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Showing skin, risking hide
The Miss Universe contestant from Muslim Indonesia is caught in a firestorm of conservatives' anger over the swimsuit competition

By Kim Barker
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published May 3, 2005


JAKARTA, Indonesia -- Miss Indonesia has glossy black hair and a law degree, smiles constantly and talks about helping children. In many ways, she is the ideal Miss Universe contestant.

But Artika Sari Devi faces one major obstacle in competing in the Miss Universe pageant May 30: wearing a swimsuit. To Islamic clerics and many others, an Indonesian Muslim woman showing skin would be a public slap against Islam and a national embarrassment.

"No way!" exclaimed Monik, a 9-year-old girl who like many Indonesians uses only one name. "It's porno. You can't have that in Islam."

The debate may seem frivolous--especially in Indonesia, with its rampant prostitution and an anything-goes attitude in certain quarters.

But the controversy over whether Miss Indonesia should wear a swimsuit shows the growing pains of the world's most populous Muslim country since the fall of a dictator in 1998.

For Artika, her family and the women who have pushed for years to send an official Indonesian contestant to Miss Universe, this issue represents women's empowerment and a chance to increase tourism in the country. For months, Artika and the Miss Indonesia Foundation have been trying to win public support before deciding whether to enter the international competition.

They point to countries such as Egypt and Turkey, which send contestants to Miss Universe without problems.

"Many Muslim countries have joined the pageant," said Artika, 25. "My family doesn't even think it's a problem."

This is hardly the first time a beauty contest has run up against conservative Muslims, who believe women always should dress modestly. Most international pageants require women to wear a swimsuit, either a one-piece or a bikini.

The Miss Bangladesh contest was canceled in 1998 after Islamic groups protested. The prospect of a Miss World pageant in Nigeria led to riots sparked by Muslims that killed at least 215 people in 2002. An Afghan-American woman who wore a red bikini in the Miss Earth contest in 2003 was threatened with criminal prosecution if she ever returned to her homeland.

The Islam of Indonesia has always been more moderate. Military dictator Suharto said Indonesian women should not compete in the Miss Universe pageant for cultural reasons, not religious ones.

But since the fall of Suharto, who also frowned on many expressions of Islam, many people have turned to Islam personally and politically.

Movement toward faith

More women wear modest clothing and cover their hair. More men attend Friday prayers. Fringe groups have waged violence in the name of Islam.

The new freedoms also have led to something else. Magazines picture scantily clad women, something not seen under the Suharto regime. Nightclubs feature dancers in bikinis and prostitutes in backrooms. Best-selling books describe tales of bizarre sex in Indonesia. Transvestites, called "lady-boys" here, perform drag shows and select their own Miss Indonesia.

The contradictions are everywhere. Government censors still try to ban movies and books deemed objectionable to Islam. The 2004 Indonesian movie "Kiss Me Quick" was banned after a popular Islamic cleric objected to the title, although the movie featured only one chaste kiss.

But somehow a movie called "Virgin" made its way into theaters in November. In that movie, three girls struggle with teenage life in Jakarta. One takes pictures of the girls' breasts with her cell phone camera. Another sells her virginity so she can buy a cell phone and clothes. All this, in the first 10 minutes of the movie.

By the end, a moral of sorts becomes obvious: The remaining virgin has the only happy life.

Compared with that face of Indonesia, a beauty queen wearing a swimsuit might not merit much attention. But Artika--not the sex books, not the prostitutes, not the lady-boys--has drawn the public ire of the clerics in large part because she is a woman on an global stage.

"There's nothing wrong with her wearing a swimsuit in her room or relaxing in private," said Fauzan Al-Anshary, the Jakarta head of the Indonesian Mujahedeen Council, which has protested Indonesia's participation in the international beauty pageant. "But if it's in public, that will give rise to bad things or crimes."
Women in Indonesia have rebelled in the past. In the early 1980s, Miss Indonesia winners tried to quietly compete in the Miss Universe contest, skipping publicity photos and staying out of the media spotlight as much as possible. And in 1996, Miss Indonesia wore a swimsuit at the international pageant, although reports differed on whether she was competing or observing. After that, Suharto formally prohibited any Indonesian woman from appearing in any international beauty competition.

In the next two weeks, Artika will decide whether she will compete in the international contest in Thailand.

"We are very optimistic, but we have to be very careful," said Wardiman Djojonegoro, the foundation's chairman. "This is why we'll decide at the last minute."

Artika has worn a swimsuit, even a bikini, since she was 3 years old. Her mother sewed her first one. She grew up on a small island of white sand beaches in the archipelago of Indonesia, and she eventually became a champion in Jet Ski competitions. Artika, who prays every day, said she sees no conflict between Islam and a bathing suit.

Contestant's hope

"Taking part in the Miss Universe contest is a great way to show what Indonesia really is," she said.

She was an accidental beauty pageant winner, tricked into competing in her island's pageant by her mother, who called her at college and said her father was sick. She went home, and her mother, who had deceived her about her father's illness, told her about the pageant. Although Artika initially resisted, unwilling to wear makeup every day, she agreed and won.

At the Miss Indonesia pageant last August, she was one of 36 contestants. The pageant also featured an appearance by Miss Egypt, who competed in the 2004 Miss Universe pageant. Miss Universe was another special guest. The messages were clear: Islam and Miss Universe were not mutually exclusive, and Miss Indonesia belonged on the same stage as Miss Universe.

The Miss Indonesia contestants each wore two dresses--one a traditional dress, one a ball gown--but no swimsuits. The contestants answered questions on everything from eternal love to world conflict.

When her name was announced as the winner, Artika smiled widely.

"God is great," she said.

But the audience members' favorite contestant was someone else, more telling about the person who Indonesians believed represented them. The only woman wearing a modest head scarf--the first in the history of the pageant--won more viewer votes than anyone else.

----------

kbarker@tribune.com

The debate may seem frivolous--especially in Indonesia, with its rampant prostitution and an anything-goes attitude in certain quarters.


Rampant prostitution?

Foreign media often shows their eagerness to give a developing country, like Indonesia, a bad label on it. Rampant prostitution, should only be 'given' to a country --if any in this world-- where you can find prostitution like finding cigarette on the street of Jakarta. Yes prostitution exists in our country but calling it rampant is just exaggerating.
Freedom to express one's opinion does not mean one can say whatever one feels like to say. Responsibility is a must.

I would agree with the author's point, however. Prostitutes are extremely easy to find in Indonesian cities, especially in certain districts lined with open roadside brothels featuring nude and scantily clad women. Then you take into account the fact that every night these streets are packed with thousands of people. It makes this Miss Indonesia pageant seem a bit trivial, but then again you have to 'keep up appearances.'

Prostitutes are extremely easy to find in Indonesian cities, especially in certain districts lined with open roadside brothels featuring nude and scantily clad women. Then you take into account the fact that every night these streets are packed with thousands of people.

where? in what city? Again I don't deny prostitution exists but.... give me some evidence that it is rampant and extremly easy to find.

Dolly, Surabaya is the largest prostitute district in Southeast Asia. Sunar, Bali is full of them. In Jakarta most large bars/dance clubs/karaokes have many prostitutes, especially around Blok M. Also, most 3+ star hotels provide services if asked for. It's a sad fact of life that personally makes me a bit sick.

Tata, I would say I agree with that point, as prostitution is very rampant in Indonesia. In shopping mall, you can even get a freelance hooker or something similar.

In Mahakam for example, where the girls are standing in the streets waiting for customers.

Another example are some massages parlours, spa, karaoke and any other...sadly this is the reality in most cities of Indonesia. Sex is becoming a regular business, which generated billion of dollars.

cheers

Very true. I've gotten so many offers whenever I go clubbing when I'm in the country. Gue ngak tauh kenapa, mungkin mereka kira gue orang asing.

Ya loh, very rampant and cheap! My friend have fun with two girls in Bandung because it is so much cheaper than in Melbourne. One of them paramitha rushady duplicate. Paid by night, not by half an hour increament as in here.

Police arrest Muslim preacher for reciting prayers in Indonesian, Arabic
:weirdo:

JAKARTA (AP): Indonesian police plan have arrested aMuslim preacher for leading daily prayers in both Arabic and Indonesian, a practice mainstream clerics here have condemned as against Islamic teachings, police said Sunday.

Police are planning to charge Yusman Roy with "despoiling an organized religion," a crime that carries a maximum punishment of five years in jail, said Lt. Col. M. Fadli. He was arrested Saturday.

Muslims believe that God revealed their faith to prophet Muhammad in Arabic. Regardless of their proficiency in the language, Muslims worldwide use the language when performing salat, the five-times a day prayer in which verses from the Koran, Islam's holy book, are ritually recited.

Roy, who local media have described as an ex-boxer and convert from Christianity, reads out the Arabic verse followed by an Indonesian translation when leading prayers at his Islamic boarding school in east Java province.

He says he does this so that the worshippers - most of whom do not speak Arabic - understand what they are hearing.

Fadli declined to give any more details about the case. Roy wasnot available for comment Sunday.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, has a secular government but strict laws governing religious harmony. It citizens are required to prescribe to one of five state-approved religions.

Mainstream Muslim clerics insist on using Arabic to perform salat because they hold the Koran to be the actual word of God. They believe that translating it would inevitably lead to subtle changes of meaning.

Most non-Arab Muslims use their mother tongue to say personal prayers and read about their faith. Sermons in mosques are normally held in local languages.(*)

hi guys, just returned from long week end so had no chance to check this forum. Well if that prostitution thing is that bad in Indonesia, I'm very very sad....

tata

One thing that always irked me, the fights that we see on a regular basis on the streets. It not only invovled SD, SMP, and SMA, it also involved other universities. Also as stupid, the fighting in the universities will not occur between universities, but it will occur between different faculties. I suggest that if any student in the university is involved in violent acts on school properties, they should be kicked out immediately. We need to stop these violent actions in our educational world.

Good luck girl...

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post/Bangkok

The continuing violence in the southern Thailand failed to dampen the festive atmosphere surrounding a parade marking the start of the campaign to pick Miss Universe this year.

Indonesia's Artika Sari Devi, winner of Putri Indonesia (Miss Indonesia) in 2004, was spotted among the cheering crowd on Friday as she warmed up for the beauty contest.

"It is such a rare opportunity to meet and to know contestants from so many countries with their many different ethnicities and cultures," the 25-year old law graduate said.

The Soeharto government banned Indonesian women from competing in the international contest because the swimsuit competition in particular was cited as being against Indonesian culture and religious values. Criticism has somewhat faded -- and Artika says she plans to join the swimsuit session.

"I will wear the one-piece swimsuit instead of the skimpy two-piece one," she told The Jakarta Post at the Royal Navy pier where the parade ended.

Miss Indonesia 1996, Alya Rohali, took part in the Miss Universe event as an observer because she could not take part in the swimsuit event. While she was not in the competition, her attendance at the event still managed to draw some protests at home.

Artika, meanwhile, has repeatedly insisted she would compete in the pageant, arguing it was an opportunity for the world to learn more about Indonesia.

"It is a great opportunity to compete in such an international competition," she said on Friday. "So wish me luck."

The 81 beauties started the parade in floats decorated in the shape of Bangkok's Emerald Buddha temple. They switched to boats on the Chao Phraya River, and ended at the Thai navy's headquarters.

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, accompanied by visiting Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen, was scheduled to host a dinner for the contestants at the Navy Auditorium, on the Thonburi side of the Chao Phraya, the Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported on Friday.

The Miss Universe contest, held for the second time in Bangkok, also called "The City of Angels", will end on May 31. Thailand hopes to draw in at least 3.2 billion baht (US$82 million) in free advertising for its tsunami-ravaged tourism industry.

The contestants will spend two weeks in and around Bangkok and make a trip to Phuket in an effort to rebuild the tourism industry there affected by the Dec. 26 tsunami.

Miss Universe 2004 Jennifer Hawkins and contestants will also be involved in charity activities, including an auction on Sunday where each contestant donates a special "country item" to benefit Khun Poom Jensen's Foundation for Tsunami Relief.

Khun Jensen is the grandson of King Bhumibol Adulyadej and Queen Sirikit who were killed in the tsunami while jetskiing. He is also known in Thailand as a former autistic who recovered and managed to lead a dynamic life.

The contest began the same day as a powerful bomb exploded in the country's restive southern province, killing at least two soldiers and wounding eight, the government said.

Our Miss Universe contestant in swimming suit! :D
http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/afp/20050519/capt.sge.qty68.190505134803.photo03.photo.default-267x384.jpg?x=239&y=345&sig=9u4Kwcih9M0sFYZvMBLXqQ--
Miss Egypt and Miss Indonesia by a swimming pool in Thailand's southern tourist city Phuket. Miss Universe contestants descended on the resort islands of Phuket and Phi Phi to check in on post-tsunami reconstruction and remind the world that Thai tourism is back in business.(AFP/Saeed Khan)

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050519/i/r2149148558.jpg?x=234&y=345&sig=m4TKfc2u4y80eSSE7JzXGQ--http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050519/i/r3264685466.jpg?x=250&y=345&sig=qfV2SGND1vi8H7FtSGzS_A--

no offence but, if these people have jobs, they wouldn't have time to think, let alone demonstrate, about these things. That's why I want Indonesia to grow fast so that as many ppl as possible - men and women - can enjoy the benefits of employment and rising living standards...one of my obsessions in life :)

Muslim activists denounce Indonesian Miss Universe contestant

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050520/i/r884864368.jpg?x=380&y=252&sig=G.Y0ILImVIgJWmaKAlMy9A--

JAKARTA (DPA): A group of Muslim activists staged a rally on Friday denouncing the participation of an Indonesian woman in the Miss Universe contest being held in Thailand this month.

Witnesses said about 100 female and male Moslem activists from the Islamic Defender Front (FPI), an Indonesian Islamic hard-line group, staged a protest outside PT Mustika Ratu, a company sponsoring Miss Indonesia in the Miss Universe contest.

The protesters carried banners calling on the Mustika Ratu company not to "destroy the country's moral standards". They also urged Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to oppose Indonesian participation in the beauty contest.

Artika Sari Dewi, 25, who was last year crowned MissIndonesia, is currently in Thailand to take part in theinternational contest, to be held on May 31.

Dewi will become the first Indonesian woman to compete in the pageant since 1996, when former dictator Soeharto barred Indonesian woman from participating.

Dewi is expected to wear a one-piece swimsuit, instead of the skimpy two-piece one, for the contest in which a number of contestants will sport bikinis. (**)

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050522/i/r2080746977.jpg?x=228&y=345&sig=Tlr50cOrm61cAxspY4LSeA--

I am not anti Ms Universe. I hope She brings achivement from the Ms Pegeant constest, at least best 10 and/or reaps one of some categories. I hope she can prove to the opponents back home that she is somebody, a woman of value.

If they oppose her in the name of moralty, how about corruption and prostitution which are so rampant? There are still many things to do rather than opposing loudly at Ms Artika.

Go ahead Artika and prove it!

I hope she ll win the contest , and how narrow minded r those people . she s not committing a crime . what abt corruption should Indonesia not be ashame of this.

leave her alone maybe she can make Indonesia proud again.

I also hope she wins the contest.

me muslim, but what the hell is the fuzz all about? c'mon...bunch of hypocrites!!!

go Dewi win this thing!! u sweet..

Wow, Borobudur looks stunning when lit up :eek:

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050524/i/r1893278072.jpg?x=380&y=232&sig=V1OeEzDBQfytIW6A7YQHLA--http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20050524/capt.jak10905240715.indonesia_buddha_birthday_jak109.jpg?x=223&y=345&sig=Z2WmAtVnpT29iA_cjiGLSw--

Buddhists in Indonesia celebrated Vesak Day on Sunday to honour the birth, enlightenment and death of Buddha more than 2,000 years ago. REUTERS/Dwi Oblo

Borobudur always stunning! :D :D :D

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050526/i/r2060148599.jpg?x=380&y=316&sig=IyzJQMop8Keywik7kc29oQ--http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050526/i/r2971225465.jpg?x=230&y=345&sig=HFtWiDX6m4rWxP0r2Fww8A--

she really should have just worn the bikini...what difference would a 2 piece swimsuit make, seriously?

she looks like J-lo a bit wont u agree from that first pic angle....

well i guess its just me then....

I dunno, her behind isn't big enough.

yeah i wasnt talkin bout the body posture tho...just her face...well at least the first pica it is...from that angle...she looks like j-lo

GO ARTIKA!!!

Artika makes it into the semifinals of Miss Universe 2005

BANGKOK (JP): Miss Indonesia Artika Sari Devi made on Tuesday a history as she was named as one of the 15 semifinalists of the Miss Universe 2005 pageant.

Artika is the first Indonesian ever to participate in the annual beauty pageant as a full contestant wearing a one-piece swimsuit which always creates a big controversy back home.

The last Indonesia's participation was in 1996 when Alya Rohali joined the pageant as an observer, which was harshly criticized by then.

Being in the last 15 is even a greater "achievement" although some would decry it.

Artika entered the pageant in the last minute having made the decision only three days before the pageant started on May 13.

Host Thailand may disappointed as Miss Thailand Chananporn Rosjan did not make it into the semifinals but they can rely on Miss Norway Helene Traasavik whose mother is from Thai province of Udon Thani.

Other semifinalists are from Canada, Dominican Republic, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Switzerland, USA and Venezuela. (nvn)

She did well to make it to the semi-finals. Miss Canada won.

Good job to our Miss Indonesia!!!!

Funny that most Indonesian's support her and the loudmouth are ignored by the rest of us!!!

Artika proud to reach top 15


Novan Iman Santosa, The Jakarta Post, Bangkok

Miss Indonesia Artika Sari Devi was Asia's only representative when the names of Miss Universe 2005 15 semifinalists were announced at the finals here on Tuesday.

The semifinalists were dominated by contestants from northern and Latin American countries.

"I was very surprised. It was stunning for me to be in the last 15," Artika told Indonesian reporters.

"It was such an honor to represent Asian women in the final. And more than that, I am here to represent my country," she said.

For Artika, being in the last 15 was such a great achievement although some would decry her very participation. "This achievement is not only for me but also the rest of the nation."

In reference to the controversy in her country over pageants, she added, "As I have followed all the process here, I know for sure that there is no such thing as a body-measurement session as complained by some groups back home."

Artika decided to join the pageant virtually at the last minute before the pageant started on May 13.

"I know that there are some groups who oppose my participation in the pageant but again I am representing Indonesia here. However, I respect their opposition."

Artika is the first Indonesian to fully participate in the annual beauty pageant with her participation at the swimsuit session during the presentation on May 25. Earlier attendants were "observers" as their organizers bowed to pressure back home against Indonesia's participation in a contest parading women's bodies. In the swimwear session Artika wore a one-piece swimsuit, as did contestants from Bahamas, China, Mauritius, U.S. Virgin Islands and Sri Lanka.

Indonesia last participated in 1996 was Alya Rohali, now a popular TV host, joined the pageant as an observer without joining the swimsuit session.

Artika also said she was struck by a text message she received just before the finals, which said nude pictures of her were circulating on the Internet.

"I tried to be strong. I can assure you the pictures were not of me." Given tight security and the tight schedule she managed to meet her family backstage before the finals, for just 10 minutes.

Although she was happy to be in top 15, Artika said that she was expecting more support especially from the government.

"Actually, the participation in this pageant is a good opportunity to promote the country more. It's quite sad, most of the contestants do not know where Indonesia is. They think Indonesia is part of Bali," she said.

She was also referring to other contestants who had groups of supporters flying their national flags, blowing whistles and beating drums to show their support.

After all this, Artika said she would return to her study to get a master degree in notary studies at the Gadjah Mada University in Yogyakarta, adding she hopes to work for the National Commission for Children Protection (Komnas PA).

Meanwhile, former education minister Wardiman Djojonegoro said he was very happy with Artika entering top 15 as the Putri Indonesia Foundation did not set a specific target for her participation.

"But from what I hear, Artika is very popular here not only among the contestants but also the Thais," he said. "Perhaps her only weakness is the fact that she was among the shortest among contestants. This is very visible on stage."

Wardiman, however, was upbeat that Artika's success would lead to more talented Indonesian young women applying for the Putri Indonesia pageant as well as better support and sponsors.

While host Thailand may be disappointed as Miss Thailand Chananporn Rosjan did not make it into the semifinals, Chananporn did get the Best National Costume competition on May 24.

