), the 14th largest by land area and 7th in the combined sea and land
area.[12] With over 261 million people, it is the world's 4th most populous
country as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country.[13] Java, the
world's most populous island,[14] is home to more than half of the country's
population.

The sovereign state is a presidential, constitutional republic with an elected

legislature. It has 34 provinces, of which five have special status. Jakarta, the
country's capital, is the second-most populous urban area in the world. The
country shares land borders with Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and the eastern
part of Malaysia. Other neighbouring countries include Singapore, Vietnam, the
Philippines, Australia, Palau, and India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Despite its
large population and densely populated regions, Indonesia has vast areas of
wilderness that support a high level of biodiversity.[15] The country has abundant
natural resources like oil and natural gas, tin, copper, and gold, while agriculture
mainly produces rice, palm oil, tea, coffee, cacao, medicinal plants, spices, and
rubber.[16] China, the United States, Japan, Singapore, and India are Indonesia's
major trading partners.[17]

The history of the Indonesian archipelago has been influenced by foreign powers
drawn to its natural resources. It has been a valuable region for trade since at
least the 7th century when Srivijaya and then later Majapahit traded with entities
from mainland China and the Indian subcontinent. Local rulers gradually absorbed
foreign influences from the early centuries and Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms
flourished. Muslim traders and Sufi scholars brought Islam,[18][19] while
European powers brought Christianity and fought one another to monopolise
trade in the Spice Islands of Maluku during the Age of Discovery. Although
sometimes interrupted by the Portuguese, French and British, the Dutch were the
foremost European power for much of their 350-year presence in the
archipelago. In the early 20th century, the concept of "Indonesia" as a nation-state
emerged, and independence movements began to take shape.[20] During the
decolonisation of Asia after World War II, Indonesia achieved independence in
1949 following an armed and diplomatic conflict with the Netherlands.

Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups, with
the largest—and politically dominant—ethnic group being the Javanese. A shared
identity has developed, defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious
pluralism within a Muslim-majority population, and a history of colonialism and
rebellion against it. Indonesia's national motto, "Bhinneka Tunggal Ika" ("Unity in
Diversity" literally, "many, yet one"), articulates the diversity that shapes the
country. Indonesia's economy is the world's 16th largest by nominal GDP and 7th
by GDP at PPP. The country is a member of several multilateral organisations,
including the UN,[b] WTO, IMF, G20, and a founding member of Non-Aligned
Movement, Association of Southeast Asian Nations, Asia-Pacific Economic
Cooperation, East Asia Summit, Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, and
Organisation of Islamic Cooperation.

Source: https. /len.wikipedia.org/wiki/indonesia

 The Flag of Indonesia is a simple bicolour with two equal horizontal bands, red
(top) and white (bottom) with an overall ratio of 2:3.

Land area:

The Republic of Indonesia consists of five large islands and 13,677 smaller islands
(about 6,000 of which are inhabited) forming an arc between Asia and
Australia. With a total area of 1,919,440 sq km (741,100 sq mi), Indonesia is
the fourth-largest Asian country, after China, India, and Sa'udi Arabia.
Comparatively, the area occupied by Indonesia is slightly less than three times
the size of the state of Texas. It extends 5,271 km (3,275 mi) E – W and 2,210 km
(1,373 mi) N – S . The five principal islands are Sumatra; Java; Borneo, of
which the 72% belonging to Indonesia is known as Kalimantan; Sulawesi,
formerly called Celebes; and Irian Jaya (West Irian), the western portion of the
island of New Guinea. Indonesia has land boundaries with Malaysia (on
Borneo), Papua New Guinea (on New Guinea), and East Timor (on Timor). It is
bounded on the N by the South China Sea, on the N and E by the Pacific Ocean,
and on the S and W by the Indian Ocean. Indonesia's total land boundary
length is 2,830 km (1,758 mi). Its coastline is 54, 716 km (33,999 mi).

Indonesia's capital city, Jakarta, is located on the island of Java.

Read more: https://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Indonesia-

LOCATION-SIZE-AND-EXTENT.html#ixzz5vLj1ZwQ3
Population:

Indonesia has a population estimated at 270.63 million in 2019, up from the 2015
estimate of 257 million. About 56.7% of Indonesia's population lives on Java, the
most populous island. The population density of Indonesia is currently at 140.08
individuals per square kilometer.

