Indonesia
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Abusing blasphemy legislation
Indonesia's slide towards identity politics
Indonesiaʹs much vaunted Pancasila system appears to be faltering. Recent years have seen a spate of blasphemy convictions, most notably that of Ahok, ex-governor of Jakarta. Amending existing legislation is not, however, on the agenda of electioneering politicians keen to mobilise conservative Muslim voters. By Rafiqa Qurrata Aʹyun
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Indonesia's Vesparados
Once a year Indonesia's Vesparados descend on East Java in their hundreds. There they pay homage to the iconic brand and test their own limits – in terms of both speed and the craziest scooter conversions. By Sven Toniges and Bernd Kling
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Burying the dead in Toraja, Indonesia
The people in the remote Toraja region on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi are predominantly Christians, but they are sticking to the old animistic traditions of their ancestors. This also includes the fact that death does not mean the end of a human being. By Darren Whiteside
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Drug-related crime in Indonesia
Don Widodo's tilt with windmills
Anti-narcotics laws and their enforcement tend to be tough in Southeast Asia. In Indonesia, however, drug use is not in decline, despite attempts by President Widodo to crack down on durg dealers and cartels. By Edith Koesoemawiria
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Interview with Indonesian economist Iwan J. Azis
"Inequality will grow if all you do is unleash market forces"
For decades the conditions governing International Financial Institution (IFI) loans to Asian countries were often far too stringent, resulting in heightened social disparity. In interview with Hans Dembowski, Iwan J. Azis explains the risks of purely growth-oriented economies
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Interview with Indonesian cleric Yahya Cholil Staquf
"We must want peace"
Yahya Cholil Staquf is a prominent Muslim cleric and secretary-general of the world's largest Islamic organisation, Indonesia's Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), which has 60 million members. After visiting Israel and meeting with PM Netanyahu, he was heavily criticised at home. In this interview, conducted by Rizki Nugraha, he explains that his agenda was to approach peace movements and to strengthen the aspirations for peace within Israeli society
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Islam and single-use plastics
Appealing to Indonesia's Muslims
The Indonesian government and Greenpeace have teamed up with Islamic organisations to promote plastic waste reduction. Can including religion make environmental campaigns more effective? By Rizki Nugraha and Ayu Purwaningsih
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Islam and democracy
What the Arab world can learn from Indonesia
Since 1945, Indonesia has pursued its own state ideology of Pancasila, characterised by religious tolerance and social justice. Following the failure of the Arabellion, it could serve as a role model for democratic re-birth in many Arab states, writes Abhishek Mohanty
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How can a fly help recycle waste?
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Islam in Indonesia
The agents of change
Where is Indonesia heading? With Islamic organisations become increasingly vocal commentators in the public debate about morality and religious minority rights, the concept of citizenship in Indonesia is undergoing a gradual, yet profoundly disturbing transformation. By Chris Chaplin
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Indonesia′s ArtJog fair
Open your eyes!
The theme of this year′s ArtJog, the largest art fair in Indonesia and a major event in Southeast Asia, is ′Changing Perspective′. Now in its tenth year, it is being hosted by Yogyakarta, Central Java′s cultural capital. Zora Rahman gives her impressions
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Indonesia′s gubernatorial elections
The tolerance litmus test
In future, Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia will be governed by a Muslim: during recent elections, the sitting Christian governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, was beaten by his Muslim opponent Anies Baswedan. Christina Schott reports from Jakarta