"Actually, the participation in this pageant is a good opportunity to promote the country more. It's quite sad, most of the contestants do not know where Indonesia is. They think Indonesia is part of Bali," she said.

yeps...dah ogut bilang waktu itu, lupa di thread yg mana...

Yeah..she made a good job. Entering the top 15 is a great achievement. I am proud of her.

Lets hope she ll win this contest.

contest is done already..

miss canada won...

i saw the pics of all the 81 contestants....and i must say...she is one of my favs...along with..mexico, venezuela, vietnam...aaaand 77 others...:D

Good job to our Miss Indonesia!!!!

Funny that most Indonesian's support her and the loudmouth are ignored by the rest of us!!!

and by the way, nobody or very few people buy their idea. I think next year we have to send again....

Despite his comments below, I don't think SBY could care less about the Miss Universe cotroversy. He's just saying it, in a half-joking manner, to satisfy conservative elements of his government/the public.

Presiden SBY: Perang Melawan Pusar


Tokyo, Rabu




Suasana di Wisma Indonesia, kediaman resmi Dubes RI di Tokyo riuh gelak tawa saat Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono menjawab pertanyaan salah satu warga Indonesia yang tinggal di Jepang.

Winda Mercedes Mingkid, dosen Universitas Sam Ratulangi yang sedang mengambil program S3 di Jepang, ingin tahu sikap kepala negara seputar kontroversi keiikutsertaan warga Indonesia Artika Sari Devi pada kontes Miss Universe.

Yudhoyono tidak tegas menyatakan setuju atau menolak keiikutsertaan warganya dalam kontes tersebut namun mengatakan berharap busana yang dipakai tidak mempermalukan nilai budaya bangsa.

"Kemarin saya melihat pakaian renang putri Indonesia, tapi dari jauh sih, tidak kelihatan pusarnya. Saya memang perang melawan pusar," katanya disambut gelak tawa sekitar seratus warga Indonesia itu.

"Perang terhadap pusar" yang dinyatakan Yudhoyono sekitar empat bulan lalu, menurut dia manjur karena dirinya tidak lagi melihat pusar "bergentayangan" dalam tayangan televisi.

Mengomentari sikap pemerintah seputar kontes kecantikan itu, Yudhoyono mengatakan hal tersebut tergantung penilaian masyarakat melalui LSM, ulama dan organisasi masyarakat lainnya.

"Harapan saya masyarakat bisa menentukan sendiri mana yang baik, yang buruk, yang pantas dan yang tidak pantas," katnya.

Sebelumnya, saat Yudhoyono berpidato di hadapan warga Indonesia di Tokyo, terjadi gempa kecil namun tidak terlihat sedikitpun kepanikan karena gempa seperti itu seringkali terjadi dan masyarakat sudah terbiasa. (Ant/jy)

she got pretty far..

but why did they pick her to represent indonesia?

shes kind of ugly.. and she looks like an alien in that one picture with her sitting on a ledge in her one piece bathing suit.

I agree she is not a good representation at all.

I agree.

Indonesia's moderate Muslims


Islam in Indonesia, whose 200 million people constitute the world's largest community of Muslims, is increasingly viewed as very different from the Islam practiced in the older Muslim communities of the Middle East. Indeed, one distinguished scholar, Bassam Tibi of Gottingen University, has described Indonesia as "a model for religiously and ethno-culturally different communities to live together in peace and mutual respect."
Some historians argue that Indonesia's moderate form of Islam reflects the way in which foreign traders introduced it, as early as the 14th century. Then, the coastal culture already incorporated egalitarianism, dynamism, and inter-dependence, which affected the ideology and practice of Islam. In addition, Indonesian Islam had strong Sufi influences, which emphasize the spiritual rather than the legal elements of the faith.

Similarly, Giora Eliraz of Hebrew University argues that the Islamic ideas that arrived in Indonesia from the Middle East changed, becoming more inclusive and pluralist in character, owing to the influence of the great 19th-century Egyptian reformer Muhammad Abduh. In Egypt, Abduh's progressive ideas gained support from only a tiny group of reformers. In Indonesia, however, Abduh's vision of Islamic modernity sparked the creation of the country's largest modernist Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah, which represents mainstream moderate Islam in Indonesia.

This history of moderation continued unabated through the 20th century, embraced by both traditionalists and modernists. The traditonalist organization Nahdlatul Ulama, for example, had issued a fatwa (religious decree) in the 1930s declaring Dutch colonial rule to be legitimate. The early leaders of Muhammadiyah focused more on the spiritual improvement of individual Muslims, rather than public enforcement of Islamic law.

Most importantly, this orientation toward moderation has consistently drawn support from Indonesia's leading intellectuals. A remarkably creative and dedicated group of young religious and social thinkers and activists chose in the 1960s and 1970s - during the early days of Suharto's secular New Order regime - to reject the idea of an Islamic state.

At the height of the New Order's political repression of Islam during the late 1970s and early 1980s, a new pattern of thinking emerged among younger intellectuals. Their "reform movement" (gerakan pembaruan), is perhaps best summed up in Nurcholish Madjid's 1972 dictum: "Islam yes, Islamic party no." This new generation successfully took the idea of an Islamic state off the political agenda.

By the late 1980s, Suharto's own stance towards Islam was changing. Government concessions to religious sentiment included the promulgation of Islamic family law in 1989, the establishment of the Indonesian Muslim Intellectual Association in 1990, lifting the ban on schoolgirls' wearing the jilbab (head cover) in 1991, the founding of an Islamic bank (Bank Muamalat) in 1992, and abolition of the state lottery. These measures persuaded Indonesia's Muslims that they could live in accord with Islamic teaching without Indonesia becoming an Islamic state.

The state established a wide network of educational institutions that support this moderate tendency. There are now 27 branches of the State Islamic University, which integrate Islamic and general studies for undergraduate and graduate students. There are also roughly 100 Institutes of Islamic Studies, for undergraduates who want to focus on Islamic studies only.

Indonesian students and scholars actively seek to engage new ways of understanding Islam and exploring its relevance for Indonesia. For the past two decades, increasing numbers of Indonesian students have been drawn to study in the West. As a result, they have come to see Islam as a dynamic process of understanding the world, rather than a static faith that cannot change. Those who studied in the West appear well equipped to present an "Islam" more adaptable and amenable to social change.

Indeed, many Western-educated students now occupy the highest academic and political positions in Indonesia. They work actively to develop a different image of Islam - an Islam compatible with modern human achievements, including democracy, human rights, and vibrant civil societies. Not confined by any fixed orthodoxy, Indonesian Muslims have taken the historic step of welcoming dissident Muslim thinkers like the Pakistani Fazlur Rahman, the Palestinian Ismail al-Faruqi, and the Iranian Seyyed Hossein Nasr, even when their ideas were unwelcome in their native lands.

It is neither exaggeration nor overly optimistic to say that Indonesia's experience could pave the way for the emergence of what might be called a "moderate Islamic network," one that forges strong links with the West.



Mun'im Sirry is an Indonesian Muslim scholar and the author of several books, including Resisting Religious Militancy. - Ed.


Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2005

www.project-syndicate.org


By Mun'im A. Sirry

Local Junk Food Hits Developing Countries

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By MARGIE MASON
AP Medical Writer

June 13, 2005, 9:45 PM EDT


JAKARTA, Indonesia -- When a woman with a fat aluminum kettle on her back enters a working-class neighborhood, children quickly swarm around to share spoonfuls of the thick, syrupy porridge scooped from the vat.

This treat called "bubur sumsum Jawa" -- rice flour mixed with sweet coconut milk and sugar -- sells for about 10 cents a bowl, creating a local favorite cheap enough for many poor families in Indonesia's sprawling capital.











Indonesia has its share of McDonald's and KFCs, but far more ubiquitous and affordable are cheap street foods like the sweet porridge and "chiki-chiki," this country's catch phrase for packaged junk food. As families abandon the countryside for cities, the abundance of this poor-quality food has grown.

One result, say global health experts, is the paradox of underweight children with fat parents.

Dr. Benjamin Caballero first noticed overweight mothers with thin, stunted children a few years ago in a Brazilian clinic. After looking closer, he found the problem was more widespread and prevalent in developing Asian nations undergoing economic transition with a high number of people migrating to cities.

A survey published in the International Journal of Obesity within the past year examined seven countries for underweight-overweight households. The two with the highest prevalence of such families are in Asia: Kyrgyzstan with 13 percent and Indonesia with 11 percent, a finding based on data from several years ago and adjusted for household size.

These countries are still relatively poor, but incomes are growing enough for parents to give children a few cents a day for preservative-filled, processed foods lacking vital nutrients children need to grow properly. Adults who eat them merely get fat.

Caballero, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at Johns Hopkins University's Bloomberg School of Public Health, wrote of the phenomenon in a recent commentary in the New England Journal of Medicine.

"A lot of the globalization of food markets have resulted in the introduction of many processed foods in these countries in transition, which has changed the eating habits of people," he said in an interview.

Families who once grew their own fruits and vegetables now must buy everything in the city where cheap street food abounds. That change, along with more mothers working outside the home and cooking less and families watching TV instead of working in fields, is what's leading to these so-called "dual-burden" households, Caballero wrote in the medical journal.

Changes in eating habits are visible on Jakarta's busy streets and in its outlying neighborhoods as children like 7-year-old Raras, come home from school and beg their parents for change to buy "chiki-chiki" -- potato chips, candy, fried cassava, cookies.

"My kids prefer to eat that type of food every day," said Raras' mother, Nining, who like many Indonesians uses only one name. "I tried to forbid my kids from buying that kind of food, but I cannot."

Nining, who is chubby by Indonesian standards, said her average-sized daughter began eating chiki-chiki when she was 2 years old and is now addicted to it.

An Indonesian nutritionist says the majority of families she sees are still underweight, although she's starting to see more fat children with fat parents in wealthier families.

"In the lower-income families, usually the mother or father are quite skinny and the children become undernourished or stunted -- not growing tall or not enough weight," said Uken Soetrisno, of the government Board of Research and Development of Nutrition and Food.

And while the majority of households may not have overweight and underweight members, Caballero said he's received letters from health experts all over the world who are seeing the phenomenon more and more.

He fears that the problem will progress to a new phase as these countries gain more wealth -- producing overweight families, as is the trend in many Latin American countries.

To address the dual-burden issue, Caballero recommends that governments recognize the phenomenon and devise intervention plans targeting both underweight and overweight households.

Key prevention for both could include encouraging breast-feeding, improving nutrition among women of child-bearing age and educating communities about the importance of prenatal nutrition.

Chinese diaspora: Indonesia
By Tim Johnston
BBC, Jakarta



Chinese customs and practices are flourishing in Indonesia today
Indonesia's ethnic Chinese community forms a significant part of the nation's patchwork of races, ethnicities and tribes.

But living in a country where nationalism often borders on xenophobia, their existence has been punctuated by a series of explosions of violence.

Yet the ethnic Chinese community is starting to rediscover its confidence, beginning to take advantage of the democratic reforms that have swept through the country over the past seven years.

In some ways the rise of China has been a vital part of this process.

No-one is entirely sure how many ethnic Chinese there are in Indonesia.

In a census held in 2000, respondents were asked to describe their ethnic background: less than 1% of the country s 210 million inhabitants described themselves as ethnic Chinese.

In May 1998 I looked around and thought that maybe I don't belong

Richard Oh, ethnic Chinese businessman and author
Many sociologists regard this as a serious underestimate: they believe that somewhere between six million and seven million people of Chinese descent are now living in Indonesia.

They say the reluctance to describe themselves as Chinese is a legacy of years of discrimination.

Tens of thousands of ethnic Chinese died in the carnage that ripped through Indonesia in the wake of President Suharto's coming to power in 1965.

The army, backed by civilian militias, went on the rampage, supposedly hunting communists.

Many Chinese were killed, victims of a simplistic equation of their ethnicity with the politics of communist China.

Suharto imposed the so-called New Order regime.

For some prominent Chinese businessmen who were friends of Suharto, the New Order was a bonanza: they received huge government contracts and became some of the richest men in Asia.

Insecurity

But for ordinary Chinese, the New Order was a disaster. They were forced to adopt Indonesian names and carry identity documents that identified them as Chinese.

They were discouraged from joining the all-powerful security forces and banned from celebrating holidays such as the Chinese New Year or using Chinese characters on their shops.

On May 14, 1998, as the Suharto regime limped to an ignominious end, riots erupted in areas of cities predominantly populated by ethnic Chinese.


Violence against ethnic Chinese communities peaked in 1998
More than 1,200 people died, dozens of women were raped, and hundreds of shops were burned to the ground.

"In May 1998, that was the first time in my life in this country that I felt insecure," says Richard Oh, a prominent businessman and author.

"I looked around and thought that maybe I don't belong."

But those riots marked the end of Suharto's so-called New Order regime, and Mr Oh thinks they were the final attempt by Suharto's most reactionary supporters to stir up trouble, rather than any expression of popular hatred of the Chinese.

"It was a mistake committed by the dinosaurs, but a mistake that gave this country a chance at reformation," he says.

The violence had a catalysing effect on the ethnic Chinese community.

"1998 has shown that no-one is going to help them, and that they have to help themselves," says prominent sociologist Mely G Tan.

"After 1998, they felt they really should assert themselves and show they are part of the nation."

Pivotal change

On 21 May 1998 Suharto was forced to resign, and shortly afterwards Indonesia held its first free elections in almost 50 years.

I'm just as Indonesian as the next person

Richard Oh
In 2000, new president Abdurrahman Wahid announced that the Chinese could celebrate their New Year and use Chinese symbols on their shop signs.

That pivotal change altered everything, says Mr Oh.

The reforms have been followed by a renewal of confidence by many members of the ethnic Chinese community, but some people are still preaching caution.

"I think they should be more prudent, especially those in the economy," says Dr Tan.

She is still worried that the fissures exposed in the 1998 riots are still lying under the reformed polity, ready to emerge if too much strain is put on the relationship.

Atmosphere of harmony

For some, the reforms have not gone far enough.

Frans Winarta, a lawyer and the founder of the Anti-Discrimination Movement in Indonesia, says many regulations promulgated by Suharto are still on the books.


Violence forced many Chinese to leave their homes
"These regulations can easily be repealed, but they have not been," he says.

Limitations - both de jure and de facto - remain. Indonesian Chinese can now use their real names and celebrate New Year, but they are still unlikely to get a place at a state-run university, or join the army or police.

Although it is no longer officially necessary, it can still cost between 3 million and 7 million rupiah for a person of Chinese descent to get the citizenship letter frequently demanded before they are allowed to go to school, get a passport or buy land.

On a more personal level, marriages between the Indonesian Chinese community and indigenous Indonesians are still rare, with parents on both sides tending to discourage such relationships.

But Richard Oh is confident that the long-term trend is towards integration.

"The current atmosphere of harmony between the different races will I think bring us to a more multi-cultural and diverse mix in every segment of civil society, but it will happen slowly," he says.

"I'm just as Indonesian as the next person."

punishment by whipping...anyone have opinion on this?

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/ap/20050624/capt.jak10906241307.indonesia_whipping_jak109.jpg?x=262&y=345&sig=B7seCOaGjluPuKGlHW1gcQ--
A masked religious official whips a convicted gambler with a rattan cane outside the main mosque in the town of Bireun, Aceh province, Indonesia, Friday, June 24, 2005. Fifteen men were publicly flogged in Indonesia on Friday for illegal gambling, the first time the lash has been used as punishment in the world's most populous Muslim country. (AP Photo)
15 gamblers caned under Islamic law in Indonesia's Aceh
(Kyodo) _ Fifteen men found guilty of gambling in Indonesia's Aceh Province were whipped in front of thousands of people on Friday in the first canings in the province since it implemented Islamic law in 2001.
"Allahu Akhbar (God is Great)," 37-year-old Ridwan Ahmad shouted before being whipped six times on a special stage erected in front of Bireun's grand mosque.

After receiving the punishment, he was escorted to see Aceh's acting governor, Azwar Abubakar, to be hugged and comforted, and he later received a medical examination.

Onlookers, many of them from Bireun's neighboring regencies and the province's capital Banda Aceh, booed him during the whipping.

The 15 men, aged between 25 and 60, were whipped five to 10 times each with a 1-meter-long rattan cane by officials whose heads were covered.

The Islamic law, or Sharia, tribunal had found 27 men in the regency guilty of gambling. One was fined, and the other 26 sentenced to public caning. ADVERTISEMENT



Eighteen men were initially scheduled to be caned Friday, but three were declared unfit for the punishment due to health reasons, including hypertension.

"I accept this punishment but I hope whipping will not only be applicable for poor people like us. Corrupt rich people should also be punished in accordance with Sharia," said Ridwan.

Many local people say they believe the well-off and powerful will not be subject to caning due to what they see as a corrupt legal system.

More than 90 percent of about 4 million people in Aceh are Muslim and it is Indonesia's only province to implement Islamic law.

Setelah Dicambuk, Terhukum Dapat Sun & Bingkisan
Nur Raihan - detikcom

BIreuen - Satu! Dua! Tiga! Empat! Lima! Enam! Itu adalah suara hitungan petugas mengiringi algojo menyabetkan cambukannya kepada 15 terhukum di pekarangan Masjid Agung Bireuen -- lima jam dari Banda Aceh, Jumat (24/6/2005).

Setelah dicambuk, para terhukum yang didera satu per satu secara bergantian, turun dari atas panggung yang dihias indah. Uniknya, para terhukum yang tubuhnya dilapisi seragam khusus warna putih itu disambut bak pahlawan. Mereka langsung disambut pelukan, sun di kedua pipi, dan menerima bingkisan!

Peluk cium itu tak tanggung-tanggung berasal dari pejabat di tanah rencong itu. Ciuman pertama datang dari Plt Gubernur NAD Azwar Abubakar. Lalu disusul Bupati Bireun Mustafa Gelanggang, Kajati NAD Andi Amir Ahmad, Kajari Bireuen M Adenan hingga Kepala Dinas Syariat Islam NAD Alyasa Abubakar. Setelah itu kado yang dibungkus rapi diserahkan. Dengar-dengar isinya Al Quran.

Setelah dicambuk, tidak ada terhukum yang menderita luka. Hanya terhukum Hasan Basri Thaib yang kemudian mengeluh pusing-pusing dan saat ini terpaksa dirawat di sebuah ambulans tenaga medis. Memang, dalam momen ini sejumlah dokter dan tenaga medis dikerahkan. Setidaknya ada empat tim medis.

Bagaimana rasanya dicambuk? Sayang, hingga kini wartawan belum bisa mendekati para terhukum yang kini telah bebas. Tapi reaksi mereka beberapa saat setelah dicambuk tampaknya bisa mewakili bagaimana rasa dicambuk itu.

Misalnya ada terhukum yang begitu kelar dicambuk langsung tersenyum lebar sambil melambai-lambaikan tangannya pada penonton. Ada juga yang langsung mengucap takbir, "Allahu Akbar!"

Para penonton hukuman cambuk yang jumlahnya ada 2.000-an orang juga melihat peristiwa itu bak hiburan. Setiap petugas memanggil terhukum, misalnya,"Kita panggilkan terpidana Tarmizi yang akan dicambuk 6 kali...." para penonton langsung meneriakkan "yel-yel".

Saat ini, pekarangan masjid telah kosong. Tinggal beberapa petugas yang mengemasi perabotan.
(nrl)

This confusing for me, who've been in Singapore for a few years and heard a lot about the horrors of the caning system. At first, when I heard that each of the men were to be caned something like 6 times for their crime, i was thinking that perhaps the punishment were too harsh. When i read that they are all fine after all the caning, i was even more shocked. because on average (here in Singapore), you wont last more than 3 strokes per time. And these Aceh guys seem to be happy to be caned. look at this sentence:

Misalnya ada terhukum yang begitu kelar dicambuk langsung tersenyum lebar sambil melambai-lambaikan tangannya pada penonton.

Now it seems that the caning process in the two countries are different. I'm not sure how hard does the "algojo" caned these guys, but if caning in Indonesia is some form of circus to entertain the public, i think there is no point in having it at all. :bash:

Misalnya ada terhukum yang begitu kelar dicambuk langsung tersenyum lebar sambil melambai-lambaikan tangannya pada penonton.


Perhaps he's happy to be the first-timer :D

No, seriously, this could be a way to save his face..... or he wasn't caned that hard.

hmmm, I think its got to do with INdonesian culture...where people tend to treat serious things trivially. Like what happened after the Marriott bombing. A group of artists/stars came arrived at the site to express their condolences by giving flowers and stuff...next thing u kno they're posing in front of the bombing site, smiling and making funny poses to be photographed by some journalists (probably for the gossip mags)... treating the bombing site like a filming set or something.