Currency:

Indonesia · Currency

Indonesian rupiah

Indonesian rupiah. The rupiah ( Rp) is the official currency of Indonesia. Issued
and controlled by the Bank of Indonesia, the ISO 4217 currency code for the
Indonesian rupiah is IDR. The name "Rupiah" is derived from the Indian word
rupiya ( रुपीया ), ultimately from Sanskrit rupyakam ( रूप्यकम्; silver).
 Language:

Indonesian (bahasa Indonesia [baˈhasa indoˈnesia]) is the official language of

Indonesia. It is a standardized register of Malay, an Austronesian language that has
been used as a lingua franca in the multilingual Indonesian archipelago for
centuries. Indonesia is the fourth most populous nation in the world. Of its large
population, the majority speak Indonesian, making it one of the most widely
spoken languages in the world.[4]

Most Indonesians, aside from speaking the national language, are fluent in at least
one of the more than 700 indigenous local languages; examples include Javanese,
Sundanese and Balinese, which are commonly used at home and within the local
community.[5][6] However, most formal education, and nearly all national mass
media, governance, administration, judiciary, and other forms of communication,
are conducted in Indonesian.[7]

The Indonesian name for the language (bahasa Indonesia) is also occasionally
found in English and other languages.

Religon:

RELIGION IN INDONESIA
 Indonesia is the largest Muslim nation in the world. Sunni Islam is the majority
religion throughout most of the country. Notable exceptions include the province
of Bali, which is predominantly Hindu, and the provinces of Papua, West Papua,
East Nusa Tenggara, and North Sulawesi, which are predominantly Protestant
Christian. [Source: International Religious Freedom Report for 2012, Indonesia,
U.S. Department of State]

About 87.2 percent of all Indonesians are Muslims; 7 percent are Christians (4.1
percent Protestant and 2.9 percent Roman Catholic); 1.7 percent are Hindu; 0.9
percent are Buddhists, Confucian and other; and 0.4 percent are unspecified.
According to the 2000 census 86.1 percent of Indonesians were Muslims at that
time and observed Islamic practices to varying degrees; another 5.7 percent were
Protestant, 3 percent Roman were Catholic, 1.8 percent were Hindu, and 3.4
percent were other, including Buddhist, and unspecified. [Source: CIA World
Factbook, Library of Congress]

Nearly all Muslims in Indonesia are Sunnis. Islam is not the state religion and
Islamic law is not practiced except in a few localities. Most of the people of Java,
Sumatra, Sulawesi and Kalimantan are Muslims.Christianity is practiced in parts of
Indonesia where there was formerly a large Dutch presence— parts of Sumatra
and the Maluka islands (Moluccas) —or Portuguese presence—East Timor. There
are also many Christians in West Papua, where American and European
missionaries have had success converting tribes—some of them former
headhunters—there. The Minahasa and the Batak in North Sulawesi, the Toraja in
South Sulawesi and people in East Nusa Tenggara (islands east of Bali such as
Flores) and on Nias island in North Sumatra are largely Christian. Hinduism is
practiced on Bali, and animism is practiced by small groups of people in isolated
areas scattered around the archipelago.

According to everyculture.com: “The Javanese are predominantly Muslim, though

many are Catholic or Protestant, and many Chinese in Java and elsewhere are
Christian, mainly Protestant. The Javanese are noted for a less strict adherence to
Islam and a greater orientation to Javanese religion, a mixture of Islam and
previous Hindu and animist beliefs. The Sundanese of West Java, by contrast, are
ardently Muslim. Other noted Muslim peoples are the Acehnese of North
Sumatra, the first Indonesians to become Muslim; the Minangkabau, despite their
matriliny; the Banjarese of South Kalimantan; the Bugis and Makassarese of South
Sulawesi; the Sumbawans of the Lesser Sunda Islands; and the people of Ternate
and Tidor in Maluku. [Source: everyculture.com >>>]

Book: Religion of Java by Clifforf Geertz (1950s).

