Indonesia DRAFT

Religious Adherence in Indonesia, % of Population

Source: World Religion Database

Indonesia is a diverse state that boasts the worlds largest Muslim population, Hindu and Buddhist cultural influences, and a democratic government that, while secular, holds monotheism as one of its governing principles. Long dominated by Indian Dharmic traditions, Islam was introduced in the 14th century and became the predominant religion of the archipelago by the end of the following century. In the 16th century, Portuguese and Dutch colonizers introduced Roman Catholicism and Protestantism. During the 1960s, religion became a marker of loyalty as the government violently purged the country of the atheist Communist party. Suharto (1967-98) sought to de-Islamicize the government, angering Muslim political groups. The Indonesian Constitution guarantees freedom of religion, but the government only recognizes six religions: Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Confucianism. The Indonesian governing philosophy of Pancasila holds belief in the One and Only God as essential, requiring Hindus, Buddhists, and Confucianists to ensure their theologies are understood in monotheistic terms. Early Hindu and Muslim Dynasties The first Indonesian Hindu kingdom, Dvipantara, was founded on the islands of Sumatra and Java around 200 CE by Indian traders. Sumatra was taken over by the Sriwijayas, a Vajrayana Buddhist Kingdom, in the 7th century. Over the next several hundred years, Buddhism and Hinduism blended with native beliefs to create a syncretistic tradition unique to South East Asia. Records from the Majapahit Empire in the thirteenth century tell of Hindu kings patronizing prominent Hindu deities, including Shiva and Vishnu, while simultaneously following the teachings of Mahayana Buddhism. Muslim traders visiting northern Sumatra in the 1200s began to establish an Islamic presence in Indonesia, and Islam slowly spread across the region. Sufi saints played a large role in the transculturation of Islam to Indonesia, blending traditional island practices with Muslim teachings. The last of the Hindu Majaphit kings was taken over by a Muslim Sultanate in the early 1500s, although Bali retained a Hindu majority. The Sultans began to enforce Sharia and to use Arabic script for legal matters and, eventually, for day-to-day life. The Sultanates ruled until the early 1800s, when Java was taken over by Dutch colonizers. The Dutch Colonial Period and the Independence Movement

Although both Portuguese Catholics and Dutch Protestants had been sending missionaries to Indonesia since the 1500s, the Christian presence in the archipelago was limited until the creation of the Dutch East India Company in 1602. The Company gained control of Java and continued to fight for economic and religious control of the island. In 1816, the Dutch state took over the Company, and by the early 20th century dominated almost all of present day Indonesia. Although the Dutch encouraged conversions, the administration allowed Muslim leaders to retain governmental positions. Independence movements began to emerge over the course of the early 20th century, and in 1945 two Indonesian leaders, Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta, declared Indonesian independence. Indonesia was recognized as a sovereign state by the Netherlands in 1949. Sukarno and Hatto established a new constitution based on the original doctrine of Pancasila, the five guiding principles of the Indonesian nation, including a belief in the Maha Esa, "the one supreme being," though not specifically Allah. Dissenters in the constitutional process favored the Jakarta Charter, which would have established Islam as the official religion of Indonesia. A militant wing of this group, the Darul Islam, waged a low-level insurgency against the government until the early 1960s. Some leaders of the present-day Jemma Islamiyah consider themselves to be the political heirs of the Darul Islam. Generally, the Indonesian government, and the general population, supports the concept of religious pluralism, and Indonesia currently has six state-sponsored religions. Pancasila and Religious Pluralism Sukarno was ousted from his seat in 1966 and a new leader, Suharto, took over the government. Suharto sought to de-Islamicize the government, and included a large number of Christians in his cabinet. Suhartos government passed a controversial bill in 1985, requiring all political parties to declare unconditional support for the Pancasila. This bill created a problem for the Muslim Unity Development Party by forcing them to allow non-Muslims to join their organization. Following the bill, riots led by frustrated Muslims broke out in Jakarta. Suharto was forced to resign in 1998 after his economic mismanagement in the wake of the 1997 Asian financial crisis emboldened his opponents. During the period of political instability surrounding Suhartos fall, communal violence broke out in several quarters between Muslims and non-Muslims. These incidents strengthened Java-based jihadist groups that presented themselves as defenders of the Muslim population. Recently, a minority of Indonesian Muslims have supported a broader trend in the Islamic world towards a more conservative interpretation of Islam and a stronger Islamic state. Some local governments have even reinstated Sharia law on individual islands. In the aggregate, however, radical Islamic political parties do not garner a substantial share of votes on a national basis. The current Indonesian Prime Minister has been criticized for refusing Muslim calls to ban Ahmadiyyah, an unorthodox Muslim sect. Other ongoing issues include the transmigration program, which has been criticized as an attempt to further Islamicize Indonesia by moving landless people from overpopulated and predominantly Muslim areas to less populous areas with more religious diversity. Contemporary Affairs Recent events in Indonesia raise questions about the governments ability to balance religious freedom with deference to Islamic tradition in what is often a challenging environment. In August 2010, conservative Islamic groups carried out a series of attacks on Christian Churches