Why haven't the FPI been declared a gang? Why haven't the police arrest these premans?

Islamic Hard-Liners Disrupt Indonesian Transvestite Pageant

"PA"

Islamic hard-liners barged in on Indonesia’s transvestite beauty pageant, panicking its skimpily dressed contestants, but failing to stop the show – the second year running that the world’s most populous Muslim nation has staged such an event.

Dressed in white tunics and prayer caps, about 10 members of the Islamic Defender’s Front pushed their way into the nightclub yesterday where 30 contestants were competing for the title of Miss Transvestite.

After 20 minutes of tense negotiations, the show continued, though organisers agreed to finish early in deference to the group, which has a history of vandalising entertainment centres it considers un-Islamic.

“We were all traumatised. They said we were immoral, but God created us this way,” said show organiser Megi Megawati. “I am a Muslim too, but I respect other people. Why can’t they?”

Indonesia has a secular government and the practice of Islam is more moderate and less austere than in the Middle East. Still, in recent years, hard-liners have gained ground and there have been a series of bloody terrorist attacks against Western targets.

The Islamic Defenders Front was formed in 2000 and campaigns for the imposition of Islamic Shariah law. Despite its overt displays of piousness, many analysts say that the group’s primary motive is extorting money from frightened bar owners – not Islamic principles.

“Transvestites should not be made into a role model,” said the Alawi Usman, who heads the group’s vice-investigation squad. “We are worried it could influence our children.”

Homosexuality is considered a sin according to Islamic tenets and many Muslims are uneasy with the way transvestitism blurs the boundary between traditional gender roles.

But the Miss Transvestite Indonesia pageant highlights Indonesia’s seeming tolerance for transvestites and transsexuals. Known as “waria” – a combination of the Indonesian words for man and women – they regularly appear as hosts on television entertainment shows.

But discrimination is rife, said Megawati, and many waria turn to prostitution.

“Animals are treated better,” he said. “We tried to do this event to show that we are regular people and look what happened.”

The winner of yesterday’s show – a 20-year-old public relations worker called Olivia – won the equivalent of £137 and a return air ticket to Bangkok, Thailand, where he will compete in an international transvestite pageant next year.

Why haven't the FPI been declared a gang? Why haven't the police arrest these premans?
because they disguise their premanism behind religion.... :bleep:

FPI is a sick, perverse organization. I hate their idiotic chairman Habib Riziek... Anyway. sorry I haven't contributed a lot to the forum. Been busy lately. Just wanna say: I'm gay and I'm Indonesian. I think most Indonesian people are generally fine with it. I know for sure that Jakarta has one of the biggest gay nightscene in Southeast Asia and that its really easy to have a gay lifestyle here.. hehe. I'm also open with all my mates, and all of them accepts me for who I am.

FPI is a sick, perverse organization. I hate their idiotic chairman Habib Riziek... Anyway. sorry I haven't contributed a lot to the forum. Been busy lately. Just wanna say: I'm gay and I'm Indonesian. I think most Indonesian people are generally fine with it. I know for sure that Jakarta has one of the biggest gay nightscene in Southeast Asia and that its really easy to have a gay lifestyle here.. hehe. I'm also open with all my mates, and all of them accepts me for who I am.

Happy belated Gay Pride day!!!!

FPI could be outlawed but no one would actually follow through to make sure the criminal organization is destroyed. The same can be said for Jemaah Islamiyah. It's a very similar case to the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Even though they were outlawed the government initially didn't act against them because they saw them as simply a strong Muslim alliance group, but soon the Muslim Brotherhood rapidly expanded. They eventually started to carry out their real agenda by killing thousands of people (which JI has similarly done) and wreaking havoc on Egypt and Syria for over a decade. It's almost always the same story for these types of organizations.

Thanks Ara

Happy pride everyone! We should all celebrate our diversity!

I dont know why The government is reluctant to freeze FPI and its alliance. I smell something fishy behind all those groups, it could be a secret plan by "the insider" to actually give an impression if those groups are nothing than a bunch of useless people, yet a criminal.

I remember back in the 60 or 70s when the secret intelligence is actually behind Darul Islam Movement and when they started to get chaos everywhere, its easier for the government outlawing those kind of radical groups and it works at that moment.

Remember, Suharto banned all DI elements including Abu bakar baashir. That was after that incident. But my analysis could be wrong though.

cheers

I dont know where to put this message. Read an interesting article (in Bhs Indonesia) in Kompas website: http://www.kompas.com/kompas-cetak/0507/01/utama/1858537.htm

Monday July 4, 3:08 PM
Indonesia's president urges couples not to live together before marriage

Indonesia's president urged couples not to live together before marriage, saying it was a "disgraceful" act that violated the principles of the world's most populous Muslim nation, in published comments Monday.

"There is no need to copy the lifestyles of foreign countries," Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was quoted by the state news agency Antara as saying. "Let's protect and cherish the nation's principles and values."

Yudhoyono's comments, in a speech marking the country's family day celebrations on Sunday, will likely please social conservatives and Muslim politicians who are trying to enact legislation aimed at regulating personal behavior they consider un-Islamic.

Targets include homosexuality and public kissing, as well as premarital sex.

Last year, Yudhoyono called on the television stations to stop screening scantily clad women.

Despite the remarks, Yudhoyono is a secular politician who does not support efforts by Islamic lawmakers to implement shariah law in Indonesia. Still, several Islamic parties backed his election bid in September, and analysts say he will likely have to accommodate some of their demands. ADVERTISEMENT



Some 80 percent of Indonesia's 210 million are Muslim, and most people here, including the non-Muslim population, would consider living together before marriage unacceptable.

The practice is reportedly on the increase, but is still considered taboo.

Indonesia has a secular government and the practice of Islam is more moderate and less austere than in the Middle East. But hardline interpretations of the faith have picked up support in recent years.

Bahasa Indonesia Proficiency A Must For Foreign Workers

JAKARTA, July 14 (Bernama) --In a move aimed at indirectly reducing the flow of foreign workers into the country, the Indonesian government plans to make it compulsory for all foreigners wishing to obtain work permits in Indonesia to pass the Bahasa Indonesia proficiency test starting next year.

Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Minister Fahmi Idris said the language proficiency test would be carried out by the National Certification Agency for Workers which would be officially opened this month.

He said the agency would serve as certificate issuer for both domestic and foreign managerial and professional workers as well as for medium and low-skilled workers.

"Foreign workers must master the Indonesian language before they can work here, as well as Indonesian workers to master English before working abroad. This is to ensure that jobs that could be carried out by Indonesians don't fall to foreigners, he said, as quoted by the Jakarta Post daily today.

The paper reported that Indonesia would start opening its doors to job seekers from Asean countries next year and in 2008 for those from outside Asean, as mandated by the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

"The government is not trying to create barriers for foreign workers or trying to discriminate against them. We just want to create similar treatment for both local and foreign workers," Fahmi added.

However, the paper said the policy could have undesirable consequences and inevitable fees for about 130,000 foreigners currently working in the country, as well as affecting foreign investment that was much needed to help drive Indonesia's economic growth.

The test ala-TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) would not only be imposed on those wanting to work here but also upon students coming to Indonesia to further their studies, it added.

--BERNAMA

Indonesian mums great, dads coolest in Asia: survey
Despite the increasing reports on child abuse here, Indonesian parents are among the best in Asia, according to a recent survey on children's perceptions.

The survey, which was organized by Reader's Digest magazine and involved 3,212 girls and boys in eight Asian countries (Indonesia, Hong Kong, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea and Taiwan), revealed that teens in Indonesia gave their mothers the highest mark of A in terms of care for their children.

Indonesian fathers got a C in terms of care for their children, but were considered the 'coolest' in the region, according to the survey.

Teens were asked to grade their parents style in 38 different areas (A for excellent, B for good, C for average, D for below average, F for fail), from how well they showed affection and communicated, to their fashion sense, and how well -- or even if -- they talked to their teens about sex and drugs.

However, the magazine, which will publish the survey's results in its July edition, did not mention the economic and social backgrounds of the girls and boys.

According to the magazine, good communication between parents and children was the key behind the success of Indonesian parents, suggesting that other Asian parents could learn from it.

Indonesian parents were considered able to talk with their children without losing their temper.

Although proud of their parents, Indonesian teens claimed that their parents didn't help them do their homework or take much notice of what was going on at school, while still pushing them to succeed.

The survey did not specify any reasons as to why Indonesian children respected their parents even though they do not really care about their schools.

A. Junaidi, The Jakarta Post

This creation's a time warp worth visiting
Saturday, July 16, 2005
BY WILLA J. CONRAD
Star-Ledger Staff
Sometimes, the best way to learn about an unfamiliar culture is to dive right in and swim to the bottom of the pool.

This is the experience of "I La Galigo," a three-hour music-dance- theater piece that attempts to take a section of the 6,000-page Indonesian creation story known as "Sureq Galigo" and distill a piece of performance art from it.

Neither theater nor religion, "Galigo" is a tranquil episode of time travel, and its slow pace may bore Western audiences, though there are enough beautiful nuggets to make the dive worth taking.

Unlike previous real-time archaeological exploits of the Lincoln Center Festival, which presented the U.S. premiere of "I La Galigo" Wednesday at the New York State Theater, this is more modernist interpretation than documentary presentation.

Antique dance, music and forms of poetry of the Bugis peoples of the southern part of the Indonesian island of Sulawesi, who wrote the epic from the 14th through 17th centuries, are represented but not dominant. This is essentially a conceptual work about pre-Islamic Indonesia framed in a Western formal structure by stage director Robert Wilson.

"Sureq Galigo," arguably the longest piece of literature ever created -- much longer than "The Odyssey," for instance -- presents many challenges.

Written in an obscure ancient language, it has only recently been translated into modern language, and then only in parts. This version, conceived by documentary filmmaker Rhoda Grauer and Indonesian choreographer Restu Imansari Kusumaningrum, condenses 600 characters into a dozen roles and relegates the creation of Earth and the eventual exodus of the gods to mere prologue and epilogue.

Wilson's highly stylized stage movement is all about capturing the surface beauty of a visual tableau. His previous work with opera has often been an uneasy fit, with static, two-dimensional stage movement clashing with the music's robust momentum.

But "I La Galigo" -- the title is the name of one of the characters -- is not opera. Much of the dialogue is broadcast silently through projected supertitles. The only singers are Bissu priest Puang Matoa Saidi, who sits to the side of the stage chanting prayers and text at key moments, and singers who sit with the 13-person stage orchestra led by composer and music director Rahayu Supanggah.

Supanggah's score uses only instruments available before the advent of Islam in Indonesia about 400 years ago; it sounds eerie and percussive -- and appropriately ethereal. The cast of 50 Indonesian dancers and actors is a colorful and stunning group, particularly well- served by the astoundingly beautiful fabrics and costumes of designer Joachim Herzog, whose feathers on sticks for birds, giraffe heads grafted onto dancers' bodies and froggie-squatting dancers are a page borrowed from Julie Taymor.

Authentic Indonesian dance is embedded into longer, lyrical motion; it reads as temporary explosions of movement against Wilson's meditative and coolly clean landscape.

In Bugis culture, the tradition of transvestite male priests, called the Bissu, dates its origins to the "SureqGaligo," which in an archetypal way describes creation as the combining of male and female elements in one whole.

Just a handful remain in Bugis society, so the presence of Bissu priest Puang Matoa Saidi lends a feeling of religious authenticity to the work, which reminds us of the powerful mysticism that informs many ancient cultures

so indonesian fathers are the coolest haha!! and moms are great...~ COOL!!!
well about the homework thing..i think it is true...my parents are like that...they push me to do good in school and work hard etc.. but they don't really help me with home work LOL...~

Funny yet scary article on corruption from www.thejakartapost.com

Riding the Corruption Express


Indonesia has been listed as one of the world's most corrupt countries, a label that the experience I will share with you will corroborate.

Graft cases adorn the front pages of the print media almost every day. Unfortunately, corruption on the train has not attracted much of the media's attention, although this practice could endanger hundreds of train passengers. For just Rp 2,000 you can ask to be dropped of at the train station of your choosing. One piece of advice, though. Never let the engineer know you are a "novice".

I had a unique experience with this small form of graft on May 23, when I took the Pakuan express train that plies the Gambir-Bogor route. It happened 38 days before the fatal train crash near the Pasar Minggu railway station when three electric trains collided into one another. I have a suspicion that the lead train in this crash, which was reportedly stationary at the time of the incident, was dropping off some passengers -- not at the right station, mind you.

At the time I was planning to attend a rehearsal for the play Sobrat at WS Rendra's Bengkel Teater in Cipayung, Depok. Dudi, a friend of mine and a member of the drama group, suggested that I get off the train at Citayam station and then take a motorcycle taxi to the theater.

When I took the Pakuan train, I did not know that unlike regular trains that stop at every station along the Gambir-Bogor route, the Pakuan only stops in Bogor and Gambir. On Saturdays and Sundays, it also makes a brief stop at the University of Indonesia station.

Because I was unfamiliar with the stations, when the Pakuan made a brief stop at the University of Indonesia station I approached the conductor and told him that I wanted to get off at Citayam. "Move to the front coach," the middle-aged conductor said somewhat mysteriously.

I complied. The train stopped briefly several times before it reached Citayam. I wondered why the doors remained closed when it stopped. The same thing happened at Citayam station, where I was supposed to exit the train.

Depressed, I decided to enjoy the trip to Bogor, the final destination for the Pakuan. I waited at the Bogor station for almost two hours before my Pakuan began to chug back to Gambir in Jakarta.

I was overwhelmed with despair because I did not know which route to take to reach Rendra's theater.

So, when the Pakuan was heading back to Jakarta, I decided to move from the rear coach to the front one. Again I asked the conductor at which stations the train would stop. He said it would not stop until it reached Gambir. After that, it would stop at Kota station, its final destination.

I saw several passengers knocking on the door separating the passengers from the train driver. Very quickly they were let into the engineer's compartment. I learned they wanted to exit the train before Gambir. I tried knocking on the door myself, hoping to get dropped at Citayam. "May I come in, sir?" I said to the conductor, who, instead of replying, hurriedly closed the door. All I could do was watch Citayam station get farther and farther away.

With nothing to lose, I fell into line behind three passengers approaching the engineer's compartment. I saw them fish out some money from their pockets. "How much?" I asked. One of them replied, "Only two thousand."

This time I did not bother to ask if I could come in. I knocked on the door and hurried in when it opened. I shoved two Rp 1,000 banknotes into the hand of the man who opened the door, who wore the uniform of an employee of the communications ministry. He asked me where I wanted to stop.

"We cannot stop right at the station. It is not allowed," he said.

The train stopped about 500 meters before the Manggarai station and I got off.

Walking along the railway track, I heaved a heavy sigh: "For the sake of a few Rp 1,000 banknotes, the engineer is more than ready to bring the train to a halt in the middle of the track." And the possibility of a train collision suddenly struck me.

Corruption is not the sole domain of white-collar workers. Even train crews have a few tricks to make a little extra money using the tools at their disposal, in this case a locomotive.

--Blontank Poer

Sharia police in Indonesia's Aceh round up dating unmarried couples

AFP

JAKARTA, (AFP) - The Islamic sharia police in Indonesia's staunchly Muslim province of Aceh have rounded up about three dozen unmarried women and men caught dating in public places at the weekend, a report said.

"All the violators were arrested on Saturday night because by 10:00 pm they were still going out together in quiet places," the Jakarta Post newspaper quoted an unnamed sharia police officer in Bireuen district as saying.

Those arrested included 16 unmarried couples and four unmarried women believed to be prostitutes, the officer said.

Aceh province is gradually implementing Islamic sharia law under a broad autonomy package granted by the central government in 2001 to curb separatist sentiment there.

Despite being the world's largest Muslim nation, Indonesia does not impose sharia law in regions other than Aceh.

Bireuen district was last month also the first in Aceh to implement public flogging of gamblers.

The sharia officer said that all those arrested in Saturday's round-up were later released after they signed documents in which they promised not to commit the same violation in the future.

Christian inroads worry top Indonesia Muslim body
28 Jul 2005 04:01:26 GMT

Source: Reuters

Background CRISIS PROFILE: Deadlock in Indonesia's Aceh conflict


MORE
JAKARTA, July 28 (Reuters) - Christians are making worrying inroads in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, delegates said at a meeting of the nation's top Islamic clerical group, the Jakarta Post newspaper said on Thursday.

It said the clerics told the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI), during the meeting in Jakarta that Christians were expanding their presence in the provinces, and in the capital itself.

The MUI is responsible for Muslim doctrine in the country.

About 85 percent of the 220 million people in Indonesia, the world's fourth most populous nation, are Muslim. But in some eastern parts, Christian and Muslim populations are about equal in size.

The state is officially secular and recognises Christianity and several other religions in addition to Islam, although some complain policy and practice tend to favour the latter.

The Jakarta Post said the delegation from Jambi province reported Christian preachers were active in the province on central Sumatra island and converting Muslims at an alarming rate, despite a ban on proselytisation in the country.

"The phenomenon of the construction of churches in the province is most disturbing," the newspaper quoted a Jambi delegation report as saying.

In Jakarta, the percentage of Muslims "has declined from 90 percent to 87 percent ... because of the large influx of migrants from non-Muslim areas," according to a report by delegates from the capital.

The delegation from Bangka-Belitung, islands off the east coast of Sumatra, said it didn't have enough funds to counter conversions, and the recent election of a non-Muslim as regent would make things even harder.

"We don't understand how a non-Muslim won the election, since Muslims account for 90 percent of the regency's population," the newspaper quoted the delegation's report as saying.

"We will make sure it won't happen next time," it added.

However, the delegation from Banten in eastern Java said there was not a single church in Cilegon, a regency in the area, and it intended to keep it that way.

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono spoke to the group of leading Islamic clerics earlier in the week and told them Muslims have been mistreated and improperly linked to terrorism.

Most Indonesian Muslims are considered moderate but there is an increasing hardline minority who advocate violence against Western targets.

There have been a series of attacks blamed on Islamic militants in recent years, including the 2002 nightclub bombings in Bali that killed 202 people, mostly foreign tourists.

Thousands of Indonesians were killed in violence between Christians and Muslims, mostly in the eastern part of the country, in the years following the 1998 downfall of the autocratic Suharto regime.

errr... is that what MUI really said? What a shortsighted view.. religion is freedom of choice. If they build church, let them build it. If they build mosque, let them build it. No worries man. Now they need to educate their follower how to tolerate other religion. NOT to tell them that their religion is the correct one etc. For me, if someone because moslem or christian etc is their right to do so. But you have no right too pull someone to become a moslem or christian.

Be carefull in analyzing a news like this. Just take notice, why the article isnt mentioning a single name. The article only mentioned about one of the delegation from this city is saying this...bla bla..

This theory is exactly the same like taking notes from unknown or unidentified sources. Its been really disturbing.

I dont buy this news, at least for now.

cheers

yes, it is disturbing indeed. thats why i confuse whether MUI really said that.

I don't understand this statement 'The MUI is responsible for Muslim doctrine in the country'. MUI is made to control Indonesian muslim, I think.

I don't understand this statement 'The MUI is responsible for Muslim doctrine in the country'. MUI is made to control Indonesian muslim, I think.
yeah, they decide what's haram and what's not...and can issue fatwa etc.

omg.. i just realize the article is in english. from reuters somemore. must be from one of those illiterate journalist.

It's a Reuters article quoting The Jakarta Post.

and jakartapost lately has been.. well.. dunno.. i start to lose respect to them.

So you believe the information in the article is not factual?

Umm.. knowing reuters, there's must be some source of information. But I believe the information come from unrealiable source. If that is what MUI really said, they really have a shortsighted view.

This is a disturbing development, that would certainly NOT be allowed under Soeharto. I think SBY needs to be more proactive in promoting religious tolerance and limiting the spread of conservative islamic thoughts. I hope Indonesia doesn't lose its title as an example of religious harmony in the future.
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MUI issues 11 fatwa

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

In what was widely seen as an apparent campaign against freedom of thought and religion, the state-sanctioned Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued on Thursday a fatwa outlawing liberal Islamic thoughts.

Apart from liberalism, the council also declared secularism and pluralism forbidden under Islam, through one of the 11 decrees it issued during its four-day national congress that will officially end on Friday.