Religion and Life in Indonesia

Religion is perhaps the most important thing for an Indonesian. It is illegal not to
have a religion and a person’s religion is stated in her/his ID card beside all the
normal information that an ID card usually include: address, date of birth.
However, there are people who are called "ID card Muslims, Christians" etc.
These are people who are not particularly religious as they do not observe their
religious practices, but when asked would say that she/he is a Muslim, Christian
etc. according to their family’s belief and what is stated on their ID card. [Source:
Canadian Centre for Intercultural Learning, intercultures.gc.ca ||||]

The daily life and activities of an Indonesian are scheduled according to her/his
religion; especially for Muslims who pray 5 times a day. During the normal office
hour, until 4 or 5 o’clock, you will see Muslims pray twice: the second and the
third prayer of the day. That is why in every office, a room is provided for this
purpose. Please be sensitive to this need of your colleagues in the workplace. The
men will also need to go to the mosque on Fridays to do the second prayer. ||||

Individuals identify strongly with their religion and the attitude is such that
everyone belongs to some religious grouping—Muslim, Hindu or Christian.
Whether or not they are devout practitioners is not relevant, the identity is still
quite strong. It is just assumed that westerners are Christian. In the work place
there is a lot of respect for religious duty and time is given for individuals to
practice their religion of choice. Thus, the Christians in our office were off at
Christmas while the Muslims and Hindus worked, but the Muslims were off at
 Ramadan while the Hindus and Christians worked. The Hindus have quite a
demanding religious calendar and, being in Bali where the majority are Hindu, the
office accommodated their needs completely. ||||

Religious Infusions in Indonesia

Religion in Indonesia is best viewed as a series of amalgamations rather than a

process of successions. Islam has been infused with the Buddhism and Hinduism
that preceded it and Buddhism and Hinduism in turn have been infused with the
folk religions that preceded them. Many Indonesian pilgrims visit sights with
connections to Muslim saints and associations with Buddhism, Hinduism and
animism even though Islam generally discourages such practices.

On the whole the Indonesian people are regarded as religious in

nature.Indonesia’s religious make-up is composed of three essential elements: 1)
priyayi, Islam, with classical Hindu Buddhist elements, practiced mainly among the
educated urban classes; 2) santri, orthodox Islam, most common among merchant
and landowners; and 3) abangan, Islam with animist folk influences, traditionally
practiced by the rural peasantry.

Many Indonesians are familiar with a number of different faiths. To hedge their
bets, they recognize and respect each one. It is not unusual to find devoted
Muslims who make offerings to Hindu gods and seek help from faith healers.
During December, Jakarta streets are lit up with Christmas lights; Garuda, the
name of the Indonesian airline, is a Hindu God. Asking someone their religion in
Indonesia is as common as asking someone their job in he United States. In the
early Suharto era if you said you were a non-believer the assumption was that you
were a Communist and that could get you in big trouble.

Mysticism endures in Java beneath Islam in form of beliefs of benevolent and

malevolent spirits and ghosts and magical powers possessed by amulets,
heirlooms such as sacred kris knives, parts of the body such as hair and nails and
certain musical instruments.
 According to everyculture.com: “Mystical cults are well established among the
Javanese elite and middle class, and members of many ethnic groups still follow
traditional belief systems. Officially the government recognizes religion ( agama )
to include Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, and Buddhism, while other belief systems
are called just that, beliefs ( kepercayaan ). Those who hold beliefs are subject to
conversion; followers of religion are not. Belief in ancestral spirits, spirits of
diverse sorts of places, and powerful relics are found among both peasants and
educated people and among many followers of the world religions; witchcraft and
sorcery also have their believers and practitioners. The colonial regime had an
uneasy relationship with Islam, as has the Indonesian government. The first of the
Five Principles extols God ( Tuhan ), but not Allah by name. Dissidents have
wanted to make Indonesia a Muslim state, but they have not prevailed. [Source:
everyculture.com >>>]

Early History of Religion in Indonesia

In ancient times most people who lived in what is now Indonesia most likely
practiced some form of animism (belief in spirits) and ancestor worship. Perhaps,
as is true some Indonesian animists today, many of their beliefs were tied to
making sure that ancestors rest in peace, harvests were good and people had
enough to eat and maintained good health. Animists remain in West Papua and
Sumba.

Buddhism and Hinduism arrived in the A.D. 3rd and 4th centuries presumably as
traders from India and other places arrived on Indonesian islands and brought
their religions with them. There are numerous Buddhist and Hindu sites in
Indonesia. The oldest Hindu art in Indonesia are Hindu statues found in Sumatra
and Sulawesi dated to the A.D. 3rd century. Hindu Sanskrit inscriptions dated to
the A.D. 5th century have been found in West Java and eastern Kalimantan. Early
Indonesian rulers were regarded as incarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu. Some
scholars believe that early Indonesian kings invited Hindu priests from India to
provide them with mystical powers and a spiritual justification for their rule.
 Buddhism was introduced to Java by the A.D. fifth century and established in
Sumatra in the 7th century. It took hold to a lesser extent in Malaysia and Borneo
and remained strong until the massive conversion to Islam in the 15th century.
Buddhism existed peacefully with Hinduism and indigenous magical beliefs.
Buddhism grew from Hindusim in India. In Indonesia the two religions have often
been interwoven with each other and with traditional Javanese beliefs. Hindu
statues sometimes have Buddhist symbols and Buddhist temples often have
depictions of Hindu gods.

