Julio Iglesias : When I Need You | Reupload

Jan 11, 2014 | The best song performed by Julio Iglesias at Jakarta, December 1994

What Does Ahok's Conviction for Blasphemy Mean for Indonesia? – Inside Story

Interfaith Leaders to Tour Europe, US to Introduce Indonesia’s Moderate Islam

THE JAKARTA POST: Indonesian interfaith leaders are set to visit several countries across Europe and the United States to introduce values of tolerance among Islamic religious followers in the country.

As a country of multi-ethnic groups and religions, Indonesia has long been considered a good example for other countries in building harmony among religious followers.

“The delegates will speak about the religious concord in Indonesia, how moderate Islam plays a crucial role in the country and how Indonesian nationalism can have tolerant and inclusive religious followers as its pillars,” said Leimena Institute founder, Jacob Tobing, said as quoted by kompas.com after he met with Vice President Jusuf Kalla at the Vice Presidential Office in Jakarta on Friday. » | News Desk | The Jakarta Post | Jakarta | Saturday, March 18, 2017

Saudi Arabia Is Redefining Islam for the World's Largest Muslim Nation »

Is Indonesia a Tolerant Country? – Inside Story

Local elections in Indonesia are usually just that - local.

Le gouverneur chrétien de Jakarta en procès pour blasphème

Inside Story - Is the Law against Blasphemy in Indonesia Being Misused?

The Christian governor of Jakarta is on trial for insulting Islam

Hard-Line Strain of Islam Gains Ground in Indonesia, World’s Largest Muslim Country

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: Rally against Christian governor of Jakarta draws estimated 100,000 people

JAKARTA, Indonesia—The biggest street protest in years shook this sprawling capital on Friday in a stark display of the more conservative, militant strain of Islam taking hold in the world’s largest Muslim country.

Police said an estimated 100,000 people turned out for a rally called by hard-line Muslim groups against the capital’s Christian governor, whom they accuse of having committed blasphemy. » | Ben Otto and Anita Rachman | Friday, November 4, 2016

Kerry Pays Tribute to Islam in Jakarta

John Kerry and Grand Imam Ali Mustafa Ya'qub at the grand
domed prayer hall at the Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia
on Sunday

THE TIMES OF ISRAEL: Secretary of state, bidding to help repair US-Muslim ties during southeast Asia swing, visits region’s largest mosque

JAKARTA — US Secretary of State John Kerry visited Southeast Asia’s largest mosque during his visit to Indonesia Sunday, paying tribute to Islam in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation.

After removing his shoes outside the Istiqlal mosque in the heart of Jakarta, Kerry walked through the vast building accompanied by grand imam Kyai al-Hajj Ali Mustafa Yaqub.

Calling it an “extraordinary place”, the top US diplomat told Indonesian reporters: “I am very privileged to be here and I am grateful to the grand imam for allowing me to come.” » | AFP | Sunday, February 16, 2014

Miss Monde: la finale indonésienne brave la colère islamiste

LA PRESSE: La finale du concours de Miss Monde se déroule samedi pour la première fois en Indonésie, pays musulman le plus peuplé de la planète, malgré l'ire d'islamistes et les craintes d'attentats.

Qualifiant la compétition de «concours de prostituées», des milliers de radicaux sont descendus dans la rue ces derniers mois, poussant le gouvernement à ordonner que la finale, prévue près de la capitale Jakarta, soit transférée à Bali.

Cette île paradisiaque est la seule région d'Indonésie à majorité hindouiste, et non musulmane comme le reste du pays. Habituée des hordes de touristes occidentaux qui s'exposent à moitié nus sur ses plages de sable fin, Bali ne s'offusque pas des tenues légères arborées par les Miss.

Mais le déménagement des «reines de beauté» et la promesse des organisateurs de renoncer au défilé en maillot de bain n'ont pas suffi à entièrement calmer la colère des radicaux qui promettent de perturber la finale.

«Nous allons manifester, car nous ne pouvons accepter cela», assure Haidar al Hamid, chef du Front des défenseurs de l'islam (FPI) dans l'est de Java, région située face à Bali. » | Agence France-Presse | Nusa Dua | jeudi 26 septembre 2013

Les Muslimah, «la réponse de l'islam à Miss Monde»

LA PRESSE: Récitation du Coran, défilé en voile islamique, séances de prières : les «Miss Musulmanes», décernées pour la première fois mercredi en Indonésie, sont la réplique de l'islam aux Miss Monde, dont la tenue dans le même pays suscite l'ire des radicaux.