With such an unpopular fatwa, the MUI could be headed for a showdown with progressive Islamic movements that have been growing in the predominantly Muslim nation.

Fatwa Commission chairman Ma'ruf Amin said that although the edict did not specify any organization by name, it was issued apparently in reaction to the activities of two progressive groups -- the Liberal Islam Network (JIL) and the Muhammadiyah Youth Intellectuals Network (JIMM).

"All of their teachings are deviant ... No one should adhere to their beliefs," Ma'ruf told The Jakarta Post. "Their principles are dangerous and misleading, because they believe in only what they think is right and use pure rationale as justification."

Proponents of liberal Islam use rational interpretations of Islamic texts as opposed to literal meanings, view religious truth as a relative concept and believe in the separation of religion and state.

MUI deputy chairman Umar Shihab said that in the council's view, both the Western-influenced JIL and JIMM have strayed from the Indonesian brand of Islam.

"The views that are developing in Europe and America are heretical and not allowed here," he said. "However, we must not counter them with violence, but with logical arguments."

The fatwa, which was read out on the third day of the congress without any resistance from over 300 participants, stated that Islamic interpretations based on liberalism, secularism and pluralism "contradict Islamic teachings".

The fatwa defines liberal Islam as interpreting Islamic texts using pure rationale to selectively accept only certain religious doctrines.

"For example, they (liberals) say that a man cannot have more than one wife because it is gender bias, when in fact polygamy is allowed by Islam, as long as the husband can be fair," said Ma'ruf.

Secularism by definition, according to the edict, is the belief that the role of religion should be limited to an individual's relationship with God and that society should be guided by social conventions.

The fatwa outlaws pluralism that views all religions as being equally valid and having relative truths.

"Pluralism in that sense is haram (forbidden under Islamic law), because it justifies other religions," Maruf said, adding that people should be allowed to claim that their religion is the true one and that other faiths are wrong.

However, he stressed that the council accepted the fact that Indonesia was home to different religions and that their followers could live side by side.

"Plurality in the sense that people believe in different religions is allowed," Ma'ruf explained. "As such, we have to respect each other and coexist peacefully."

The MUI also renewed its 1980 fatwa against Ahmadiyah, an Islamic group that does not share the mainstream Muslim belief that Muhammad was the last prophet.

The new fatwa contained stronger language than the previous one, calling for the government to ban and dismantle the organization as well as freeze all of its activities.

The council also issued a fatwa, reaffirming its 1980 ban on marriages between people of different faiths.

The MUI also banned interfaith prayers, unless they are led by a Muslim. Other edicts issued included those forbidding women from leading prayers when men are in attendance.

Commenting on the fatwas, particularly the one against liberal Islam, prominent Muslim scholar Azyumardi Azra dismissed it as "ineffective and even counterproductive".

"I don't agree with such a fatwa. The state cannot enforce it for Muslims as it's not legally binding. Muslims can or will ignore it."

He said the ban on liberal thoughts reflected the intolerance being promoted by the MUI and indicated that it was trying to curb freedom of thought. (002)

11 Fatwa MUI, Mulai Imam Perempuan Hingga Liberalisme
Nurul Hidayati - detikcom

Jakarta - Munas VII Majelis Ulama Indonesia ditutup Jumat (29/7/2005) oleh Wapres Jusuf Kalla di Istana Wapres, Jakarta. Hasil Munas MUI yang patut disimak adalah 11 fatwa yang dirilis lembaga itu.

Fatwa terbaru itu diumumkan Kamis (28/7/2005) malam. Untuk mengingatkannya, ada baiknya kita simak fatwa-fatwa tersebut:

1) MUI mengharamkan pelanggaran hak atas kekayaan intelektual termasuk hak cipta.

2) MUI mengharamkan perdukunan dan peramalan termasuk publikasi hal tersebut di media.

3) MUI mengharamkan doa bersama antaragama, kecuali doa menurut keyakinan atau ajaran agama masing-masing, dan mengamini pemimpin doa yang berasal dari agama Islam. Fatwa ini dikeluarkan karena doa bersama antaragama dianggap sebagai sesuatu yang bid'ah atau tidak diajarkan dalam syariah agama Islam.

4) MUI mengharamkan kawin beda agama kecuali tidak ada lagi muslim atau muslimah untuk dinikahi.

5) MUI mengharamkan warisan beda agama kecuali dengan wasiat dan hibah.

6) MUI mengeluarkan kriteria maslahat atau kebaikan bagi orang banyak.

7) MUI mengharamkan pluralisme (pandangan yang menganggap semua agama sama), sekularisme dan liberalisme.

8) MUI memfatwakan, hak milik pribadi wajib dilindungi oleh negara dan tidak ada hak bagi negara merampas bahkan memperkecilnya, namun jika berbenturan dengan kepentingan umum yang didahulukan adalah kepentingan umum.

Pemerintah dapat mencabut hak pribadi untuk kepentingan umum jika dilakukan dengan cara musyawarah dan tanpa paksaan serta harus menyediakan ganti rugi dan tidak untuk kepentingan komersial.

9) MUI mengharamkan perempuan menjadi imam salat selama ada pria yang telah akil baliq. Perempuan mubah jika menjadi imam salat bagi sesama perempuan.

10) MUI mengharamkan aliran Ahmadiyah.

11) MUI memperbolehkan hukuman mati untuk tindak pidana berat. (nrl)

Unsurprising...

I believe the MUI have very little controll. Muhammadiyah and NU seems to be seen as more of a legitimate Islamic scholars then the MUI. I've always thought that the MUI is an old relic that should be reformed to better serve the country. Right now, they're only serving their own ego.

MUI is a very corrupt organisation, what they wrote there is only a sensational fatwa, so people will get their attention.

Friend of mine who works for beverages company said that you can/actually pay The MUI for halal right. Its actually the same with DEPAG (religion department)....two are very corrupt organisation.

Trust me, people dont really care with MUI anymore, at least thats what i heard from people around me.

cheers

is fatwa binding?

Gus Dur already voiced his disagreement on it, said Indonesia is NOT an Islam country and people has the full right to chose their religion.

8) MUI memfatwakan, hak milik pribadi wajib dilindungi oleh negara dan tidak ada hak bagi negara merampas bahkan memperkecilnya, namun jika berbenturan dengan kepentingan umum yang didahulukan adalah kepentingan umum.

Pemerintah dapat mencabut hak pribadi untuk kepentingan umum jika dilakukan dengan cara musyawarah dan tanpa paksaan serta harus menyediakan ganti rugi dan tidak untuk kepentingan komersial.



This fatwa in particular, sounds like Sutiyoso's lobbying to get his projects (busway, canal ) through..

Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur) and moderate figures such as NU Chairman Hasyim Muzadi 'strongly opposes' MUI fatwa
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Fatwa MUI Memicu Kontroversi
Ma'ruf Amin: MUI Siap Menanggapi



Jakarta, Kompas - Sejumlah fatwa Majelis Ulama Indonesia, yang di antaranya mengharamkan ajaran Ahmadiyah, faham pluralisme, sekularisme, dan liberalisme agama memicu kontroversi dan reaksi keras dari sejumlah tokoh agama. Mereka mengkhawatirkan implikasi dari fatwa MUI tersebut.

Jumat (29/7) siang sejumlah tokoh agama, seperti Djohan Effendi, Dawam Rahardjo, Syafii Anwar, Ulil Abshar-Abdala, dan Weinata Sairin menemui Ketua Umum Dewan Syuro Partai Kebangkitan Bangsa KH Abdurrahman Wahid di Gedung PB Nahdlatul Ulama.

Dalam pertemuan itu Abdurrahman menolak keras fatwa MUI tersebut. Menurut Abdurrahman, Indonesia bukan suatu negara yang didasari satu agama tertentu. Selain itu, MUI juga dinilai bukan institusi yang berhak menentukan apakah sesuatu hal benar atau salah.

Secara terpisah, Ketua Umum PBNU KH Hasyim Muzadi menilai fatwa MUI itu merupakan langkah mundur terutama bagi kehidupan antarumat beragama.

Tokoh agama mempertanyakan fatwa yang mengharamkan pluralisme, padahal pluralisme dipercaya menjadi dasar hubungan umat beragama di Indonesia, yang masyarakatnya majemuk.

Sebelas butir fatwa MUI dipaparkan Ketua Komisi Fatwa MUI Ma'ruf Amin kepada pers di Istana Wakil Presiden. Mengenai adanya pengabaian masyarakat terhadap fatwa MUI, Ma'ruf berujar, Saya kira itu wajar saja. Jangankan fatwa, Al Quran saja yang sudah pasti, hadis saja yang sudah pasti dari Nabi masih banyak yang belum menjalankan.�

Mengenai munculnya reaksi, Ma'ruf mengemukakan, MUI menanggapi sejauh memakai pisau analisis keagamaan.

Rektor Universitas Islam Negeri Syarif Hidayatullah Azyumardi Azra menilai ada kesalahpahaman tentang arti pluralisme yang dipakai sebagai acuan oleh MUI dengan pengertian pluralisme dalam wacana akademik.

Ia merisaukan implikasi dari fatwa MUI dalam penciptaan suasana yang kondusif bagi penciptaan kerukunan hidup beragama. Sebab, masyarakat tidak tahu apa yang dimaksud dengan pluralisme oleh MUI.

Secara terpisah, Wakil Presiden Jusuf Kalla meminta ulama memberikan pemahaman dan pencerahan kepada masyarakat mengenai bagaimana menyikapi perbedaan pandangan di antara umat. (INU/HAR/MAM/dwa)

Pluralism within Islam

After Indonesia's success in hosting an interfaith dialog involving 39 Asian and European countries in Bali last week, the nation would do well to address a no less pressing issue at home: promoting an intra-faith dialog, more specifically among different Muslim groups. The predominantly conservative Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) is about to close the door on any further dialog in the search for truth if it goes ahead with issuing a fatwa (edict) that would effectively ban liberal interpretations of Islam.

We already know how destructive some MUI fatwas can be.

Last week's mob violence against the followers of Ahmadiyah in Parung south of Jakarta was prompted by a fatwa that does not recognize the sect, which has it origins in what is now Pakistan, as Islam. Police stood by while the attack by some 10,000 people was taking place. Later, police escorted the Ahmadiyah followers to leave the sect's compound in Parung, "for their own safety" and thus virtually closed down the complex.

In May, police arrested Yusman Roy, a preacher in the East Java town of Malang for conducting bilingual prayers (in Indonesian and Arabic) with his followers. Police acted upon an MUI fatwa that says the practice was causing public unrest.

In both these instances, the public unrest was the reason that prompted the police action rather than the practices that the MUI found objectionable. And in both these instances, we know that the unrest was caused by the fatwa rather than the practices.

The authorities were right in not acting upon the MUI fatwas that demanded the outlawing of Ahmadiyah and the bilingual prayers. The Constitution guarantees freedom of religion and freedom to practice our faith. The government has no right to regulate what we believe in or how we practice our belief, so long as we do not violate any laws. Neither Ahmadiyah nor Yusman were breaking any state laws, no matter what the MUI says.

But the authorities were dead wrong in not coming to the defense of the Ahmadiyah followers and Yusman and his followers. Instead, in the first case, the police stood and watched, and in the second, they detained Yusman Roy.

The state has a duty not only to guarantee the right of people to practice their religion, but also to protect them against others who try to stop them. The government passed the first test, but miserably failed the second.

Given these two recent episodes, we can only speculate about the fate of those Muslim thinkers -- who, in recent years, have been challenging the conservative/literal interpretations of Islam -- if MUI goes ahead with its fatwa outlawing what it conveniently terms liberal Muslims.

The threat to issue such a fatwa emerged during the ongoing MUI congress. Sadly, as the umbrella organization for all Islamic organizations in the country, the council fails to reflect the diversity of Islam that exists in Indonesia. Instead, going by the fatwas they have issued, MUI is looking more like an exclusive club of conservative leaders and thinkers. And it is a club the violates one of the main principles of Islam that says "there shall be no coercion in matters of faith."

Still, in public forums, including in the op-ed pages of this newspaper, we know there has continued to be a raging debate between the conservative and liberal Muslim thinkers in recent years. Such a discourse has been fruitful for the Muslim community in this country in the search for truth. It has also brought forward the realization that while Muslims believe in one God, in one holy book and that Muhammad is their last prophet, there can be more than one interpretation of Islam. This is why this intra-faith dialog has been spiritually enriching, especially for the followers of the religion.

Sadly, this dialog would be discontinued if the conservatives in MUI had their way. "Truth" would then be the monopoly of one group of people. Muslims would be all the poorer if that is the case. And the real message that the MUI is sending out is that if Muslims cannot hold a dialog between themselves, then what chance is there for the interfaith dialogs, something that the government is trying to promote at home, regionally and internationally.

New Miss Indonesia. Better than last year (in my opinion):

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/rids/20050729/i/r1818711516.jpg

I agree, she's better.
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The 11 fatwas issued by MUI


1. Religious teachings influenced by pluralism, liberalism and secularism are against Islam. The fatwa states that Muslims must consider their religion to be the true one religion, and to consider other faiths as wrong.

2. Ahmadiyah, an Islamic group that does not recognize Muhammad as the last prophet, is a heretical sect, and its followers are murtad (apostate).

3. Mixed marriages between people of different faiths are haram (forbidden under Islamic law).

4. Women are forbidden from leading prayers when men are present in the congregation. Women are only allowed to lead prayers in an all-female assemblage.

5. Joint prayers performed with people of other faiths are not recognized in Islam. Saying "Amen" to prayers led by a non-Muslim is haram.

6. Islamic law on inheritance is not applicable for non-Muslim family members.

7. Islam recognizes capital punishment for serious criminal offenses and the state can apply such punishments in the judiciary system.

8. Engaging, believing and practicing in shamanism and fortunetelling are forbidden. The publication and dissemination of these practices, such as through television shows, are also considered haram.

9. Determining goodness for the public under sharia must not violate Islamic texts, and the only institutions that have the right to determine such goodness are those possessing sharia competence.

10. Any violation of intellectual property rights (HKI) is haram. HKIs that are protected under Islamic law are those that do not go against sharia.

11. The government cannot revoke the ownership of a person's personal property arbitrarily or by coercion.

5. Joint prayers performed with people of other faiths are not recognized in Islam. Saying "Amen" to prayers led by a non-Muslim is haram.


This is the most controversial to me...
I think its related to the Jakarta Tower cases

Maybe its more clear in Bahasa Indonesia

MUI mengharamkan doa bersama antaragama, kecuali doa menurut keyakinan atau ajaran agama masing-masing, dan mengamini pemimpin doa yang berasal dari agama Islam. Fatwa ini dikeluarkan karena doa bersama antaragama dianggap sebagai sesuatu yang bid’ah atau tidak diajarkan dalam syariah agama Islam. MUI menetapkan hukum doa bersama yang dipimpin tokoh muslim adalah mubah (boleh) dan haram hukumnya bila dipimpin tokoh agama nonmuslim dan dilakukan secara bersama dan serentak. Bila dilakukan bergiliran, MUI menetapkan hukum haram untuk mengamini doa dari ajaran lain, namun mubah jika dilakukan sesuai ajaran agama masing-masing.

Sorry to my Muslim friend but I just heard its very controversial even from Gus Dur opinion
:):)

the new miss indonesia is pretty...is she half white? what's her background? any info?

I think she is half white, something like german.

Her name is nadine...hmppp...i hope she can be allowed to run in Miss universe next year....shes tall and pretty. perfect!

cheers

i wonder if she's manadonese...

i wonder if she's manadonese...

:rofl:

MUI's fatwa encourage use of violence


Concluding its seventh congress last week, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued eleven fatwa that sparked concern over its increasingly conservative stance. Prominent Muslim scholar and rector of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University Azyumardi Azra shared over the weekend with The Jakarta Post's Ridwan Max Sijabat his opinion on the controversial views of the MUI.

Question: The MUI has issued several contentious fatwa. What is your comment?

Answer: It is most regrettable that the MUI seems to be issuing edicts without consulting the relevant Muslim figures, or dialog with the parties concerned. The fatwa are not enforceable, nor are they binding. It does not have the authority to enforce them.

What do you think is the background of this growing conservatism?

There is something that has been changing in the organization -- before and entering the reform era. The MUI has shifted from being umat-oriented to being government-oriented. During the New Order era, the MUI was used by former president Soeharto's regime as a tool to justify government policies. For instance, the MUI issued a fatwa that allowed the consumption of frogs. The edict was issued to annul another edict banning frog consumption -- issued by the MUI's West Sumatra branch -- and to support the government policy on the acceleration of non-oil commodity exports.

Entering the reform era, the MUI sought to be independent and become closer to the umat (members of the Muslim community). But the fact is that the MUI does not represent all Muslims and this is evident in the increasing number of Muslims questioning and denouncing the edicts.

Why have pluralism, liberalism and secularism been declared forbidden? Are they really against Islam?

The problem here is that the MUI has an understanding that differs from the academic perception on the three isms, because they are dominated by groups who take the Koran and hadith (Prophet Muhammad's sayings) literally and without any rationale or logic.

The Koran teaches tolerance -- including of other religions. The Koran, Prophet Muhammad and Islamic teachings accept differences not only as a reality but also as Allah's grace.

Liberalism is forbidden because the MUI is of the opinion that liberals no longer believe in the Koran, Prophet Muhammad and true Islamic teachings.

The MUI cannot ban Muslims from thinking, because pluralism, liberalism and secularism are not ideologies but ways of thinking. To some extent, the MUI's fatwa are against freedom of expression and human rights in general.

Why are the edicts outlawing mixed marriages, and on joint prayers with people of different faiths, considered controversial?

The fatwa banning mixed marriages between people of different faiths and of joint prayers performed with people from other faiths negates pluralism. Islam is not the only religion in the country and Muslims have to be able to live side-by-side with people of different faiths.

With the growing controversy, many people are starting to question the necessity of an organization such as the MUI.

But it must be underlined that the MUI is not a state institution. It can issue fatwa and orders to Muslims, but they are not binding and it does no have the authority to enforce them. Legal authorities in the government have no obligation to enforce the edicts while Muslims are not obliged to comply with them.

Because the MUI has no authority to enforce the controversial fatwa, it is the hard-line groups, like the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) who appear at the frontline to pressure the authorities to enforce them. If they believe the authorities have failed, they (the hard-line groups) could directly come to the field to enforce them. I fear that hard-liners will head to Parung in Bogor regency, to bulldoze the Ahmadiyah boarding school and drive away its supporters based on the MUI's fatwa that Ahmadiyah is a heretical sect.

What would you recommend for the MUI in the future?

The MUI should clearly pause for reflection. The MUI plays a strategic role in this predominantly Muslim nation and, therefore, it should consult with all stakeholders in the Muslim community before issuing fatwa.

The MUI will be fully respected and its edicts will be complied with if the edicts are based on fiqih (Islamic jurisprudence) -- not on political interests -- dialogs with all stakeholders and the interests of all Muslims and of the nation in general.

Honestly, I have received many telephone calls complaining about the edicts.

masalah di indonesia ini adalah, selalu memprioritaskan segalanya di pulau jawa. Adapun hal2 yang berkembang diluar jawa itu pasti ada sangkut pautnya dari hal2 yang berasal dari pulau jawa.

Maap, ini bukan tentang ras 'jawa" dengan non jawa. Tapi mengenai daerah2 yang dekat dengan pusat pemerintahan indonesia dengan yang jauh.

masalah di indonesia ini adalah, selalu memprioritaskan segalanya di pulau jawa. Adapun hal2 yang berkembang diluar jawa itu pasti ada sangkut pautnya dari hal2 yang berasal dari pulau jawa.


mudah2an dgn otonomi, daerah bisa berkembang juga lebih baik dari dulu

iya, biang keladinya ya sentralisasi.
tapi ya ngga nyalahin sih.. dulu pemberontakan dimana2.. negara masih baru.. kalo otonomi bisa habis teritori indonesianya
like tata said, moga2 dgn otonomi bisa pelan di atasi.

:rofl: :) Hey! Who Knows...hehe

I would say that the MUI have little to no credibility by the general Indonesians. It seems the only people that taek MUI's word to heart are the various extremist group such as the people who attacked the Ahmadiyah. NU and Muhammadiyah have to do more to change the MUI. MUI is an obstacle toward the development of this country. It must be changed so that it can work with the nation and her people.