Buddhism and Hinduism were embraced by Indonesian royalty and, some

speculate, they were used to justify the rule of Indonesian leaders with the god-
king beliefs. Many believe they were practiced by royals and elite while ordinary
people kept their traditional religion. Many events in the great Hindu epic the
Ramayana take place in Java.

Before Islam became dominate, Indonesia was ruled by a succession of Hindu and
Buddhist kingdoms for over a thousand years. The first Hindu kingdom—
Melayu—was established on Java in A.D. 400. Indian influence between the 8th
and 14th century produced a number of small Shaivite-Buddhist kingdoms. In the
7th century the Buddhist Sriwijaya Empire ruled Western Indonesia and
controlled trade in much of the area. In the 9th century the Hindu Mataram
Kingdom ceded control to the Buddhist Sailendra Kingdom. The effect of India on
Indonesia was quite profound but greatly modified. When the great Indian poet
Rabindranth Tagore visited Java he said, “I see India everywhere but I do not
recognize it.”

See Separate Article ISLAM ARRIVES IN INDONESIA under History

Arrival of Islam in Asia and Indonesia

The Indian Ocean continued to serve as both a commercial and a cultural link
between Indonesia and the countries to the west. Thus Islam, which was
established on the Arabian Peninsula by the Prophet Muhammad in the seventh
century A.D., followed the Hindu and Buddhist religions into the archipelago. By
 the late twentieth century, approximately 85 percent of Indonesia's inhabitants
considered themselves to be Muslim. Among some Indonesians, Islam is only an
element in a syncretic belief system that also includes animist and Hindu-Buddhist
concepts. Others are intensely committed to the faith. Like the introduction of
Indian civilization, the process of Islamization is obscure because of the lack of
adequate historical records and archeological evidence. The archipelago was not
invaded by outsiders and forcibly converted. Yet states that had converted to
Islam often waged war against those that adhered to the older, Hindu-Buddhist
traditions. Religious lines, however, do not appear to have been clearly drawn in
Javanese statecraft and war. [Source: Library of Congress *]

Over the centuries, merchants from Arabian Sea and Indian Ocean ports and
mystics and literary figures propagated the faith. Because commerce was more
prevalent along the coasts of Sumatra, Java, and the eastern archipelago than in
inland areas of Java, it is not surprising that Islamization proceeded more rapidly in
the former than the latter. According to historian M.C. Ricklefs, legends describe
the conversion of rulers to Islam in coastal Malay regions as a "great turning
point" marked by miracles (including the magical circumcision of converts), the
confession of faith, and adoption of Arabic names. Javanese chroniclers tended to
view it as a much less central event in the history of dynasties and states. But the
Javanese chronicles mention the role of nine (or ten) saints (wali in Arabic), who
converted rulers through the use of supernatural powers. *

Doubtless small numbers of Muslims traveled through and resided in the

archipelago at a very early date. Historical records of the Chinese Tang Dynasty
(A.D. 618-907) tell of Arab traders who must have stopped at Indonesian ports
along the way to Guangzhou and other southern Chinese ports. Yet the
conversion of rulers and significant numbers of indigenous peoples to Islam
apparently did not begin until around the late thirteenth century. Many areas of
the archipelago resisted the religion's spread. Some, such as Ambon, were
converted to Christianity by Europeans. Others preserved their distinctiveness
despite powerful Islamic neighbors. These included small enclaves on Java and the
adjacent island of Bali, where animist and Hindu beliefs created a distinct, inward-
looking culture. *
According to The Economist: “It is not clear when Islam came to South-East Asia,
and whether Arabs, Persians or Indians were its main disseminators. But there is
no doubt that it was spread for the most part by merchants, rather than the
warriors who brought it to the Middle East and North Africa. Local people seem
to have converted gradually, while preserving many of their pre-Islamic beliefs.
For a long time, Muslims remained a minority, and had to learn to rub along with
people of other faiths. Hindu kingdoms endured in Java until the 16th century, for
example, while Spanish colonisers and Muslim preachers seem to have arrived in
the Philippines only a few decades apart. [Source: The Economist, May 29, 2003
\*/]