«Ce que je recherche, c'est une personnalité forte, quelqu'un qui aide sa communauté et prouve que la beauté n'est pas que corporelle» : la juge malaisienne Jameyah Sheriff, experte en pédagogie, s'apprêtait mercredi à Jakarta à désigner la première tenante du titre «Muslimah World», ou «Musulmanes du Monde» parmi vingt femmes d'Iran, de Malaisie, du Brunei, du Nigeria, du Bangladesh et d'Indonésie.

Pour cette première édition, après un concours similaire en 2011, mais réservé aux Indonésiennes seulement, plus de 500 femmes ont été passées au crible de la piété islamique, devant notamment raconter ce qui les a poussées à porter le hijab (voile islamique), une condition sine qua non de leur participation.

Vingt d'entre elles ont été choisies pour la finale en Indonésie, où elles ont effectué trois jours de stage spirituel, se levant à 3 h 30 pour la prière du matin puis les récitations du coran. » | Angela Dewan | Agence France-Presse | Jakarta | mercredi 18 septembre 2013

Syllabus in Indonesia to Cut 'Non-essentials'
In a bid to lighten the workload of its students, the Indonesian government is mulling over a change to the primary school curricululm that would see the elimination of English, science, and social studies. Religion, the Indonesian language, and nationalism lessons, deemed essential, are set to take the place of the subjects should they be axed. Al Jazeera's Step Vaessen reports from Jakarta.

Hardline Muslims Protest Hillary Clinton’s Indonesia Visit
Sep. 3 - More than 300 people from a hardline Muslim group protest in front of the U.S. embassy in Jakarta ahead of Hillary Clinton's visit to Indonesia. Sarah Sheffer reports.

Lady Gaga Saga Shows Growing Intolerance

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL: JAKARTA—As Indonesia’s Islamic hardliners have become global headliners for their threats against Lady Gaga, the country’s reputation as a place where Islam and democracy have no problem mixing has also come under scrutiny thanks to what experts say is an escalation of harassment and attacks targeting religious minorities.

A majority of Indonesia’s 240 million citizens are Muslim, and most of them are moderate, peaceful and support the country’s secular system. Still, some small groups of Islamic fundamentalists have recently become increasingly vocal and assertive in pushing their agenda.

In the most recent case, several residents threw stones, bags of urine and rotten eggs at members of a Christian congregation in the Jakarta suburb of Bekasi, accusing them of trying to convert locals, said Palti Panjaitan, who is in charge of the church.

“They don’t want us there because they believe their children could grow up to become Christians,” Mr. Panjaitan said.

A group of Muslims in Bogor, another Jakarta suburb, continue to block one Christian congregation from worshipping in their church in a dispute over the building’s permit that has dragged on for more than a year. » | Ahmad Pathoni | Friday, May 25, 2012

Related »

Christians and Muslims Unite in New Bid to Silence Lady Gaga

THE OBSERVER: Fans defend singer's freedom of speech as Philippines protests threaten star's concerts

Christian groups in the Philippines have called for a ban on Lady Gaga's Manila concerts, alleging that her song Judas is an offensive mockery of Jesus Christ.

Youths gathered at a rally outside the mayor's office, chanting "Stop the Lady Gaga concerts", while members of the Biblemode Youth Philippines group called her videos religiously offensive.

In the song, she calls herself a "holy fool" who is "still in love with Judas", singing: "Jesus is my virtue/And Judas is the demon I cling to." In the video, Gaga plays a biker chick riding behind a man wearing a crown of thorns, while longing for another biker with "Judas" emblazoned across his leather jacket.

The singer is due to play the 20,000-seat Mall of Asia tomorrow and on Tuesday, and James Imbong, a lawyer filing a petition to ban the concerts, said Christian groups would not accept a compromise as organisers in South Korea did when Seoul authorities agreed to forbid under-12s from attending instead of cancelling the concert.

"She has a song that suggests that she wants to have sex with Judas and performs it with a dance," Imbong told the news website PhilStar. "Of course, it would be accompanied by a costume that has pornographic elements."