Thugs..... :bash:

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FPI Ancam Hentikan Kebaktian di Gedung TK
Selasa, 02 Agustus 2005 | 16:58 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Purwakarta:Dewan Pimpinan Wilayah Front Pembela Isalam (FPI) Kabupaten Purwakarta, Jawa Barat, meminta pengelola Taman Kanak-kanak Tunas Pertiwi, di Jalan Raya Bungursari, menghentikan kebaktian sekaligus membongkar bangunannya. Jika tidak, FPI mengancam akan menghentikan dan membongkar paksa bangunan.

“Syukur kalau mau menyelesaikannya sendiri, jika tidak kami akan bergerak sendiri," Asep Hamdani, Ketua DPW FPI Purwakarta, Selasa (2/8). Untuk menghindari konflik ia mengaku telah menyurati Pemda Purwakarta untuk segera bertindak.

Sikap keras FPI tersebut mendapat dukungan dari Badan Perwakilan Desa Bungursari. Keberadaan TK itu, menurut Umar, Ketua Badan Perwakilan Desa Cibungur telah meresahkan warga sekitar, karena setiap hari Minggu digunakan untuk kebaktian.

Jemaatnya pun datang dari berbagai daerah di luar Bungursari, bahkan ada yang datang dari luar Kabupaten Purwakarta. Umar menengarai mereka adalah jemaat Gereja Kemah Daud.

Elsa Pandjaitan, pengelola TK yang diklaimnya milik Yayasan Dorongan Kasih Bangsa, menyatakan menolak permintaan FPI. "Tidak akan," tegasnya. Nanang Sutisna

Front Preman Indonesia harus di stop. Polisi di mana?

The funny thing is, FPI only concentrated in West Java. Dont tell me FPI is another Darul Islam movement and conspiracy. Hmm...

cheers

The funny thing is, FPI only concentrated in West Java. Dont tell me FPI is another Darul Islam movement and conspiracy. Hmm...

cheers
FPI is nothing more then a gang of premans. Their only movement is to see which establishment would pay their extortions. If the establishment doesn't pay their extortion, then they use religion to warn other to pay their extortions.

FPI is nothing more then a gang of premans. Their only movement is to see which establishment would pay their extortions. If the establishment doesn't pay their extortion, then they use religion to warn other to pay their extortions.

sh*t! their action just gives Islam a bad name :bash:

They do actions that can be sell by the media too ;)

Sembawa, 2 Agustus 2005 17:14
Tingkat kesejahteraan penduduk Indonesia masih paling rendah dibanding negara yang tergabung dalam organsasi ASEAN dan nomor 111 dari 174 negara.

"Kesejahteraan penduduk Indonesia termasuk pada urutan ke 111 dari sebanyak 174 negara di dunia," kata Deputi Bidang Keluarga Sejahtera dan Pemberdayaan Keluarga BKKBN Pusat, Drs. Iman Haryadi, pada hari keluarga nasional ke 12 dan kependudukan dunia, di Sembawa, Kabupaten Banyuasin, Sumsel, Selasa.

Menurut dia, tiga pilar yang menjadi parameter kualitas kesejahteraan tersebut adalah indeks pembangunan manusia (HDI) yaitu pendidikan, pendapatan dan kesehatan.

Kondisi pendidikan, pendapatan dan kesehatan masyarakat Indonesia sampai kini masih memprihatinkan, diperparah lagi dengan berbagai kasus yang terjadi akhir-akhir ini, tambahnya.

Ia mengatakan, kejadian luar biasa (KLB) polio dan muntaber baru-baru ini juga menjadi bukti rendahnya kuliatas kesejahteraan penduduk.

Apalagi jumlah keluarga miskin mencapai 36,5 juta jiwa dari sebanyak 216 juta jiwa penduduk Indonesia, tambahnya.

Pemerintah terus berupaya meningkatkan kulitas kesejahteraan masyarakat secara konfrehensif yang tidak hanya ditangani satu sektor tetapi secara bersamaan, seperti Depkes dengan pengobatan gratis.

BKKBN dengan memberikan alat kontrasepsi gratis dan bidang pendidikan beasiswa serta kredit mikro bagi pengusaha kecil, ujarnya.

Hal itu dilakukan untuk meningkatan kesejahteraan penduduk Indonesia dengan harapan dapat mengurangi masyarakat miskin sampai 50 persen.

Sehingga mampu mendongkrak tingkat kesejahteraan bangsa Indonesia setara dengan negara lain yang penduduknya telah lebih dahulu maju dan sejahtera, katanya. [TMA, Ant]

source:
http://www.gatra.com/artikel.php?id=86959

The debate about MUI's recent fatwas is becoming a war between liberal and conservative Muslims, hope it doesn't turn ugly.
-------------------------------------------------------------


Moeslim Abdurachman : MUI yang Sesat
Kamis, 04 Agustus 2005 | 22:11 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta:Sejumlah tokoh tokoh lintas agama yang tergabung dalam Aliansi masyarakat Madani, Aliansi Masyarakat Pluralis, serta para cendikiawan seperti Moeslim Abdurachman, Rachland Nasidik, Todung Mulya Lubis, Akbar Tandjung, hadir dalam acara ulang tahun Abdurahman Wahid alias Gus Dur ke-65 yang diisi oleh doa bersama, di Pondok Pesantren Ciganjur, Jakarta Selatan.

Tujuh orang tokoh yang hadir berorasi, mewakili berbagai kalangan mulai agama, cendikiawan, pemuda, menyatakan penolakkan terhadap fatwa Majelis Ulama Indonesia, soal melarang pluralisme, doa bersama, liberalisme.

Acara tersebut diawali dengan pidato Gus Dur tentang dirinya dan perannya. Wahid menyampaikan pidato dengan joke-jokenya, yang bikin seger dan satire.

Setelah pidato, acara dilanjutkan dengan pernyataan-pernyataan dari sejumlah tokoh yang hadir. Mereka mengecam fatwa Majelis Ulama Indonesia yang dianggap sesat. Setelah itu acara ditutup dengan doa dan pernyataan dari Aliansi Agama.

Moeslim Abdurachman menganggap fatwa itu, justru MUI yang sesat. Setiap kali disebutkan penolakkan terhadap fatwa MUI, diikuti dengan sorak-sorai yang hadir di acara ini. Jumlah undangan hadir sekitar 200 orang. Acara dilanjutkan dengan doa bersama dan orasi dianjutkan kembali.

Ketua Umum Pengurus besar Nahdatul Ulama Hayim Muzadi, hadir terlambat dalam acara itu. Setelah acara penutup berupa doa bersama, Hasyim tampak bersaman dengan Gus Dur.

Purwanto


Jaringan Islam Liberal Bersiap Sambut Massa FPI
Jum'at, 05 Agustus 2005 | 17:31 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta: Warga Komunitas Hutan Kayu tengah bersiap-siap menghadapi kehadiran ratusan orang dari Front Pembela Islam (FPI).

Di lokasi telah disiagakan sekitar 50 personel polisi dari Polsek Matraman dan Polres Jakarta Timur, 10 di antaranya anggota Polwan. Selain Polisi juga bersiaga sekitar 20 orang Banser NU, dan ratusan mahasiswa dari UIN Syarif Hidayatullah.

Menurut penuturan Wildan, salah reporter Radio 68H, sejumlah polisi dan anggota ormas tersebut telah bersiaga sejak pagi. Sebelum warga Komplek Hutan Kayu mendengar informasi bahwa akan ada kedatangan massa dari FPI, terkait dengan protes kelompok tersebut dengan pernyataan Jaringan Islam Liberal tentang fatwa MUI.

Namun hingga pukul 16.30 wib, menurut Wildan belum terlihat sampai di lokasi. Massa FPI dilaporkan sedang salat ashar di Jalan Pramuka. Mereka diperkirakan berjumlah sekitar 200 orang yang berangkat dari Masjid Al-Azhar. "Massa ini akan bergabung dengan sekitar 90 orang yang datang dari arah Matraman," katanya.

Sebelumnya di lokasi Komplek Komunitas Utan Kayu sempat diadakan mimbar bebas. Hadir sejumlah tokoh seperti inisiator Jaringan Islam Liberal Ulil Abshar Abdalla, Teten Masduki, Dawam Raharjo, dan Syafi'i Anwar. Ramidi

Interesting that the chairman of the MUI is a NU member, yet NU themselve have criticized the MUI ruling.

NU criticizes controversial MUI edicts

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta/Bandung/Surabaya

More criticism has been levied against the controversial edicts issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), this time from the world's largest Muslim organization, Nahdhatul Ulama (NU), which has around 40 million members.

NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi asked the council to consider the effects of its edicts in the context of civil society, interfaith relations and nationhood, as "we live in a diverse society and this country is not an Islamic state."

"Any process of fusing Islamic law with state law must be within the framework of the Constitution and the prevailing regulations," he told a media conference at NU headquarters in Central Jakarta on Friday.

Hasyim added that the MUI should also define the terms pluralism, secularism and liberalism, which the MUI banned in its edicts, as there seemed to be differing perceptions on these terms.

The MUI recently issued 11 edicts, one of which states that Islamic interpretations based on liberalism, secularism and pluralism "contradict Islamic teachings".

Joint prayers performed with people of other faiths are also banned, and saying "Amen" to prayers led by a non-Muslim is stated to be haram (forbidden under Islamic law).

The edicts also declare the Ahmadiyah sect to be a heretical movement and its followers to be murtad (apostates), while interfaith marriages are also declared to be haram.

Hasyim said that as joint prayers are a fact of life in a plural society, the only unacceptable thing would be for a Muslim to pray in the name of "another religion's God."

He also condemned last month's attack on Ahmadiyah by a hard-line group, saying that violence was not compatible with Islam, even if Ahmadi beliefs were not in line with Islamic teachings.

"The important thing is to adopt stances having regard to the social context. We've been living side by side with other religions anyway."

While the chairman of the MUI, Sahal Mahfudh was from NU, Hasyim said that the MUI was not comprised of ulema from the NU alone.

"We would ask non-Muslims not to be upset with the edicts as they are only aimed at Muslims, and are not the law of the land."

Despite the criticisms, the MUI is gearing up to promote its edicts in the regions. Some ulemas in the regions have even started to include the MUI edicts in their sermons.

Preacher Heddy Muhammad in Bandung, West Java, for instance, urged Muslims not to be trapped into liberalism and pluralism as Islam had its own rules set out in the Koran and Sunna.

Meanwhile in Surabaya, East Java, ulema in the two biggest mosques, Al Akbar and Al Falah, said the MUI had not yet forwarded them copies of the edicts or contacted them to explain the edicts.

"Even if they do, we will see first whether the content is suitable or not. If not, we will not promote them," said Zuhro, who is in charge of the Al Akbar mosque.

Meanwhile, several Islamic conservative groups in Jakarta defended the MUI on Friday, saying that the edicts had not been railroaded through by a few conservative ulemas on the council, as the critics contended, but had rather been based on a consensus.

Gathered at the Al Azhar mosque in South Jakarta, the groups also demanded on Friday that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ban the Islamic Liberal Network (JIL), which is one of the strongest critics of the MUI.

Guys, I'm not a muslim but am interested in knowing more of what's going around in Indonesia's muslim community, especially since our nation is almost 90% muslim. In recent years there is a visible trend of growing fundamentalism in Indonesia. IMHO, that is fine as long as there is tolerance with believers of other faiths as well. What is worrying me is that it seems like there is also a growing trend of intolerance towards other faith, lead by FPI and the likes. Well, I've heard you guys say that FPI is just a bunch of thugs, but they're nt the only ones involved in the move towards intolerance. Isn't that worrying, Indonesia's top Ulamas saying no to pruralism? Is this what our country is turning into? Well, i got a few questions to those who have better knowledge than me in this matter:

1.) What do the MUI mean when they say 'haram' to secularism, liberalism, and pruralism?
2.) Does anyone know who's driving the Hizbut Tahrir?
3.) what do u guys think of the MUI fatwa, and if u're a muslim will u follow it?

Hey guys, btw if u think my comment's too sensitive to be posted in this forum, i will remove it.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

taken from www.jawapos.co.id
Sabtu, 13 Agt 2005,
Dukung Fatwa MUI


Sekitar 250 aktivis Hizbut Tahrir Surabaya melakukan aksi damai di Taman Bungkul Surabaya, kemarin. Aksi itu dilakukan untuk mendukung fatwa MUI hasil munas 2005 tentang liberalisme, sekularisme dan pluralisme yang dinyatakan bertentangan dengan Islam. Aksi didukung 15 elemen Islam. Diantaranya, MUI Jatim, Muhammadiyah, Hidayatullah, PUIPS Jatim (forum umat Islam peduli syariah), MUIS (majelis umat Islam Surabaya), badan ulama ahlu syuro, KAMMI, dan MMI.

"Unjuk rasa ini dilakukan untuk membendung peryataan kaum liberalisme yang dimotori Ulil dan kawan-kawan yang menolak fatwa MUI" ujar Suhail Karim, korlap unjak rasa ini.

Dalam Musyawarah nasional Majelis Ulama Indonesia (MUI) ke VII tanggal 26-29 lalu telah ditetapkan fatwa tentang sejumlah perkara. Diantaranya tentang haramnya faham liberalisme, sekularisme dan pluralisme serta kelompok Ahmadiyah.

Fatwa tersebut kemudian direspon oleh banyak kalangan. Ada yang pro ada yang kontra. Yang pro menganggap fatwa MUI adalah final karena ditetapkan oleh orang-orang yang kompeten dengan dalih yang sahih serta dikeluakan forum tertinggi pra ulama seluruh Indonesia. Sedangkan yang kontra menganggap MUI terlalu tergesa-gesa mengeluarkan fatwa. Sebab tanpa memperhatikan kebebasan berpendapat.

Para peserta aksi dipisah antara laki-laki dan perempuan. Beberapa aktivis perempuan ada yang membawa anak-anaknya untuk mengikuti unjuk rasa itu. Aksi yang berlangsung selepas sholat Jum’at ini dijaga oleh Polrekta Surabaya Selatan.(edy)

Guys, I'm not a muslim but am interested in knowing more of what's going around in Indonesia's muslim community, especially since our nation is almost 90% muslim. In recent years there is a visible trend of growing fundamentalism in Indonesia. IMHO, that is fine as long as there is tolerance with believers of other faiths as well. What is worrying me is that it seems like there is also a growing trend of intolerance towards other faith, lead by FPI and the likes. Well, I've heard you guys say that FPI is just a bunch of thugs, but they're nt the only ones involved in the move towards intolerance. Isn't that worrying, Indonesia's top Ulamas saying no to pruralism? Is this what our country is turning into? Well, i got a few questions to those who have better knowledge than me in this matter:

1.) What do the MUI mean when they say 'haram' to secularism, liberalism, and pruralism?
2.) Does anyone know who's driving the Hizbut Tahrir?
3.) what do u guys think of the MUI fatwa, and if u're a muslim will u follow it?

Hey guys, btw if u think my comment's too sensitive to be posted in this forum, i will remove it.



Fir3blaze,
I just wrote a long 'explanation' concerning your points and decided to delete it in the last minutes. I'm concerned about my personal safety.

FPI are thugs and police must act. Some people in government, politicians and police are overwhelmed and unconfident since:
1. They are not trusted by the people
2. FPI makes people believe as if they are really the defender of Islam.
with these 2 reasons when government, politicians and police are not in easy position to take a strong act against FPI.

Ngedugem Bersama Kapolda Metro Jaya
Sabtu, 13 Agustus 2005 | 13:37 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta:Kapolda Metro Jaya Inspektur Jenderal Firman Gani nge-dugem di diskotik Millenium, Jakarta. “Ini merupakan rangkaian pertama dalam kampanye Jakarta Bebas Narkoba, kami mengambil tema fun without drugs,"katanya di Jakarta, menjelang tengah malam.

Diskotik yang terletak di lantai lima Gajah Mada Plaza ini kemarin ramai oleh pengunjung. Maklumlah, selain dihadiri oleh Kapolda Metro Jaya dan jajarannya, acara ini juga dihadiri oleh Ketua DPRD DKI Jakarta Ade Surapriyatna, Kepala Dinas Pariwisata DKI Jakarta Harianto Badjuri, Ketua Yayasan Putri Indonesia Wardiman Djayanegara, Putri Indonesia Nadine Chandrawinata dan lain sebagainya

Menurut salah satu rekan yang beberapa kali pernah mengunjungi Millenium kondisi diskotik saat kampanye agak berbeda dengan hari biasanya. "Sekarang, mah, lumayan terang, deh, terus minumnya rata-rata juga soft drink en juice. Biasanya mah gelap, ada juga elo nabrak-nabrak,"katanya. Selama ini Millenium dikenal sebagai diskotik enak buat on.

Kapolda Firman Gadi menyadari bahwa kampanye bebas narkoba yang saat ini dia lakukan tidak bisa menjamin Jakarta bebas dari narkoba. Namun, menurutnya, kampanye ini merupakan langkah awal untuk membersihkan Jakarta dari narkoba. "Ini sesuai dengan perintah Kapolri untuk meniadakan narkoba dari Indonesia,"ucapnya.

Menurut rencana, kampanye Jakarta bebas dari narkoba akan dilakukan sampai enam bulan ke depan secara periodik. Pasca diskotik Millenium berikutnya akan diteruskan ke restoran DragonFly, Embassy, BlowFish, Athena, HaiLai, dan Crown. "Tidak mungkin mengubah culture Jakarta dalam sehari, jadi mesti berproses,"katanya.

Dalam masa sosialisi tersebut, menurut Kapolda, Polda Metro Jaya tetap melakukan pengawasan. "Setelah masa enam bulan kami akan lebih tegas,"katanya. Polda akan tetap melakukan sapu bersih (sweeping) di diskotik-diskotik. Apabila ada yang melanggar, maka diskotik tersebut akan diberikan police line untuk selanjutnya direkomendasikan ke Pemda untuk dicabut ijinnya.

Ketua Panitia Kampanye Jakarta Bebas Narkoba, Johan Silalahi menyatakan gerakan ini akan dilakukan secara terus menerus selama satu tahun. "Bersenang-senang tanpa drugs harus terus digerakkan,"katanya.

Putri Indonesia Nadine menyatakan keterlibatannya dalam kampanye tersebut merupakan bentuk tanggung jawab moril sebagai generasi muda. Pada saat didaulat ke atas panggung, gadis berusia 21 tahun ini mengajak para pengunjung untuk menjauhi narkoba. "Kalau kita menggunakan narkoba sama saja kita menyakiti orang-orang yang kita cintai,"ujarnya.

http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/jakarta/2005/08/13/brk,20050813-65253,id.html

Fir3blaze,
I just wrote a long 'explanation' concerning your points and decided to delete it in the last minutes. I'm concerned about my personal safety.

FPI are thugs and police must act. Some people in government, politicians and police are overwhelmed and unconfident since:
1. They are not trusted by the people
2. FPI makes people believe as if they are really the defender of Islam.
with these 2 reasons when government, politicians and police are not in easy position to take a strong act against FPI.

I just wish that the forces of liberal Islam represented by people like Gus Dur, Cak Nur, Hasyim Muzadi and secular politicians such as SBY and Akbar Tanjung would speak out more against religious fundamentalism and intolerance in Indonesia.

I just wish that the forces of liberal Islam represented by people like Gus Dur, Cak Nur, Hasyim Muzadi and secular politicians such as SBY and Akbar Tanjung would speak out more against religious fundamentalism and intolerance in Indonesia.

Alvin ... in Indonesia Moslem Community. Most of Ahli Sunnah Wal Jama'ah ... don't see JIL ( Jaringan Islam Liberal ) is right.
While in Islam ... we have tolerance .. whether it is fundamentalist or secularist, however .... most of the recent moslem thinker/phd/DR are from US Univ. Which promote the view of religion according to their value.
It is different with the one who studied in Egypt or Middle East.

One of PHD candidate in Islamic studying ... now is currently studying in Harvard ... Sukidi ( previously a young generation of Muhammadiyah ) .. is also a sponsor of JIL ...... always proudly say .... all religion is one. ( refering to Mahatma Gandhi Phylosopy ) ... It is just like Light ... (UV) ..... then can be seen as Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Violet just like rainbow.

He makes analogy of that colour is the religioin that perceived by human being .... whether it is Islam, Kristen, Yahudi, Katolik etc.

We know ... who promotes .... and who supports this kind of values , who most of them are notable person that speak loud to the media.

This kind of value and teaching is treat as danger .. .and not right according to mainstream Islam.