and Ahmadiyya mosques, a sect of Islam that some Muslims consider heretical, in Jakarta and its surrounding suburbs. In August 2010, Jakartas Governor Fauzi Bowo and Police Chief Timur Pradopo attended an event hosted by the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), a conservative Islamic organization whose members have been linked to the violence. In protest, Christian and Ahmadiyya groups organized public prayer vigils in the streets of Jakarta and called upon Indonesias President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to intervene and prosecute those responsible for the attacks. In a subsequent speech to parliament, President Yudhoyono called for religious tolerance and pluralism, though the President took no concrete action and failed to investigate claims that FPI members were responsible for the violence. In September 2010, Indonesias Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali further inflamed tensions when he called for Indonesias major Ahmadiyya organization to be disbanded in the interest of public safety. Numerous Islamic and human rights organizations have condemned the Ministers remarks including the Jakarta-based International Center for Islam and Pluralism which labeled them as against Islamic principles. Ahmadiyya organizations have been banned from proselytizing in Indonesia since 2008 and their failure to recognize Mohammad as the final prophet has led some conservative Muslims to label them heretics. Religious Freedom in Indonesia The Indonesian Constitution was drafted in the wake of a long struggle for independence and emphasizes then President Sukarnos inclusive nationalist ideology known as Pancasila. Indonesia is home to the worlds largest Muslim population and a number of thriving Islamic movements. The Indonesian Constitution recognizes freedom of religious expression and proclaims monotheism as a founding principal of Indonesian nationalism. The State officially recognizes five religious communities: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Buddhism, and Hinduism. Animists, Confucians and other unrecognized religious communities face some obstacles and must register with the state as cultural organizations. Conversion, proselytism, and intermarriage are heavily restricted and blasphemy is a punishable offense. However Indonesias mainstream religious leaders typically preach pluralism and the majority of Indonesians harbor tolerant attitudes towards other faiths. Conflicts between rival religious movements are not uncommon in several of Indonesias major provinces including Moluccas, Central Sulawesi, Papua, and Kalimantan. Clashes between religious groups are often precipitated by economic factors or tension due to recent immigration. In the wake of a series of high profile terrorist attacks, including bombings at a Bali nightclub in 2001 and at the Australian Embassy in 2004, the Indonesian government cracked down on some of the more conservative Islamic organizations with perceived ties to militants arresting several popular clerics. At the same time, several Indonesian provinces have been permitted to enforce local Sharia law. Religious police in the majority Muslim Aceh Province have drawn controversy by enforcing Islamic dress and modesty codes. Religion in the Indonesian Constitution The Indonesian constitution is based on the doctrine of Pancasila, the five principles of the nation. The principles, as stated in the Preamble, include: a belief in the One and Only God; the unity of Indonesia; deliberation among representatives; just humanity; and social justice for all Indonesians. Article twenty-nine requires that the state is based on the belief in the One and Only

God. This requirement is expanded upon in General Section two, The basic thoughts in the Preamble, which states that the state must encourage high ethical standards by the people. Article twenty-nine also guarantees individual freedom of worship, according to each persons religion or beliefs. Article nine requires the President to be sworn into office before God. While voting on the constitution in 1945, Indonesians rejected an amendment to make their country a Muslim nation. Indonesians have also continually rejected calls to implement shariah and forego the state legal system. Religion in Indonesia is seen by the public as a matter of national policy and many Indonesians believe church and state are inherently linked. Article 9: Oath of Office (1) Prior to taking office, the President and Vice President shall swear an oath in accordance with their respective religions or shall make a solemn promise before the MPR or DPR. The oath or promise shall be as follows ... Article 28: Human Rights ... (e) (1) Every person shall be free to choose and to practice the religion of his/her choice, to choose one's education, to choose one's employment, to choose one's citizenship, and to choose one's place of residence within the state territory, to leave it and to subsequently return to it. (2) Every person shall have the right to the freedom to believe his/her faith (kepercayaan), and to express his/her views and thoughts, in accordance with his/her conscience. (3) Every person shall have the right to the freedom to associate, to assemble and to express opinions ... (i)(1) The rights to life, freedom from torture, freedom of thought and conscience, freedom of religion, freedom from enslavement, recognition as a person before the law, and the right not to be tried under a law with retrospective effect are all human rights that cannot be limited under any circumstances. (2) Every person shall have the right to be free from discriminative treatment based upon any grounds whatsoever and shall have the right to protection from such discriminative treatment. (3) The cultural identities and rights of traditional communities shall be respected in accordance with the development of times and civilisations. (4) The protection, advancement, upholding and fulfilment of human rights are the responsibility of the state, especially the government. (5) For the purpose of upholding and protecting human rights in accordance with the principle of a democratic and law-based state, the implementation of human rights shall be guaranteed, regulated and set forth in laws and regulations. Article 29: Religion (1) The State shall be based upon the belief in the One and Only God. (2) The State guarantees all persons the freedom of worship, each according to his/her own religion or belief.

Further Readings Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia In Nationalism and Ethnic Conflict in Indonesia, Jacques Bertrand explores ethnic and religious conflict in Indonesia. Bertrand argues that these conflicts are largely a result of the constraints imposed by the Suharto regime. With the end of his authoritarian rule in 1998, the country was left unprepared for the social and political challenges ahead. He therefore sees the conflicts in Maluku, Kalimantan, Aceh, Papua, and East Timor as the result of the New Orders narrow and constraining reinterpretation of Indonesias national model. The author shows how at the end of the 1990s, this national model came under intense pressure at the prospect of institutional transformation, a reconfiguration of ethnic relations, and an increase in the role of Islam in Indonesias political institutions.