Manila's mayor has issued a statement ordering Gaga not to "exhibit any nudity or lewd conduct which may be offensive to morals and good custom", with the stark reminder that the penal code in the primarily Roman Catholic country of 93 million can convict anyone up to six years for offending race or religion.

Tens of thousands of Gaga fans, from Seoul to Jakarta, are campaigning for the singer's right to freedom of expression, after numerous attempts by Christian and Muslim groups to ban shows during her Born This Way Ball Asia tour, calling her music, persona and style the "work of Satan", "dangerous to youth" and "spreading unhealthy sexual culture". » | Kate Hodal | Sunday, May 20, 2012

THE GUARDIAN: Lady Gaga denied permit for Indonesia concert after religious protests: Police refuse to license Jakarta gig, saying they are unable to guarantee singer's safety following protests » | Sean Michaels | Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Experts Warn of Jakarta's Earthquake Exposure

Seismologists in Jakarta have said the Indonesian capital is more vulnerable to a major earthquake's destruction than in the past due to a rapid increase of unsafe homes, shops and other fragile structures. Experts claim the city is dangerously unprepared for a potential disaster when compared to other similarly at-risk cities such as Tokyo or San Francisco. Al Jazeera's Step Vaessen reports from Jakarta.

Maid’s Beheading Could See Ban on Workers in Saudi Arabia, Govt Says
JAKARTA GLOBE: The government is considering a moratorium on sending migrant workers to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the execution of Indonesian maid Ruyati Binti Sapubi for murdering her employer.

“It would be better to have a moratorium,” Heru Lelono, a presidential spokesman, said on Monday. “The Saudi court did not inform the Indonesian government about the execution [on Saturday], which shows ill will in regard to the relationship between the two countries.”

He added that it was important for the government to send migrant workers only to countries where their human rights would be respected.

“It’s not inconceivable that the same fate could befall another Indonesian worker,” Heru said.

“The Manpower Ministry must thus set guidelines and tighten the regulations for worker placement agencies. These agencies should not be absolved of all responsibility for the workers after finding them jobs. They should be accountable for any legal problems.”

In another development, Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said he had recalled the country’s ambassador to Saudi Arabia in the wake of the case.

“We have recalled our ambassador [Gatot Abdullah Mansyur] for consultation to get a clearer picture of the problem so that we can evaluate it accordingly,” the minister said. » | Camelia Pasandaran, Ismira Lutfia & Ulma Haryanto | Monday, June 20, 2011

Related video »

Bashir in Jakarta Court
Mar 7 - Another court appearance for Abu Baka Bashir who is accused of planning to use weapons to commit acts of terror. Julie Noce, reports

Indonesia’s Minority Religions Targeted

Abu Bakar Bashir Terrorism Trial Begins in Jakarta
THE AUSTRALIAN: THE trial of alleged terrorist cleric Abu Bakar Bashir began this morning under massive security at South Jakarta District Court, only to be adjourned almost immediately.

Bashir, 72, who was convicted of conspiring in the 2002 Bali bombings but acquitted on appeal, faces seven terrorism-related charges stemming from his alleged role in organising an Islamic militant training camp in Aceh province that was broken-up last February.

The most serious charge, “planning or motivating others to commit terrorist acts carries a mandatory maximum penalty, either execution or life imprisonment.

More than 1500 police, including heavily armed rapid response officers, surrounded the courtroom and plainclothesmen moved among his supporters, who appeared to number about 300.

As Bashir was brought from a holding room to the court, the broadly smiling cleric said: “I feel as usual, the Prophet Mohammed also experienced this.” >>> Peter Alford, Jakarta correspondent | Thursday, February 10, 2011

Jakarta Introduces Women-only Carriages in Trains
THE TELEGRAPH: Women-only train carriages have been introduced this week in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, in an attempt to avert groping and sexual harassment on packed commuter trains.

Women can choose to board the female-only, orange and pink-seated carriages at the front and rear of trains in Jakarta, the latest in a growing number of cities to offer women-only services.

The state-owned railway operator, PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI), said it had not received many complaints about sexual harassment but the company had noticed that many women avoided densely-packed trains.

"The women-only carriages are aimed to make women feel comfortable," an official at PT KAI said.

PT KAI is now providing 20 female-only carriages and plans to add more in the next three months. >>> | Friday, August 20, 2010