The teaching of Islam is tolerate and respect to other religion.
La Kum dinukum waliyadin. ( meaning ... you do your religion and we do our religion ). that is for the Ubudiah ( everything conected to Ibadah/Pray) ... so there will be no " Doa Bersama" or Pray Together. But it is ok .... pray together with " keyakinan Masing-masing "

While for Amaliah ( working, studying, every aspect of live except ibadah ) you can do anything as long as not break the rule.

Nah ... in Islam ( I think it happen also in other language ). If there are values that is not right ... that will endanger the teaching of its religion, must be taken strict action. ( aliran sesat kan ada di tiap agama, ... seperti Syech Siti Jenar yg dianggap sesat, ... dll, dll )

I think this kind of topic is very sensitive. and I propose to close it down

Guys, I'm not a muslim but am interested in knowing more of what's going around in Indonesia's muslim community, especially since our nation is almost 90% muslim. In recent years there is a visible trend of growing fundamentalism in Indonesia. IMHO, that is fine as long as there is tolerance with believers of other faiths as well. What is worrying me is that it seems like there is also a growing trend of intolerance towards other faith, lead by FPI and the likes. Well, I've heard you guys say that FPI is just a bunch of thugs, but they're nt the only ones involved in the move towards intolerance. Isn't that worrying, Indonesia's top Ulamas saying no to pruralism? Is this what our country is turning into? Well, i got a few questions to those who have better knowledge than me in this matter:

1.) What do the MUI mean when they say 'haram' to secularism, liberalism, and pruralism?
2.) Does anyone know who's driving the Hizbut Tahrir?
3.) what do u guys think of the MUI fatwa, and if u're a muslim will u follow it?



Pluralism : when so say pluralism that there should be many religions in Indonesia. This is a fact. and there is nothing against that.
Each religion respect other religion. Lakum dinukum Waliyadin. full stop.
No problem right ? moslem can go praying, christian can go to the church, Hinduist can go to Pura. That is what happen in the life of Rasulullah.

The pluralism that is now promote by JIL and the like. is the pluralism that saying " Every Religion is SAME". This is the meaning that will not be accepted by most of ulama ever. No religion is the same. In Islam the one who got to heaven is the one who accept ISLAM as hidayah and follow the teaching of Al-Quran and Hadits. so No other religion will go to heaven ?
In Christian the one who got to heaven is the one who accept the Christ as their Saviour. I believe that according to the statement ... no Moslem will go to heaven right ?

It's OK ... Just let it be. As long as we respect each other.

I hope we have the same knowledge base of what is the "pluralism" means.

1.) What do the MUI mean when they say 'haram' to secularism, liberalism, and pruralism?

for Indonesia .. It is most likely for Sunni / Ahlus sunah Wal Jamaah. ( the mainstream in Indonesia ). there is no secularism, liberalism, and pruralism in Islam. It is the term mostly use by western to make a classification of Islam.
al-Islamu ya'lu wa La yu'la 'alaihi = Islam itu Menyeluruh.

Nah kalo fatwa di Iran .. pasti buat orang Shiah di sana .... gitu analogynya

2.) Does anyone know who's driving the Hizbut Tahrir?

No, I don't.

Do You Know who's driving JIL ? :-) ... Got Some Classified Informations of course. Who are they .... Got my name list ... ha ha ha

3.) what do u guys think of the MUI fatwa, and if u're a muslim will u follow it?
In Islam there is a step of Regulations/Rule/Teaching

1. Al-Quran
2. Hadits ( Tradition of the Prophet Muhammad pbuh )
3. Ijtihad ( Make Decision )

Ad.3. Ijtihad
a.some make by the Agreement of Ulama ( MUI ) called Fatwa
b.sometime make by their own Imam
c.sometime make by ourselves ( if you have knowledge of course )

As a good moslem, Fatwa will be followed. when eventually ( in heaven ) the fatwa was wrong. the one who make the ijtihad/fatwa that is to blame.

You yourself can make your own decision ( based on your knowledge ) you decide for example you don't want to follow the fatwa. so It is your Ijtihad. ( ad.3.c ) .... then you have to take responsible of your own.

another example of ad.3.c. is for example you are stranded in an island. there are no food. the only food is the pig. so you can make ijtihad to eat that pig. unless you die. It is called darurah ( darurat in Indonesia )

I hope it is clear. shoudl you need some more you can pm me.

I hope my writing is right.

I think this kind of topic is very sensitive. and I propose to close it down

Hey Mac, thanks for the explanations, really appreciate that. I know that religion is a sensitive topic and some people aren't comfortable of a discussion about religion. And I'd like to apologize to those who're feeling disturbed with the topic.

I don't think this topic should be closed down. I think its good we Indonesian should think about this issue.

One note, I had a conversation with a liberal Kyai (a brother of Hashim Muzadi) and he told be that the MUI statement was made by old Ulama who doesn't understand what the meaning of pluralism and liberalism the way we do.

What they're truly against is the type of 'liberal thinkings' propounded by some JIL leaders such as Ulil Abshar Abdalla whose understanding of religion is very liberal so as to constitute heresy. I don't think that the MUI is calling on religious fanatics to attack other religion (in fact the two organizations/beliefs that has been attacked are muslim; the church of Ahmadiyah and Jaringan Liberal Islam).

I'm agnostics so I don't really care about religion. It is frightening that a thuggish organization like the FPI can do anything they want. What would really be frightening is if PKS wins the next election and then turns Indonesia into a muslim republic!!! I'll be the first to get on the plane and leave if that ever comes true...

I don't think this topic should be closed down. I think its good we Indonesian should think about this issue.

One note, I had a conversation with a liberal Kyai (a brother of Hashim Muzadi) and he told be that the MUI statement was made by old Ulama who doesn't understand what the meaning of pluralism and liberalism the way we do.

What they're truly against is the type of 'liberal thinkings' propounded by some JIL leaders such as Ulil Abshar Abdalla whose understanding of religion is very liberal so as to constitute heresy. I don't think that the MUI is calling on religious fanatics to attack other religion (in fact the two organizations/beliefs that has been attacked are muslim; the church of Ahmadiyah and Jaringan Liberal Islam).

I'm agnostics so I don't really care about religion. It is frightening that a thuggish organization like the FPI can do anything they want. What would really be frightening is if PKS wins the next election and then turns Indonesia into a muslim republic!!! I'll be the first to get on the plane and leave if that ever comes true...

This is what I am afraid of. Turn Indonesia into a muslim republic ? that is not the case. This kind of "wind" is always blows by everyone who doesn't like muslim in Indonesia.
Indonesia could be based by Islamic law .. in 1950 if we want ? but our founding father are very smart, very modern in thought , very respect of the diversity of Indonesia.

So if PKS wins ... will make Indonesia into a muslim republic ?
It is too much Exaggerating. Besides CIA will first block this kindof move right ? So .. why bother ?

D you know that, in one of the PKS office. One of the Chair is not Muslim ?
D you know that the salary of DPR member from PKS, 1/3 is for the party ?
D you know that many of them using MOTORCYCLE !!!! .... .compare it please with the one who " STUDY BANDING " to DUCTH ??
D you know that PKS reject the raise of the salary of DPR ??
D you know who doesn't want to be bribed ?


Although It is not the best ...
I am proud of vote PKS ... and !! SBY !! during the election

et least they are better among the worse ...

so Indistad .... Don't worry ... he he he ...
Let's make our country Gemah RIpah Loh Jinawi, Toto Tentrem Karto Rahardjo , Baldatun Tayyibatun wa Rabbun Ghafur ...
All have the same meaning ..... with diff. language ....

Merdeka !!! :cheers:

Sixty years ago, the revolution in Indonesia that was backed by puppets

http://us.news3.yimg.com/us.i2.yimg.com/p/afp/20050819/capt.sge.alv24.190805144114.photo01.photo.default-300x339.jpg?x=300&y=339&sig=6Jjyv_KoUzRFc12siZmwAg--

There was no CNN, no Internet and a high level of illiteracy when revolutionary ferment swept through Indonesia 60 years ago.

The occupying Japanese had surrendered but the Dutch colonialists refused to loosen their grip when on August 17, 1945, the nationalists Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta proclaimed the country’s independence.

Historic events were unfolding but with no modern media, how were authorities to tell the population? They turned to traditional puppets from Indonesia’s main island of Java. Called “wayang kulit”, this shadow theatre with Hindu origins uses perforated leather figures, manipulated in front of an illuminated cotton screen stretched across a bamboo frame.

Seated cross-legged, the puppeteer, or dalang, animates his puppets by moving their arms using stems made of horn. He adopts the various voices of the characters he plays during an all-night performance that ends at dawn. Accompanied by a “gamelan” orchestra of gongs, xylophones and other percussive instruments, the puppets sway and dance. Seated on the ground, the audience watches the puppets’ shadows. Some enthusiasts sneak behind the screen to admire the talents of the puppeteer.

“A lot of people were illiterate. Wayang was an important way to bring the news. It was a sort of newspaper,” Stanley Bremer, director of the Wereldmuseum of Rotterdam, tells AFP.

On the 60th anniversary of Indonesian independence last Wednesday, this “museum of the cultures of the world” gave Jakarta, on an indefinite loan, a lavish collection of the revolutionary puppets it purchased in 1965.

Twenty years earlier as patriotic fervour bubbled to the surface in the vast archipelago, this centuries-old entertainment was diverted to revolutionary service in an effort to unify the villagers and spur on the nationalist sentiment personified by the charismatic Sukarno.

“It is what we called ‘wayang suluh’: to educate the population in an informal way about the meaning of the struggle for independence,” explains Aurora Tambunan, executive director of the Jakarta government cultural office.

The plays depicted patriotic leaders, independence fighters, civil servants, governors, Dutch colonialists, Japanese soldiers and common people. Photographs snipped from newspapers served as models.

Hatta, who become Sukarno’s vice-president, was a prominent figure among the puppets. Charismatic Sukarno was shown standing behind a lectern, in reference to a patriotic speech he made in Bandung city in the 1920s.

This kind of propaganda had been used in the past. Muslim preachers employed the wayang to spread Islam in the 15th century, and the sultans of Java employed the puppets to relate the history of their dynasties. The gesture by the Wereldmuseum attests to the warm relations now shared between Indonesia and its former colonial master.

The Netherlands on Monday for the first time accepted the date of Indonesia’s independence as 1945, ending a dispute that had irritated relations.

Until then, the Dutch had insisted on recognising the date as December 27, 1949, when they transferred sovereignty after losing a four-year war.

The spectacle of the revolution puppets “is rather confronting because it is telling a story not always very nice”, says Bremer. The 160 puppets were insured for 1,500 euros (1,842 dollars) for their trip from Rotterdam to Jakarta. But their real value is priceless.

Raymond Leeuwenburg, co-ordinator of the conservation department of the Wereldmuseum, praises the tiny details painted on the figures made of water-buffalo leather. “They are very accurate. You can recognize people from Papua!” he exclaims, referring to residents of the country’s easternmost province, who have a Melanesian appearance.

The puppets will soon be on display at Jakarta’s wayang museum, shown in climate-controlled cases built by the Wereldmuseum to protect the fragile revolutionary heroes from the humidity, heat and pollution plaguing the capital of today’s — very independent - Indonesia. afp

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_20-8-2005_pg9_7

This is so tragic.

Don't cry for me Indonesia

Several articles have been written on the blatant discrimination that exists in Indonesian law regarding mixed marriages. Allow me to add another angle to that story and as far as I know, it has not been scrutinized before.

It regards a mixed couple who spent more than 48 years together in marriage. Ever since they married, the expatriate wife dedicated her life to being a housewife and to taking care of their children, while her Indonesian husband as a decorated naval officer and later a non-commissioned local embassy staff member in a foreign country, took care of their daily bread. They decided to spend the final part of their lives as a pensioned couple in Indonesia.

When her Indonesian husband passed away recently, she informed the administrative body that handled the naval officer's pension of her husband's death. They informed her that they had never encountered such a case before and started to dig into the prevailing laws and regulations. They came up with the following token of gratitude: "A foreigner (in this case the widow) is not entitled to receive her Indonesian husband's pension for more than three months after her husband's date of death."

Why? "Well, because you are a foreigner." Courtesy of the Indonesian government.

And while you are at it "be sure to sell your inherited property as that will end up in the Indonesian government's hands after one year, if it still happens to be under the widow's name".

Now, here we have a 70-year-old woman being told to get lost, eat grass or at best find another Indonesian bloke to sponsor her "much appreciated stay".

ASHER TAURAN Jakarta

She should have been repartriated ( is it the correct word ? ) into Indonesian Citizen while they are still a couple / married.

The Sanskrit words in the state motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika, which has been loosely translated as Unity in Diversity, will no doubt be invoked as Indonesia marks the 60th anniversary of the proclamation of independence this week. Six decades is a long journey for a nation whose main trait, ever since its inception in 1945, is its diversity.

That we have stayed as one nation through all this time, in spite of forces that constantly threaten to tear us apart, is certainly worth celebrating.

But let us not forget that it has taken a lot of efforts by people with such diverse backgrounds -- from culture, ethnicity and religion to language, tradition and custom -- to make Indonesia what it is today. Most of us probably do it subconsciously. Others, because they are more exposed to diversity for one reason or another know that they have had to work extra hard to make unity in diversity work.

In this special Independence Anniversary supplement, we look into pluralism, an issue that has long been neglected but, as we shall find out from the stories in the following pages, is probably the one thing that has kept people of diverse backgrounds united.

These stories, which are written from the perspective of the characters rather than of the writers, illustrate the challenges of diversity at the grassroots level, and of the ways they overcome them.

We are gratified that they consented to take part in this mini project on pluralism, to be interviewed at length and for days, and for allowing our writers at times to intrude in their private lives, so that we get the materials from them that tell their story as honestly and effectively as possible.

One thread that runs through these stories is the message that we should not take our unity for granted. Peaceful coexistence between people of diverse backgrounds, whether they are bound together in marriage, in family, in community, in village, or town can only come if everyone strives to make things work. We all need to build the bridges that somehow connect us in spite of our differences. It may sound like a simple message, but it is an important one.

We have deliberately kept the academic discourse on pluralism to the minimum, and we thank the contributors for their part in explaining the term and its importance to Indonesia. The main part of this project on pluralism is the stories told of firsthand experiences of ordinary people coming to terms with their differences. They know of the immense challenges, and they have learned, through trial and error, to deal with them.

And what is true at the grassroots level is also true at the national level. If pluralism keeps together a marriage, a family, or a community, then it can also keep a nation united, especially one that is as diverse as Indonesia.

Indonesia has miraculously remained intact as one nation, but if it is to survive for six decades or more, merely accepting our differences will not be sufficient. We need to go further to turn every corner of this country, from Sabang to Merauke, into a better place to live for everyone, regardless of race, ethnicity, culture, language, religion, gender, generation, social and economic status.

If we want to go one step beyond unity in diversity, pluralism is the way forward.

Taken from the Jakarta Post

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat


Since early childhood, Indonesians have been, and continue to be, taught that their country is a huge archipelago comprised of thousands of islands and hundreds of ethnic groups. It is also common knowledge that the Javanese are the largest ethnic group in the country and, not surprisingly, that the island of Java is the most populated in the country.

Beyond these facts few actually know the exact ethnic composition and distribution of these groups.

The 2000 Population Census conducted by the Central Statistics Bureau provided much insight into the make up of the Indonesian population. Further invaluable analysis was provided by Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS) when in 2003 it published Indonesia's Population: Ethnicity and Religion in a Changing Political Landscape, which was planned as the first in a series of publications on the Indonesian population.

The findings of these two reports, both of which complement each other, has provided some striking knowledge about the people who inhabit the world's biggest archipelago.

What is interesting about the methodology of the BPS census is that ethnicity is defined by the respondents themselves. That it is people themselves actually choosing which ethnicity they self-identify with. Those who do not respond or cannot make up their mind are classified according to their father's bloodline.

The diversity of this country was confirmed with the finding of about 1,000 ethnic and sub-ethnic groups in the country. However most are very small. In fact only 15 of the ethnic groups have a population of over 1 million.

Omnipresent

There is no surprise that the Javanese continue to be the predominant ethnic group (Graph. 1). Combined with the Sundanese, these two ethnicities make up over 57 percent of the Indonesian population.

Such is the preponderance of the Javanese that they have a high concentration in almost all provinces. Javanese comprised of at least 15 percent of local populations in 13 of the 30 provinces surveyed by BPS in 2000.

Even outside of the island of Java, Javanese make up the largest single ethnic group in the provinces of Bengkulu, Lampung and East Kalimantan. In many other provinces they are usually only second or third to the local indigenous population in terms of size. For example, they are the second biggest ethnic group in North Sumatra comprising 32 percent of the provincial population, in Riau with 25 percent, Jambi with 27 percent, Central and South Kalimantan with 18 and 13 percent respectively.

The demographic shifts can be attributed to several factors such as transmigration, greater mobility as a result of intensified transportation infrastructure and the search for economic opportunities.

The high concentration of Javanese in many provinces supports the increased diversification of the Indonesian population. It would be a simplification nowadays to say that a particular province simply belongs to a certain ethnic group. The facts simply do not support it.

In only six provinces did the perceived indigenous population comprise more than three-quarters of the total provincial population: West Sumatra (Minangkabau); South Kalimantan (Banjarese); Yogyakarta along with Central and East Java (Javanese); and Bali (Balinese).

In other words, there is greater diversity within the peoples of any given province.

In terms of religion the numbers have generally remained consistent over the last three decades with the Muslim population accounting for 87 to 88 percent of the population. In the 2000 census over 88 percent of Indonesians chose Islam as their declared faith, followed by Christians with 8.9 percent, Hindus 1.8 percent and Buddhists with just under 1 percent.

The caveat however, is that the government only formally recorded and recognized five religions: Islam, Protestanism, Catholicism, Hinduism and Buddhism.

There little room for deviation if one prescribes to an alternative faith. Up until 1971, Confucianism was still listed in the census with a record of 0.82 percent. Since then consequent censuses have not officially recorded the numbers of those following Confucianism. In the 2000 census, those who did not prescribe to the five recognized religions were categorized as 'others' and accounted for 0.8 percent of the population.

Ethnic Chinese

Despite being so prevalent on the economic stage, repeated surveys have consistently shown that ethnic Chinese constitute a tiny minority of the population, in fact less than 1 percent.

In Indonesia's Population... by Leo Suryadinata et al, it is suggested that because the survey was based on self-identification by the respondents, many second and third generation ethnic Chinese (peranakan) considered themselves to be part the local indigenous population. Furthermore, despite the era of greater openness, some may continue to fear the stigma of being considered Chinese.

In the mid-1960s the government launched a campaign to 'indigenize' the ethnic Chinese by encouraging -- or forcing -- them to shed their Chinese names and adopt more locally sounding ones. Under President Soeharto's three-decade rule, Chinese cultural and ethnic symbols, including their celebrations, were completely forbidden. It was not until the presidency of Abdurrahman Wahid could this rich cultural heritage resurface.

Suryadinata in his study nevertheless suggests that even if the number of ethnic Chinese in the 2000 Census was inflated further to account for those who refused to identify themselves with this ethnic group, their composition would only range between 1.45 to 2.04 percent of the population.

Based on data compiled from the statistics bureau, nearly half of all ethnic Chinese are concentrated in two provinces: Jakarta and West Kalimantan. (Graph 2)

This statistical information helps show two things:

First, it confirms the diversity of the nation and illustrates the intensity of pluralism pervading all corners of the archipelago.

Second, it also exposes the fallacy of accepted 'prejudices' when talking ethnicities. People, for example, are wrong when they say that "the Chinese are everywhere" when in fact the group as a whole comprises no more than three percent of the population.

Furthermore, due to increased mobility, mixed marriages, and economic activity, it becomes increasingly difficult to make simplistic categorizations of the Bataks only living in North Sumatra, or the Dani tribe in Papua. Respective 'indigenous' populations may have historical and cultural ties born out of a particular venue, but what Indonesians are realizing is that no one group has particular exclusivity as a consequence of it.

This is the challenge of the evolving new Indonesia.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/community/ina11.asp

Sri Wahyuni


There are few other places like it in Indonesia. Yogyakarta is, perhaps, Indonesia's definitive melting pot. A center of education and historic relevance, Yogyakarta since early times has opened itself to welcome Indonesians of all ethnic groups. Here we look at how the ancient city has succeeded in becoming so accommodating to newcomers without losing its own unique cultural identity.

Tenris Sihite, 32, is of Batak origin, born and bred in the North Sumatra town of Sampali. Fate, however, led him to frequently move from one town to another in order to make a living, mostly by selling rattan furniture.

