Indonesia
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Biennale Jogja XII Equator #2
Indonesia's arts scene explores the Arab world
Thirty-five artists and artists' groups from Indonesia and a selection of Arab countries are presenting their work as part of the Equator series at this year's Biennale Jogja in Yogyakarta. Christina Schott took a look around
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Indonesia's New Anarchists
Eager to Lose Their Innocence
Insurrectionary anarchists, with international connections, nihilist values and a penchant for arson, are moving to fill the vacuum on the left. By Dominic Berger
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Islamic environmentalism
The call to eco-jihad
Gradually – and unnoticed by most Muslims – Muslim intellectuals and scholars have, since the late 1960s, been developing an Islamic environmental theology. Their aim is to examine green principles such as sustainability, environmental protection, animal welfare, and biodiversity in terms of their compatibility with Islam. By Monika Zbidi
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Islam and Democracy
Why 72 Per Cent of Indonesians Want Sharia
A Pew report states that 7 out of every 10 Indonesians want sharia law to be implemented. However, says Jennie S. Bev, author and columnist from Indonesia, there is no cause for alarm, considering the semantic differences in the use of the term sharia among Indonesians
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Democracy and Human Rights in Indonesia
A Blocked Constitutional State
The country with the world's biggest Muslim population has now experienced 15 years of democracy. But the political euphoria of the Indonesian "Reformasi" movement has long since given way to disenchantment. Ex-dictator Suharto's old boy network is still very much in place, and radical Islam is on the rise. By Christina Schott
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Religious Tension in Indonesia
Tolerance No More
Indonesia has the biggest Muslim population in the world and is often described as a country where people live peacefully side by side, tolerating difference. In reality, however, the targeting of religious minorities has been on the increase for years. By Andy Budiman
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Indonesia as a Model of Muslim Democracy
Developments, Problems, and Opportunities
In the wake of Islamic resurgence and the growing democratic movements in North Africa and the Middle East, it is relevant to see Indonesia as a model of Muslim democracy. The country has shown a stable democratic government, civil liberties, and tremendous economic growth. By Luthfi Assyaukanie
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The ''Community House'' in Jakarta
Education Gives Hope to Indonesian Slum Kids
Around one fourth of Jakarta's 18 million residents live in slums - among them, 1.5 million children. A European project is helping them climb out of poverty through education. By Thomas Latschan
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Persecution of Shiites in Indonesia
Hate Preachers and Incitement to Violence
Following a massacre of Shiites in Eastern Java, the Indonesian president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has called on the government and the police to provide special protection for the Shiite minority. But many Shiite Muslims remain frightened and insecure. By Andy Budiman
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Violence against Minorities in Indonesia
Democracy without Tolerance
The violence against minorities in Indonesia has reached new, terrible heights. While Islamist hardliners target Christians and supporters of the Islamic Ahmadiyya, the state turns a blind eye. Andy Budiman has the details
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Punks and Sharia Law in Indonesia
The Mohawk Crusade
The pictures were striking and went around the world: young Indonesian punks having their heads shaved by police and being forced to bathe in a lake before being "re-educated" in the spirit of Sharia. James Balowski sums up the events of last December and national and international reactions to them
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Dialogue between Religions in Indonesia
On the Interdenominational Construction Site of Humanity
For the past 20 years, the Indonesian NGO DIAN/Interfidei has been engaged in interdenominational dialogue. The organization has also tried to include atheists, Confucians, and even fundamentalists in its activities – with various degrees of success. Anett Keller reports from Yogyakarta