“What is more, the merchant missionaries themselves seem to have followed a

fairly unorthodox brand of Islam. They introduced Sufism, a form of mysticism
frowned upon by dogmatic Muslims. And although almost all South-East Asian
Muslims follow the Sunni sect, Shia holidays have entered the local tradition. To
this day, even the Acehnese, popularly considered the region's most devout
Muslims, celebrate Ashura, an exclusively Shia festival in the rest of the Islamic
world. \*/

Early History of Islam to Indonesia

Aceh in northern Sumatra was one of the first places in Southeast Asia where
Islam took hold. It was well established by the 12th century and may have arrived
as early as the 9th century. By the 13th century it was well entrenched. Marco
Polo visited the northern Sumatran town of Perlak in 1292 and noted that the
people there were Muslims. From northern Sumatra, Muslim traders island
hopped eastward. The earliest Muslim inscriptions found in Java date to the 11th
century. Javanese tradition holds that Islam was introduced to Java by nine holy
men, wali songo, who possessed great knowledge of Islam and mystical powers.

It is not clear whether Arabs, Persians or Indians were the main disseminators of
Islam in Indonesia. The aristocracy adopted a mystical Sufi form of Islam form—
brought by Muslim traders from the Indian state of Gujarat and had been
influenced by south Indian religious beliefs—rather than conventional Orthodox
forms. Even though most Indonesians became Sunnis, elements of Shiite Islam
were introduced. To this day many Indonesia Muslims celebrate the Shiite festival
of Ashura. Islam in Indonesia was also fused with Hinduism and indigenous beliefs,
creating a hybrid Islam that continues to exist today.

Islam was not introduced by force or by conquest as it was on much if the Middle
East, Central Asia and India. Displacement by Islam was peaceful. Local people
accepted Islamic gradually and were not forced to renounce their indigenous
religions so Islamic merged and coexisted with Buddhism and Hinduism and
traditional religions. The result was a hybrid form of Islam that was unique to
Indonesia and different from the forms found in the Middle East and Central Asia.

See Islam, History

Later History of Religion

In the 16th century the Portuguese introduced Catholicism to what is now

Indonesia. In the 17th century the Dutch introduced Protestantism. Although
some local people who worked with Europeans in the colonial administration
converted to the religion, Christianity did not make much headway with the local
population expect in a few areas like East Timor and the Spice islands.

When Indonesia became independent in 1949 it was established as a secular state.

After an election in 1955 a committee called the Konstituante was established to
draft a new Constitution. Some Muslim groups pushed for having Islam made the
state religion. Nationalists and Communists opposed the move. A tense situation
was resolved when Sukarno disbanded the Konstituante and decreed a return to
the 1945 Constitution.

In the 1960s the Indonesia government attempted clamp down on animist and
folk beleifs by abolishing all religions except for Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and
Christianity. Later Hindu-Balinese was added and lawyers for the Toraja and
 others ethnic religions argued that their religion was no different than Hindu-
Balinese. ♧

Kejawen—a Javanese spiritual teaching, which claims that all religions are good—
was introduced by Suharto and helps explain how so many religions have managed
to co-exist relatively peacefully in Indonesia. AFP reported: “Suharto's personal
quirks have also had an influence on Indonesian life. Although a Muslim, Suharto's
devotion to traditional pre-Islamic mysticism also influenced the national culture.
His Javanese brand of synchretic Islam, popularly known as Kejawen, later was
added to the list of five major religions then recognised by the state, but under a
different name: Belief in God Almighty. Suharto's 1998 fall was quickly followed by
a rise in more orthodox Islamic piety, but the supernatural still looms large --
especially when it comes to talk of the ex-dictator himself. While many would see
Suharto's team of doctors as the main reason for his survival so far, theories
popular among millions of Indonesians include possession by black magic and his
ownership of a Javanese royal family's sacred dagger. [Source: Aubrey Belford,
AFP, January 14, 2008 */*]

Religion and Society

In the Indonesian language there is clear distinction between the concept of

religiosity and belonging to a community. Columnist Ignas Kledenin wrote un the
Jakarta Post. “The Indonesian word ‘beragama’ comprises both one’s membership
in a religious community and the degree of personal internalization of religious
values...As a result people tend to equate the spiritual dimension of living
religiously with eh organizational aspects of one’s membership in a religious-based
grouping.