As such, he has tasted the heated life of Jakarta, the rough living of the East Java provincial capital Surabaya, and the tough competition of Bandung, West Java.

Now in Yogyakarta, where he currently lives with his Batak wife and their three-year-old son, he has found a home away from home.

"As outsiders, we feel that we are completely accepted here. The local predominantly Javanese Muslim villagers do not treat us differently just because we are Batak or Christians," Sihite says of his four years in the ancient city.

Sihite, who now runs a small rattan furniture shop in Sleman, said locals are always inviting him to take part in village activities, including the neighborhood watch patrol, or ronda as it is locally known.

Sihite is not alone. There are many other "outsiders" who feel the same way. An overwhelming number of non-indigenous Javanese are always impressed by the way locals welcome and accept them.

So homely is Yogyakarta for them that they enjoy being addressed with the common Javanese forms of address like mbak (for women) or mas (for men), regardless of whether they are Javanese or not.

Despite having a distinctive Batak name like Pakpahan, for example, the person will be referred to as mas in Yogyakarta, instead of abang which is more familiar for a North Sumatran. Or a Western Sumatran girl with the family name of Lubis will easily be referred to as mbak instead of her native uni.

"Yes, I'm accustomed to being called mas and I really enjoy it," said lawyer Afnan Malay, hailing from the West Sumatra town of Maninjau who now resides in Bantul regency.

Having lived in Yogyakarta since he was a university student -- afterwards trying his luck in Jakarta and Bandung for two years before returning to Yogyakarta -- Afnan says he finds Javanese people here very accommodating.

"Of course there is always a bargaining process between the indigenous people and newcomers. However, the process runs smoothly without inciting conflict. It gives an impression that Yogyakartans are accepting (of newcomers)," Afnan says.

Marto Darsono, an elder Javanese villager from Pakuncen in Wirobrajan subdistrict, agrees, saying that newcomers who can get along well with the surrounding community, and who have a willingness to open themselves to society, will certainly win total acceptance from locals.

"The key lies in how they place themselves in the surrounding community. If they make themselves close to the community, the community will do the same. If otherwise, the community will also distance them," Marto remarked.

Yogyakarta indeed has often been referred to as a mini Indonesia in terms its ethnic diversity and pluralism.

"I've learned from my own experience that pluralism is very well understood and practiced here. People respect one another regardless of their ethnicity or religion," says Budi Satyagraha, a Chinese Indonesian who runs a store selling construction materials in Yogyakarta.

"I felt this even before I decided to convert to Islam," adds Budi, who is also a former chairman of the Yogyakarta branch of the Association of Indonesian Chinese Muslims (PITI) and a local politician with the National Mandate Party.

Being of Chinese descent in Yogyakarta, he says, does not cause him much difficulty both in society or in the business community. He makes friends with anyone of any ethnicity, especially the Javanese majority.

That explains why, he says, when the May 1998 riots took place in many cities across the country, Yogyakarta remained relatively secure.

Since converting to Islam in 1983, Budi has found it even easier for him and his family to get along with the Yogyakarta's predominantly Muslim community while at the same time maintaining good relationships with the non-Muslim Chinese community.

"Being of Chinese descent and a Muslim at the same time has allowed me to be a bridge between indigenous Javanese and the non-indigenous Chinese, thus reducing prejudices that may persist between the two communities," he adds.

The presence of non-Javanese people in Yogyakarta is not a new phenomenon. The city has been open to 'foreigners' since the era of Sultan Hamengkubuwono (HB) I who established the Yogyakarta kingdom in the 18th century.

"Even the first and second 'Bupati Kutha' (regents of the capital city), namely Adipati Reksonegoro and Adipati Setjodiningrat, were of Chinese descent," an expert in Javanese culture Suryanto Sastroatmodjo said.

However, at that time, according to Suryanto, the presence of immigrants in the region was strictly controlled both under the colonial regulations and by the royal Yogyakarta court.

For example, an immigrant, after being appointed as a government officer was only allowed to take with him his core family members (his wife and children) to live inside the palace compound (kraton).

Those who were placed outside the compound could to bring with them their extended family as long as it did not exceed 10 persons.

Chinese and Europeans were also permitted to seek work in Yogyakarta as long as their stay did not exceed one year. These were mostly investors or employees of sugar factories.

The Chinese immigrants were given a special area along the city's main streets of Malioboro, Pringgokusuman, and Gedongtengen, while the Europeans were placed in the Kotabaru and Demangan areas.

"There were not many of them, only some 35," said Suryanto, adding that during the rule of HB VI (around 1850s) the number of Chinese increased and they began to live in the kampongs.

Suryanto, however, said that the growing number of local immigrants -- non-Javanese, Chinese or European -- rose significantly in the early 1950s, after the countrys independence and following the establishment of Universitet Negeri Gadjah Mada (now Gadjah Mada University).

Anthropologist P.M. Laksono of Gadjah Mada University also pointed out that this phenomenon was also the result of the Indonesian capital being temporarily moved from Jakarta to Yogyakarta.

As educational institutions began to mushroom in the city, more and more people of different ethnic groups from all across the country began arriving. This resulted in greater interaction between locals and the newcomers.

"Such a phenomena actually can also be found in other cities that have education centers like Yogyakarta. Yet, people of other ethnic groups find Yogyakarta much more enjoyable to live in mostly because Yogyakartans are accustomed to interacting with non-Javanese people since the beginnings of the Yogyakarta kingdom," Suryanto said.

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta:Cendekiawan Muslim Nurcholish Madjid meninggal dunia pada pukul 14.05. di Rumah Sakit Pondok Indah, Jakarta Selatan.

Saat menghembuskan nafasnya yang terakhir, sang isteri, Ny Omi Qomariah dan kedua anaknya, Nadia Madjid dan Mikail Madjid turut mendampingi. Nurcholis, yang biasa disapa Cak Nur, menjalani perawatan di ruang ICU sejak Senin (21/8).

Kondisi kesehatan Cak Nur yang pernah menjalani operasi transplantasi hati di Rumah Sakit (RS) Taiping, Guangdong, Cina, 23 Juli lalu, dan menjalani perawatan di Rumah Sakit Universitas Nasional, Singapura, kritis sejak Jum'at (25/8). Tim dokter yang dipimpin Hermansyur Kartowisastro, ketika itu menyatakan angkat tangan. Sudrajat

http://www.tempointeraktif.com/hg/nasional/2005/08/29/brk,20050829-65871,id.html

=========================================================

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a332/dave_win2/sm1nurcholismadjid5.jpg

IN MEMORIAM

May he rest in peace...
he's one of the most notable Muslim scholars of his time, champion of religious tolerance too...

http://rds.yahoo.com/S=96062883/K=cak+nur/v=2/SID=w/l=IVI/SIG=1283d3gg5/EXP=1125400136/*-http%3A//www.tempo.co.id/harian/profil/gam/cak-nur.jpg

I'm glad SBY is finally speaking out for the moderate Muslim majority in Indonesia..
--------------------------------------------------------------------


Indonesia president warns of terror attacks
By Dean Yates and Muklis Ali
1 hour, 42 minutes ago



JAKARTA (Reuters) - Indonesia's president warned on Monday of possible terrorist attacks in the coming two months, and said he would also take steps to show the country was still a tolerant Muslim nation.


Speaking at a seminar in Jakarta, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said bombmakers from the militant network Jemaah Islamiah posed a threat to the world's most populous Muslim nation.

"Terrorist cells are still active. They are still hiding, recruiting, networking, trying to find new funding sources, and even planning," Yudhoyono said.

"Entering September and October, these are special months for terrorism. There will be an increase of terrorist activities in the region," he said.
Yudhoyono did not elaborate, but Jemaah Islamiah, seen as al Qaeda's Southeast Asian arm, has carried out one big bombing in Indonesia each year for the past few years. All of the blasts occurred between August and October.

His comments coincided with the evacuation of the heavily fortified British embassy in Jakarta after a suspicious item was mailed to the mission. Police said it was only a personal package that contained a disc player and biscuits.

Police have blamed Jemaah Islamiah for a suicide bomb attack outside the Australian embassy last September that killed 10 people. It was also responsible for the Bali nightclub bombings in October 2002 that killed 202 people.

Some security experts have said that despite the arrest of a number of its senior operatives, Jemaah Islamiah still has the capability to conduct one large bombing a year in Indonesia.

The president, a secular former general, said he also wanted to reverse any perceptions that Islam in Indonesia was becoming more hardline.

"You may read from time to time the voice of small radical groups. But this voice will not change the fact that mainstream Indonesia will continue to be moderate, tolerant and democratic," Yudhoyono said.

"We will strengthen the hands of the religious moderates," he added.

He did not say how he would do this, but Indonesia's image as a moderate Muslim nation has taken some hits in recent months.

In late July, Indonesia's top Islamic council issued a religious edict forbidding pluralism, any liberal interpretation of Islam as well as mixed marriages.

That legally non-binding fatwa by the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) was heavily criticized by many moderate clerics.

Muslim hardliners in parts of the country have also recently forced the closure of several churches, claiming they did not have licenses to operate. Police have taken no action.

And in a blow for mainstream clerics, the country's most respected moderate Muslim intellectual, Nurcholish Madjid, died on Monday, family members told El Shinta news station.

Madjid, 66, had been sick for months with a kidney and liver illness. His intellect, eloquence and frequent support for the separation of religion and state in Indonesia made him a frequent target for militant groups.

Indonesia is officially secular and recognizes Christianity and several other religions in addition to Islam. Some 85 percent of Indonesia's 220 million people are Muslim.

the terrorist thing is so scary,,, but that doesnt mean tourists cant travel to indo rite?? depends on destiny,, ^^

Rest in Peace, Cak Nur..

http://jkt2.detiknews.com/indexfr.php?url=http://jkt2.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2005/bulan/08/tgl/29/time/201940/idnews/431480/idkanal/10

THE BEST CITIES IN ASIA BY ASIAWEEK http://www.asiaweek.com/asiaweek/asiacities/topten.html

The Top Ten

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Tokyo, Japan
2. Fukuoka, Japan
3. Osaka, Japan
4. Singapore
5. Taipei, Taiwan
6. Georgetown (Penang), Malaysia
7. Hong Kong SAR, China
8. Bandar Seri Begawan, Brunei
9. Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
10.Beijing, China


The Complete Rankings

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

11. Kuching
12. Macau
13. Shanghai
14. Cebu City
15. Kaohsiung
16. Metro Manila
17. Pusan
18. Seoul
19. Davao City
20. Chiang Mai
21. Guangzhou
22. Hanoi
23. Ho Chi Minh
24. Colombo
25. Islamabad
26. Bangkok
27. Bangalore
28. Kathmandu
29. Chongqing
30. Yangon
31. Chittagong
32. Delhi
33. Dhaka
34. Karachi
35. Jakarta
36. Phnom Penh
37. Bombay
38. Bandung
39. Surabaya
40. Vientiane

RIP Cak Nur. He was a great man who wasn't afraid to speak his mind.

here's statement from PDS (the sole Christian-based party in parliament) on the recent forced closures of churches in Bandung. I hope the police does something about it.

"Rentetan kejadian penutupan secara paksa 12 gereja di Bandung sejak Juli – Agustus (Gereja-gereja yang dilarang dan dipaksa ditutup adalah rumah ibadah di pos kebaktian Gereja Kristen Pasundan (GKP) di Ciseu Kabupaten Garut (April 2005); GKP Ketapang, Kabupaten Bandung (Juli 2005); GKP Daeyuh Kolot Kabupaten Bandung (Agustus 2005); dan GKP di Citeurep, Bogor (Agustus 2005), merupakan sebuah pertanyaan introspeksi bagi kita. Sampai kapan kita dapat berhenti dalam persinggungan ini, dan menata sebuah peradaban dalam komunitas yang sedang terpuruk oleh gelombang krisis dan bencana?
Menyikapi kondisi tersebut, Dewan Pimpinan Pusat Partai Damai Sejahtera (DPP PDS) beserta seluruh kader dan simpatisannya, menyatakan rasa duka yang amat dalam, atas berbagai tindakan sepihak yang dilakukan dengan mengatas namakan kelompok tertentu. Kami sedikitpun tidak bermaksud untuk menghakimi siapa-siapa.
Oleh karena itu, demi kemanusiaan dan perdamaian kami menyatakan dan menyerukan kepada pemerintah dan masyarakat Indonesia, bahwa;
1. Segala bentuk tindakan kekerasan dan pemaksaan oleh pihak manapun, adalah bertentangan dengan prinsip dasar Hak Asasi Manusia. Dan karena itu, mesti mendapat perhatian yang serius oleh aparat yang berwewenang. Kami juga menyesali keterlibatan aparat pemerintah setempat dari polsek sampai ditingkat RT/RW, yang membuka ruang bagi praktek pelanggaran HAM terhadap pimpinan gereja setempat.
2. Kepada seluruh masyarakat kami menghimbau, agar dapat menyerahkan kepada aparat penegak hukum, segala bentuk pelanggaran atau tindakan melanggar hukum yang terjadi di lingkungan sekitarnya. Karena itu, kami sangat tidak sependapat dengan sikap dan/atau tidakan yang mendahului tugas dan kewenangan aparat penegak hukum. Sikap dan tindakan tersebut, adalah pelanggaran terhadap hukum itu sendiri.
3. Kepada masyarakat agar hendaknya membangun komunikasi yang lebih sehat dan toleran di lingkungan sekitarnya. Dan marilah bersama-sama kita berpartisipasi dalam pembangunan bangsa, mulai dari lingkungan masing-masing dengan semangat kebangsaan dan persaudaraan, untuk keluar dari multidimensi krisis yang sedang kita alami.
4. Kami menyerukan kepada seluruh masyarakat Indonesia, agar lebih waspada terhadap segala bentuk hasutan yang bertujuan mengahancurkan persatuan dan kesatuan bangsa kita, demi kepentingan-kepentingan sesaat.
Demikian pernyataan sikap DPP PDS. Harapan kami semoga kedepan, persoalan-persoalan yang berhubungan dengan tindakan intoleransi dalam pluralitas masyarakat Indonesia tidak terulang kembali, demi persatuan dan kemanusiaan di bumi yang kita huni sesaat ini. "

So much for law and order. The police is there to enforce the law. They're not their to take sides. It's time that we, as citizens, insist on a police force that is their for all citizens.

Should've said this a long time ago. Guess better late then never.

Govt wants firm action against hard-liners: Kalla

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Contradicting earlier comments by a Cabinet minister, the Vice President promised on Monday that firm action would be taken against Muslim hard-liners who forcibly closed down Christian places of worship as they were damaging religious harmony and taking the law into their own hands.

"We have talked to the police. We must be firm now. If we have a problem, we must not resort to violence in order to solve it. Instead, we must resolve it together as the nation belongs to all of us," Vice President Jusuf Kalla told leaders of Islamic organizations gathered at the Muhammadiyah headquarters in Central Jakarta.

Only on Saturday, Minister of Religious Affairs Maftuh Basyuni joined the police in saying that the hard-liners would not be punished, arguing that they were only acting against "illegal congregations".

The anti-Christian attacks continued on Saturday, with a hard-line Muslim group calling itself the Anti-Apostasy Alliance Movement (AGAP), closing one unofficial place of worship in Margahayu Raya. AGAP leader Muhammad Mu'min Al Mubarak claimed that local residents had asked the group to close the prayer house as it was unlicensed.

Also on Saturday, a mob of around 100 people shut down a Christian prayer house located in Larangan subdistrict, Kebayoran Lama, South Jakarta, demanding that its congregation move to a church in Pesanggrahan subdistrict nearby. No violence occurred as the clergyman agreed under pressure to the demand.

Monday's meeting between Kalla and the Muslim leaders had originally been planned to brief them about the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in Helsinki on Aug. 15.

According to Kalla, Indonesian people of different religious persuasions should refrain from using violence when settling disputes.

"We must be able to exercise restraint so that this sort of thing does not happen again. It is our responsibility to stop the violence now," he said.

Kalla mediated peace agreements to end bloodshed between Christians and Muslims in Maluku and the Central Sulawesi regency of Poso a few years ago.

Meanwhile, Muslim figures called for interfaith talks to settle the matter.

"A dialog is necessary. But the dialog must be conducted in a give-and-take manner," chairman of the 30-million strong Muhammadiyah, Din Syamsuddin, said.

Din said the government had to do its part by upholding the regulations requiring permits for the establishment of houses of worship.

"Violence is not the way. Muslim people must not be easily provoked into violence that will only serve to destroy religious harmony," he told reporters.

According to Din, a Muslim community would not oppose the establishment of a church as long as the necessary permits were obtained and respect shown to the local people.

"But a problem of social ethics arises if a church is set up in an area where Muslims are in the majority," he said.

Tarmizi Taher, the chairman of the Indonesia Tablig Council, called on the Ministry of Religious Affairs to initiate interfaith talks to settle the issue. However, he asserted that people must respect the joint ministerial decree that requires a Christian congregation to secure approval from the local community before setting up a place of worship -- something that is normally extremely difficult or impossible in practice.

Separately, National Police spokesman Insp. Gen. Aryanto Boedihardjo said that police chief Gen. Sutanto had ordered local police forces to take action against anyone who violated the law.

The police would also encourage the public to report any violations to the local police instead of taking the law into their own hands.

d'ohh.. why didnt they think abt it earlier??

The anti-Christian attacks continued on Saturday, with a hard-line Muslim group calling itself the Anti-Apostasy Alliance Movement (AGAP), closing one unofficial place of worship in Margahayu Raya. AGAP leader Muhammad Mu'min Al Mubarak claimed that local residents had asked the group to close the prayer house as it was unlicensed.

This what gets me. If the churches didn't have the proper permits, the resident should've contacted the government, not these hooligans. Only the police have the authority to enforce the law, not these hooligans.

this is like a slap on the face of many Indonesian moslem who supports the freedom of others to practice their religion. The police must act quickly for the sake of our unity. Who did that? was it again that same group, what's the name again?

this is like a slap on the face of many Indonesian moslem who supports the freedom of others to practice their religion. The police must act quickly for the sake of our unity. Who did that? was it again that same group, what's the name again?

FPI.
No, I think they're just local thugs...FPI wasn't mentioned in the press..

this is like a slap on the face of many Indonesian moslem who supports the freedom of others to practice their religion. The police must act quickly for the sake of our unity. Who did that? was it again that same group, what's the name again?

Like Alvin said, you're thinking of Front Preman Indonesia.

The organization that did the church sweeping is the Anti-Apostasy Alliance Movement (AGAP). Just another group of thugs.

Gus Dur have threaten to use NU's youth group to protect churches if the police doesn't.

Like Alvin said, you're thinking of Front Preman Indonesia.

The organization that did the church sweeping is the Anti-Apostasy Alliance Movement (AGAP). Just another group of thugs.

Gus Dur have threaten to use NU's youth group to protect churches if the police doesn't.

this is also a problem, that caused by the fact that police takes no quick action. If we have NU and AGAP or group A and group B face to face, it is just confirming that anyone can do anything they think it's right.
Seems to me, even after 7 years of --ehm ehm-- Reformasi, police has not changed significantly.

Very true. Very soon, it'll be like the wild west where law and order breaks down. That's one thing that SBY haven't done well, ensuring the supremacy of the police when it comes to law and order. I can't blame the public for having such a low confidence of the police.

Front Preman Indonesia.

Hahaha

You know in Soeharto's days, the government would let groups be anarchic and then the until the time is right, would slam them once and for all. Although Soeharto is a dictatorship and his word for 'hantam' has a very violent meaning, maybe SBY is waiting for something to hantam FPI, legally of course..

I will also blame the government policy from this recent incident.

The policy from the government is just very stupid. Eg, If you want to build church, you should have the permission from the majority residents, if not then you cant build it. How in the heck if the residents are Hindu or Muslim majority? They will say NO for sure.

This kind of policy should be dismissed.

cheers

Don t get offended me saying this : They can close as many churches if they want but they can t take away the faith from their heart. It s a pity and shamefulthat these things happened .

Islamizing Indonesia

International Herald Tribune
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 3, 2005

SINGAPORE Amid global fears about the spread of Islamic militancy, the last thing anyone wants to hear about is creeping fundamentalism in Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation. But these fears have become more palpable in recent weeks.

