Indonesia
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″Street Punk! Banda Aceh″ – a film documentary
Stage-diving from Mecca′s verandah
The acclaimed documentary ″Street Punk! Banda Aceh″ is the work of film-maker and journalist Maria Bakkalapulo and her producer partner Niall Macaulay. This heart-breaking yet empowering film reveals how young people are striving to hold on to their identities and fight for freedom in the face of religious stricture and fierce opposition. Interview by Richard Marcus
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Education in Indonesia
Boatloads of books
Grassroots initiatives are ensuring that children have access to books in some Indonesian villages. Appreciation of books is rising in general. By Edith Koesoemawiria
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″Jihad Selfie″
No one is born a terrorist
Written and directed by Indonesian Noor Huda Ismail, ″Jihad Selfie″ takes an in-depth look at the reasons behind radicalism. It is a warning to parents and young people of how social media often functions as a breeding ground for IS fighters. By Edith Koesoemawiria
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Marriage in Indonesia
Act of bravery
Marriage is highly regarded in Indonesian society and divorce can be a strong stigma for both women and men. Nonetheless, the number of divorces is rising and the government has now regulated issues of alimony and child care. By Edith Koesoemawiria
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Book review: Eka Kurniawan′s ″Beauty is a wound″
A hidden literary gem
Indonesia′s literary shooting star, Eka Kurniawan, recently longlisted for the Man Booker International Prize, is already being hailed as Pramoedya Ananta Toer′s successor. Although ″Beauty is a wound″ was published in 2002, Kurniawan has only recently gained international recognition with its English translation. Sherif Abdel Samad read the book
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Political Islam in Indonesia
Wahhabism runs into the sand
Many Indonesians are watching with concern as religious intolerance and violence against minorities continues to escalate. But the vast majority are successfully stemming the tide of radical tendencies. By Franz Magnis-Suseno
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Pew Research Center: Islam and national laws in the Muslim world
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Terrorist attacks in Brussels
A clash of what?
Culture, religion – or merely politics? Recent terrorist attacks against another European capital city in less than a year have once again shaken world politics to the core. Are we playing into the hands of Daesh? By Hakim Khatib
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Interview with the Islamic scholar Ebrahim Moosa
The reinvention of Islam
Concepts like apostasy or blasphemy reveal that Islamic theology is caught in a mode of imperial Islamic political thinking, says US-based scholar Ebrahim Moosa. What is needed is a process of critical appraisal. Moosa asks that Muslims rediscover the great lessons of diversity in their history rather than following the reductionist versions that masquerade as Muslim theology today. Interview by Claudia Mende
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Saudi Arabia and Iran
Defeat Islamic State - or become it
The dawn of 2016 has brought a new round of doomsday predictions that Saudi Arabia’s ruling Al Saud family cannot sustain its autocratic grip on power. The kingdom, pessimists argue, is caught in a perfect storm with economic problems, social challenges and foreign policy crises all converging at the same time. By James M. Dorsey
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Muslims in India
Nothing like equal opportunities
Despite being India′s largest minority, the Muslim community is marginalised both economically and politically. Although Muslims are frequently targeted in acts of communal violence, the government and the population at large generally associate Islam with terrorism. Ghazala Jamil examines the quest of Indian Muslims for genuine participation and representation
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Interview with Fritz Schulze
"Islam is deeply rooted in Indonesian democracy"
A lively debate is currently raging in Indonesia on how Islamic norms can be reconciled with democratic values. Liberals and fundamentalists, moderates and reactionaries are engaging in verbal skirmishes. Adelheid Feilcke asked Fred Schulze, an expert on Southeast Asia, what this debate means for the world's largest Islamic country