“Psychologically speaking, religion is not only a membership group but also a

reference group. It is not only a physical collective made up of members as its
constituents, but also a place where one identifies oneself according to the certain
knowledge, ideals, norms and values of that group...But if religion is treated only
as a membership group, which is self-contained and exclusive, the outsiders will
 be easily faced with suspicion, misgivings, prejudice and even animosity. Those
who ate not with is must be against us.”

Religion often become more of an issue when times are bad than when they are
good. Kledenin wrote, “In Indonesia, religion seems to be a safe base for people
to fall back in. People faced with pressing difficulties tend to seek security in their
religions by relying more on their religious communities, taking God more
seriously and relearning their prayers...People are more inclined to offer an easy
explanation for the social and political problems by referring to the degree of
one’s adherence to religious norms, which one is supposed to implement as a
member of a religious community.”

Religion, Government Policy and Politics in Indonesia

Even though some 87 percent of Indonesians are Muslims, Indonesia is a secular

nation. Indonesia guarantees freedom of religion and recognizes six religions
:Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Catholicism and Protestantism. These
religions are granted protection by the Constitution. According the Indonesian
philosophy of Pancasila, all citizens are required to believe in God but they can
chose between the recognized religions. Atheism is not permitted.

Religion in Indonesia is a complex and volatile issue, not easily analyzed in terms
of social class, region, or ethnic group. Long discouraged by the New Order
government (1966–98) from political participation, Islam, Christianity, Hinduism,
Buddhism, and other religions were increasingly influential frameworks for
defining social participation after 1998. The state guaranteed tolerance of certain
religions (agama) regarded as monotheistic by the government, but popular
violence between Christians and Muslims in Java, Sulawesi, Kalimantan, Ambon,
and Halmahera made those guarantees difficult to honor. In some cases, the
police and army were on different sides of clashes defined in religious terms.

According to everyculture.com: During the New Order, those not having a

religion were suspected of being Communist, so there was a rush to conversion
in many areas, including Java, which gained many new Christians. Followers of
 traditional ethnic beliefs were under pressure as well. In places such as interior
Kalimantan and Sulawesi, some people and groups converted to one of the world
religions, but others sought government recognition for a reorganized traditional
religion through both regional and national politicking. Among the Ngaju Dayak,
for instance, the traditional belief system, Kaharingan, gained official acceptance in
the Hindu-Buddhist category, though it is neither. People who follow traditional
beliefs and practices are often looked down upon as primitive, irrational, and
backward by urban civil and military leaders who are Muslim or Christian— but
these groups formed new sorts of organizations, modeled on urban secular ones,
to bolster support. Such moves represent both religious and ethnic resistance to
pressure from the outside, from neighboring Muslim or Christian groups, and
from exploitative government and military officers or outside developers of
timber and mining industries. On Java, mystical groups, such as Subud, also lobbied
for official recognition and protections. Their position was stronger than that of
remote peoples because they had followers in high places, including the president.
[Source: everyculture.com >>>]

Religious Laws in Indonesia

The constitution protects religious freedom, although some laws, policies, and
local regulations restrict religious freedom. The Ministry of Home Affairs holds
the authority to review and revoke local regulations that are not in accordance
with national legislation. In 2012, the ministry reviewed approximately 13,000
local regulations and revoked 824. A ministry spokesperson reported some of the
regulations were revoked because they violated religious freedom, but was not
able to provide an exact number. The constitution accords “all persons the right
to worship according to their own religion or belief” and states that “the nation is
based upon belief in one supreme God.” The first tenet of the country’s national
ideology, Pancasila, similarly declares belief in one God. The government does not
allow for nonbelief. Government employees must swear allegiance to the nation
and to the Pancasila ideology. Other laws and policies at the national and regional
levels restrict certain types of religious activity, particularly among unrecognized
 religious groups and “deviant” sects of recognized religious groups. [Source:
International Religious Freedom Report for 2012, Indonesia, U.S. Department of
State <>]

The government requires officially recognized religious groups to comply with

directives from the Ministry of Religious Affairs and other ministerial directives,
such as the Revised Joint Ministerial Decree on the Construction of Houses of
Worship (2006), Overseas Aid to Religious Institutions in Indonesia (1978), and
Guidelines for the Propagation of Religion (1978). The 2006 Revised Joint
Ministerial Decree on the Construction of Houses of Worship requires religious
groups that want to build a house of worship to obtain the signatures of at least
90 members of the group and 60 persons of other religious groups in the
community stating that they support the construction. The decree also requires
approval from the local religious affairs office, the Forum for Religious Harmony
(FKUB). The government established FKUBs under two 2006 joint ministerial
decrees. The groups exist at the city or district level and are comprised of
religious leaders from the six recognized religions. They are responsible for
mediating interreligious conflicts. <>

The Guidelines for Overseas Aid to Religious Institutions require domestic

religious organizations to obtain approval from the Ministry of Religion to receive
funding from overseas donors. The Guidelines for Propagation of Religion ban
proselytizing to members of recognized religious groups under most
circumstances. The Child Protection Act of 2002 makes conversion of minors to
a religion other than their own through “tricks” and/or “lies,” terms that can be
applied loosely, a crime punishable by up to five years in prison. <>

Under the National Education Law, religious instruction in any one of the six
official religions is required when requested by a student. Religious speeches are
permissible if delivered to members of the same religious group and are not
intended to convert persons of other religious groups. Televised religious
programming is unrestricted for any of the recognized religious groups.
Publication of religious materials or the use of religious symbols is permitted;
however, the government bans dissemination of these materials to persons who
do not adhere to the religion of the group disseminating the materials. <>
 The law does not discriminate against any recognized religious group in
employment, housing, or health care. Religious groups and social organizations
must obtain permits to hold religious concerts or other public events. The
government usually grants permits in an unbiased manner unless a concern exists
that the activity would raise strong objections from members of another religious
group in the area. Foreign religious workers must obtain religious worker visas,
and foreign religious organizations must obtain permission from the Ministry of
Religious Affairs to provide any type of assistance (in-kind, personnel, or financial)
to local religious groups. <>

See Sharia Under Justice System, Government.

Image Sources:

Text Sources: New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Times of
London, Lonely Planet Guides, Library of Congress, Compton’s Encyclopedia, The
Guardian, National Geographic, Smithsonian magazine, The New Yorker, Time,
Newsweek, Reuters, AP, AFP, Wall Street Journal, The Atlantic Monthly, The
Economist, Global Viewpoint (Christian Science Monitor), Foreign Policy,
Wikipedia, BBC, CNN, NBC News, Fox News and various books and other
publications.

© 2008 Jeffrey Hays

Last updated June 2015

Foods:

Top 10 Indonesian Food that you must try!

Indonesian Satay.

Beef Rendang.

Fried Rice.
 Nasi Rawon.

Sop Buntut (Oxtail Soup).

Places:

PlaJakarta

The capital of Indonesia, everyone would inevitably find themselves visiting Jakarta
as their first or last stop in Indonesia. Jakarta is also a very important international
airport hub for the entire Indonesia serving many airlines to everywhere in the
world. Your visit here would not be complete without getting absorbed into the
hectic and congested city. Once attuned you would be ready to take on the rest
of the country with ease. It has many hidden treasures, nightlife and is a shopping
haven.ces:

National costume:

he national costume of Indonesia is the national costume that represents the

Republic of Indonesia. It is derived from Indonesian culture and Indonesian
traditional textile traditions. Today the most widely recognized Indonesian
national costumes include batik[1] and kebaya, although originally those costumes
mainly belong within the culture of Java and Bali, most prominently within
Javanese, Sundanese and Balinese culture.[2] Since Java has been the political and
population center of Indonesia, folk costume from the island has become elevated
into national status.
 Indonesia Museum depicting traditional dresses of Indonesia. The picture shows
the traditional wedding dress of Bali (left) and East Java (right) with other dresses
from other provinces depicted in the background

As a multi-diverse country, Indonesia having more than 30 provinces, each has its
own representation of traditional attire and dress from each province with its
own unique and distinguished designs.

National costumes are worn during official occasions as well as traditional

ceremonies. The most obvious display of Indonesian national costumes can be
seen by the type of costumes worn by the President of Indonesia and the
Indonesian first lady in many and different types of occasions and settings, and also
worn by Indonesian diplomatic officials during gala dinners. Traditional weddings
and formal ceremonies in Indonesia are also one of the important occasions in the
country where the attire of the national costume of Indonesia is absolutely visible
ranging from traditional to modern attire different from each region it is
representing.