Indonesia's highest Muslim body has issued religious edicts banning mixed marriages, religious pluralism and interfaith prayers. A series of attacks has forced the closure of Christian churches. And in the province of Aceh, where the government has reached an agreement with the pro-independence movement to end a long-running insurgency, a woman was publicly flogged and more than a dozen men have been caned in the past three months for breaching newly introduced Shariah, or Islamic law.

Some Indonesians are worried about the trend this pattern of events suggests. As many as seven districts in Indonesia, from West Java to South Sulawesi and Madura, already have enforced some kind of Shariah, something they can do under Indonesia's wide-ranging autonomy law.

The liberal Muslim scholar Syafi'i Anwar complains about what he calls the "creeping Shariah-ization of Indonesia." He frets that the country's political leadership is paying no attention to the spread of Islamic law, which he believes is poorly understood and manipulated by local politicians to bolster their popularity. "Indonesia has no credible religious leaders, and we don't know where we are heading," he laments.

Indeed, the untimely death on Monday of one of Indonesia's most prominent liberal Islamic scholars, Nurcholish Madjid, leaves a huge gap in a country where crude religious rhetoric mixing dogma with mysticism finds a ready audience among people who have given up expecting justice from secular quarters.

Lately, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has sought to allay concerns that Indonesia was drifting toward fundamentalism. "You may read from time to time the voice of small radical groups," Yudhoyono said. "But this voice will not change the fact that mainstream Indonesia will continue to be moderate, tolerant and democratic."

Democracy means that extremists can express themselves more freely. One of the 11 fatwas issued by the influential Council of Ulama at the end of July states that Islamic interpretations based on liberalism, secularism and pluralism "contradict Islamic teachings." The fear in conservative Islamic circles is that political openness will erode religious values and allow proselytizing by Christians.

Indonesians have already rejected the idea of their country becoming an Islamic state, however, and are not inclined to vote for hard-line Islamic parties. Two years ago Indonesian legislators voted to reject the insertion of Shariah provisions in the country's constitution.

Most Indonesians are not moved by rigid religious dogma. The middle ground in Indonesian politics is secular and tolerant, and for any avowedly Islamic party to win a majority it would need to cast off any notion of altering the basis of a state that is home to millions of Christians and Hindus as well. A popular grassroots party, the Prosperous Justice Party, was forced to subordinate support for Shariah to a secular reform platform in its manifesto - though many suspect that the party still promotes Shariah.

But in a country where democracy is new and political parties are still underdeveloped, religion is a powerful mobilizing force and is subject to exploitation for political ends. Witness how hard it has been for the government to ban known terrorist organizations like Jemaah Islamiyah for fear of alienating support. The Ministry of Religious Affairs refuses to bring charges against Muslims who have forced the closure of almost two dozen churches in recent weeks, blaming Christians instead for not seeking legal permits to worship.

The use of Shariah for political ends is even more worrying, as this has a lasting impact on society. In Aceh, Shariah was introduced as a government ploy to draw off popular support for Aceh's independence movement. The idea was that Shariah would help impart a sense of autonomy and Islamic identity and persuade the long-suffering Acehnese that Jakarta was giving them what they wanted.

Under Shariah, women in Aceh must wear head scarves and are less free to mingle with men. Public floggings for convicted gamblers and drinkers have already taken place. Yet in more liberal quarters of Acehnese society there has been an outcry over the barbarity and abuse of human rights that public caning involves.

The problem with mixing Islam and politics is that a dogmatic view tends to prevail because of Muslims' fears of being branded apostates. Indonesia is not becoming an Islamic state anytime soon, but its political leaders are prone to exploiting Islam for short-term ends that could have lasting consequences.

isn't indonesia a democratic country? then why oh why should they ban mixed marriages and all that?????

why people always afraid or alergic to the word " sharia " ...
If you really know what is in sharia ....there is nothing wrong with that if you implement it in a proper manner.

I am not agree indonesia trying implement sharia .....
You know ... Musyawarah untuk MUfakat ... is sharia law, Ketuhanan yang maha esa is sharia law, kemanuniasaan yang adil dan berada is sharia law, persatuan indonesia is sharia law ....

Why they always ... interpret sharia as ... terrosist, suiside bomb ....
sad ... sad. .... sad .....

See Islamic Republic of Pakistan ... it is clearly based on Islam, but ... cannot you wath movies there ? cannot other religion live there ? cannot a women become a doctor there ? cannot a woman become a prime minister there ...

More and more .. i began to sadly say yes with the huntington thesis about ... war on civilization ....

I hope everyone can live together without prejudizing each other ...

D you know that HSBC start to operate their sharia system banking ?
Citybank will follow , standard chartered ..........
There is nothing wrong with the word " Sharia " ....

I hate article ... mostly from non-muslim .... who not really know in complete .... always contradict between sharia vs democratic ..... islam vs liberalism .... islam vs human rights .....

Please study ... it ( the religion ) first .. before ... make a comment which is not constructive.

isn't indonesia a democratic country? then why oh why should they ban mixed marriages and all that?????

Mix marriage is not ban by .. the civil law.
It is banned by religious law ( I think most or all religion in Indonesia will not bless mix(religion)-married right ? )

Very well said Mac!


why people always afraid or alergic to the word " sharia " ...
If you really know what is in sharia ....there is nothing wrong with that if you implement it in a proper manner.

I am not agree indonesia trying implement sharia .....
You know ... Musyawarah untuk MUfakat ... is sharia law, Ketuhanan yang maha esa is sharia law, kemanuniasaan yang adil dan berada is sharia law, persatuan indonesia is sharia law ....

Why they always ... interpret sharia as ... terrosist, suiside bomb ....
sad ... sad. .... sad .....

See Islamic Republic of Pakistan ... it is clearly based on Islam, but ... cannot you wath movies there ? cannot other religion live there ? cannot a women become a doctor there ? cannot a woman become a prime minister there ...

More and more .. i began to sadly say yes with the huntington thesis about ... war on civilization ....

I hope everyone can live together without prejudizing each other ...

D you know that HSBC start to operate their sharia system banking ?
Citybank will follow , standard chartered ..........
There is nothing wrong with the word " Sharia " ....

I hate article ... mostly from non-muslim .... who not really know in complete .... always contradict between sharia vs democratic ..... islam vs liberalism .... islam vs human rights .....

Please study ... it ( the religion ) first .. before ... make a comment which is not constructive.

I wouldn't consider Pakistan a very good example of a civil society. Well, I won't throw around any accusations, but the legal situation Hindus and Christians often face is quite bad.

Now, another article on a subject you guys already know.

---

Moderate Muslims Rally for Christians in Indonesia Over Church Closings
Marianne Kearney in Jakarta

INDONESIA'S largest Muslim group has threatened to bring out thousands of militia members to protect Christians from Islamic hardliners who have forced the closure of more than a dozen churches.

Christian leaders say more than 15 churches have been shut down by activists from two allied groups, the Anti Apostasy Movement (AGAP) and the Islamic Defenders.

The man coming to their aid is Hasyim Muzadi, the head of Nadlatul Ulama.

He says he is shocked by the lack of police protection for Christians and has vowed to bring out 10,000 members of his feared Banser militia to guard churches.

"There is no teaching in Islam that permits Muslims to disturb other religious groups," Mr Muzadi told local daily Koran Tempo.

"We ask police to take strong action against those people using religion as an excuse for violence," he added.

Like other Muslim groups, the NU has a civilian militia used to provide security at religious events.

Banser members are renowned for martial arts skills and devotion to their leaders.

Wienitas Sairen, deputy secretary general of the Indonesian Communion of Churches, accuses local police of standing by as white-robed members of the hardline alliance have wielded bamboo sticks and threatened Christians during their services.

Radical Muslim groups have defended their closures, accusing the Christians of operating without a permit.

But Mr Sairen said the church groups had obtained permits from the Religious Affairs Ministry in Jakarta to hold services in homes.

Problems had arisen because they were unable to obtain permission from local residents, most of whom are Muslim.

@zoro: my comment to Mac's post was not related to the part of Pakistan's thing (even though I admitted it was in the quoted box). I know nothing about that country so I better not commenting.
My comment was more supporting his post on the fact that, even in Indonesia's media the word 'sharia' looked at suspiciously sometime without ellaboration abt what it means.

FPI supports the idea of abolishing SKB released in year 1969.

SUARA PEMBARUAN DAILY http://www.suarapembaruan.com/News/2005/09/03/index.html

FPI Dukung Pencabutan SKB

Pembaruan/Jurnasyanto Sukarno

BERSALAMAN - Ketua Front Pembela Islam (FPI) Habib Rizieq bersalaman dengan Pastor Frans Magniz Suseno, di Markas FPI, Jakarta, Sabtu (3/9).

JAKARTA - Front Pembela Islam (FPI) menegaskan, secara kelembagaan pihaknya tidak pernah terlibat dalam aksi penutupan tempat ibadah di Jawa Barat. FPI mendukung upaya yang dilakukan oleh komunitas Kristen di Indonesia yang mendesak pemerintah agar mencabut surat keputusan bersama (SKB) menteri agama dan menteri dalam negeri pada 1969 tentang pembangunan tempat ibadah di Indonesia.

"Hanya saja FPI menilai sebetulnya SKB tersebut sangat netral dan tidak terkesan menimbulkan sebagai pemicu konflik antaragama. Dan berdasarkan informasi yang diperoleh oleh FPI yang ditutup adalah sejumlah rumah dan ruko yang dijadikan gereja, bukan gereja," kata Wakil Sekretaris Umum Persekutuan Gereja-gereja di Indonesia (PGI) Pendeta Wienata Sarin yang bersama Romo Frans Magnis Soeseno berinisiatif bersilaturahmi ke rumah Ketua FPI Habib Riziek, di Jakarta, Sabtu (3/9).

Menurut Wienata, pihaknya juga berusaha memberikan pengertian kepada FPI bahwa sejumlah umat Kristen di Jawa Barat beribadah di ruko atau rumah karena pemerintah daerah tidak segera memberikan perizinan sehingga bertahun-tahun mereka beribadah di rumah atau ruko. "Ini yang kemudian dimengerti dan dipahami oleh FPI persoalan dasar sesungguhnya," tuturnya.

Sedangkan Habib Riziek membantah keterlibatan FPI dalam aksi penutupan sejumlah tempat ibadah. "Yang jelas, FPI menilai bahwa SKB dua menteri tahun 1969 yang dipersoalkan dan teman-teman Kristen ingin mengajukan upaya hukum mencabut hal itu dipersilakan," ujarnya.

Sementara itu Ketua Umum PGI Pendeta Dr AA Jewangoe menegaskan, saat ini pihaknya serta masyarakat internasional masih menunggu ketegasan sikap pemerintah dalam hal ini Presiden Republik Indonesia untuk menghentikan aksi penutupan dan teror perusakan gereja di Jawa Barat.

"Kami beberapa waktu lalu memang sudah bertemu dengan Presiden dan menjelaskan secara detail kronologis sejumlah penutupan tempat ibadah di Jawa Barat. Saat ini kami masih menunggu ketegasan sikap Presiden dan komitmennya untuk menghentikan aksi penutupan tempat ibadah dan teror dalam berbagi bentuk oleh sekelompok orang yang ingin menyerang sejumlah tempat peribadahan," katanya dari Singapura sewaktu dihubungi Pembaruan, pagi tadi.

Dia baru saja berkunjung ke Amerika Serikat memenuhi undangan dari organisasi gereja dunia untuk menjelaskan tentang kerukunan umat beragama di Indonesia.

Sudah Mengetahui

"Mengenai penutupan dan perusakan gereja di Indonesia, mereka sudah mengetahuinya lebih dulu karena sekarang ini merupakan era globalisasi dan lewat internet dan jaringan televisi dan radio yang sangat canggih, informasi apapun dari belahan dunia manapun dapat dengan mudah diketahui," tutur Jewangoe.

Masyarakat internasional, lanjutnya, justru mendapatkan gambaran yang sangat baik mengenai sejumlah kasus di Indonesia terkait dengan penutupan tempat ibadah dan kerukunan umat beragama yang saat ini terasa semakin memburuk dengan sejumlah kasus terkait dengan persoalan keagamaan di Indonesia.

"Dunia internasional mengecam segala bentuk kekerasan yang bernuansa keagamaan di Indonesia. Penutupan tempat ibadah jelas merupakan kejahatan terhadap kemanusiaan dan hak asasi manusia. Jika ada masjid di Indonesia yang ditutup, kami juga akan mengecam karena hal itu jelas merupakan pelanggaran HAM," ujarnya.

Mensikapi SKB Menteri Agama dan Menteri Dalam Negeri 1969, PGI berpandangan, kebijakan itu merupakan pelanggaran terhadap konstitusi dan Undang-Undang Dasar 1945. "SKB itu juga telah melahirkan sejumlah produk hukum di daerah yang sangat diskriminatif terhadap pendirian tempat ibadah di Indonesia, yang merupakan negara bhineka tunggal ika," tegasnya. (E-5)

Last modified: 3/9/05

I read yesterday that the FPI will commence legal action against Gus Dur (Former President & NU elder Abdurrahman Wahid), for accusing them of motoring these church closures.... Funnily, according the article, an FPI rep denied the closures were 'by force', rather admitted to it but said the closures were done by 'musyawarah' or common understanding/consensus...hmmm let's see what happens.

Former N.C. telcom executive battles extremism in Indonesia
By TIM WHITMIRE
Associated Press Writer

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — C. Holland Taylor's mind seems to move faster than he can speak about the Libforall Foundation, the personal foreign policy initiative the former telcom executive founded to combat Islamic extremism in Indonesia.

"We engage with individuals through ideas. We implode radical Islam through ideas," Taylor said, describing his desire to link moderate Muslim leaders in Indonesia in a network of "lighthouses within the Islamic world" that will promote tolerance and freedom of thought and worship.

A decade ago, Taylor was the head of USA Global Link, a telecommunications company that during the Wild West days of 1990s deregulation was a leader in the business of "callback" — selling cheap American dial tones to foreign callers. He was also a libertarian activist and a longtime practitioner of transcendental meditation.

But Taylor, 49, left USA Global Link in 1998 and has spent much of the time since living in and studying Indonesia, the archipelago of 210 million people that stretches across the Indian Ocean between southeast Asia and Australia.

He was on Indonesia's main island of Java on Sept. 11, 2001; the attacks that day helped convince Taylor that the world's most populous Muslim nation is a crucial front in the fight against Islamic extremism.

So far, all the work done by Libforall (a contraction of the phrase "liberty for all") from its headquarters in the North Carolina tobacco town of Winston-Salem has been in Indonesia. But Taylor hopes to soon expand his work to other Muslim nations like Egypt and this fall will begin raising money for the effort. So far, he has spent $250,000 of his own money.

About 80 percent of Indonesians are Muslim. And, while a rash of terror attacks points to some inroads by religious radicals in recent years, most Muslims there practice a broadly tolerant faith strongly tinged with remnants of Hindu and animist rituals, which predate Islam in the archipelago.

Taylor wants Libforall to quietly boost the profiles of moderate and liberal Islamic leaders who are committed to pluralistic, democratic values, including Indonesian pop star Ahmad Dhani and former President Abdurrahman Wahid, also known as Gus Dur.

At a June news conference and ceremony, Wahid and Taylor presented the "Libforall Award" to members of Dhani's band Dewa, citing their "outstanding contribution to world peace, by communicating the values of spiritual love, freedom and tolerance to millions of listeners." The celebrity-driven event was widely covered in the Indonesian media.

In late July, an influential group of conservative clerics issued a series of edicts banning "liberal Islamic thought," as well as pluralism and secularism. The statements, or fatwas, issued by the Indonesian Ulema Council were condemned within days by Wahid and other religious leaders who gathered under the banner "Alliance Toward a Civil Society" — an event a Libforall staffer helped organize.

Other Libforall strategies include funding academics who study and promote moderate Islam and underwriting scholarships for children to attend schools that teach pluralistic values — a counter to the Saudi-funded religious schools that are common in Indonesia.

Whether aid from an idealistic American will help or hinder moderate and liberal Indonesian Muslims is unclear.

Donald Emmerson, director of Stanford University's Institute for International Studies and an expert on Indonesia, said the nation's conflict reflects a larger struggle within Islam.

"I'm frankly torn" about Libforall's involvement, he said. "(Colleagues) of mine would undoubtedly point ... to the risks of what appears to be an American intervention in a very sensitive topic."

Emmerson doesn't share that pessimism: "Liberal or moderate Islam already has a footprint in Indonesia," he said.

Robert Hefner, an Indonesia expert at Boston University, sees activism like Taylor's as a potential antidote to negative views of America held in Indonesia, where many believe U.S. foreign policy does not reflect a commitment to democratic values.

"Individual Americans (like Taylor) can certainly help to correct this," Hefner said in an e-mail interview.

Taylor's passion for religious pluralism is part of his heritage; he is descended from Moravians, German Protestants who came to central North Carolina in the 18th century in search of religious freedom. Taylor grew up in Europe and Asia as his father, an Army lawyer, rotated through assignments.

After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Taylor was active in conservative causes. He co-authored "The Prosperity Handbook," a 1984 guide designed to explain conservative economic principles to the average American. The publication was bankrolled by Bernard Oliver, founder of Hewlett-Packard's HP Labs.

In the 1990s, Taylor was president and then chief executive officer of USA Global Link, which sold foreign callers inexpensive dial tones the company purchased in bulk from mainline U.S. carriers, allowing callers to bypass their home country's expensive telecom monopolies. His first visit to Indonesia was on business, prior to Indonesian telephone provider PT IndoSat's purchase of a stake in USA Global Link.

Taylor left USA Global Link in 1998, moving to Indonesia the following year to study its traditional culture. He was attracted, he said, by the intermingling of Hindu, Buddhist and Islamic traditions in the mystical Sufi strand of Islam.

Indonesian Sufis often use meditation in an effort to achieve a direct, personal experience of God — an idea that appeals to Taylor.

"Meditation and spirituality are the bedrock of my inner life and serve as my deep connection with Sufi Muslims," he said. Dhani identifies himself as a Sufi, Taylor said, and he believes Wahid enjoys a deep spiritual and philosophical connection to the tradition.

Taylor believes "Javanese Islam ... holds the key to victory in the war on religious terrorism" — a fact he said is also recognized by Saudi Arabian backers of Wahhabism, a "purified" form of Islam rooted in hard-line beliefs and violence against perceived enemies of the religion.

Making Indonesia a base for jihad is "high on the agenda of the Wahhabi," who have spent billions of dollars promoting radical Islamism, Taylor said.

Taylor sees a parallel between his work with USA Global Link and his present work with Libforall.

"What we did then was liberate telecom users around the world with a different model" that took advantage of existing networks, he said. "I want to take what I've learned in my previous exploration ... and apply that to the biggest threat facing global society today."

___

On the Web:

Libforall Foundation: http://www.libforall.org


___

September 3, 2005 - 2:10 p.m. Copyright 2005, The Associated Press. The information contained in the AP Online news report may not be published, broadcast or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

I'm so sick of FPI. Those guys are nothing more then thugs, we do people give them any recognizition. The only recognizition those guys should receive is from the police for being a criminal organization.

I'm so sick of FPI. Those guys are nothing more then thugs, we do people give them any recognizition. The only recognizition those guys should receive is from the police for being a criminal organization.

yeah. Funny how they admitted to closing down the churches (even if by so-called "consensus"), as they had no right to do that (only the police had the right) and therefore deserve to be dealt with according to the law. They seem to have no respect for the law, and I think it's inappropriate how they do these things in the name of religion cos its just wrong (though I guess it serves its purpose - deterring the authorities from arresting them).

yeah. Funny how they admitted to closing down the churches (even if by so-called "consensus"), as they had no right to do that (only the police had the right) and therefore deserve to be dealt with according to the law. They seem to have no respect for the law, and I think it's inappropriate how they do these things in the name of religion cos its just wrong (though I guess it serves its purpose - deterring the authorities from arresting them).

I'm very worried about the long term effect of the lawlessness. As much I despite FPI, what Gus Dur is suggesting to do is also not acceptable. Last thing we need is a gang warfare. I'm scared about what would happen if the FPI and Gus Dur's group come face to face.

I think we need a total reformation of the police culture. Right now, I see the police as either corrupt or scared.

I wouldn't consider Pakistan a very good example of a civil society. Well, I won't throw around any accusations, but the legal situation Hindus and Christians often face is quite bad.


I wouldn't either ...
I wouldn't also see USA as a good civil society ....
In moslem term .. a good civil society is called ... Masyarakat Madani ...
or Madani Society ....

It happened when The prophet Muhammad ( pbuh ) is moving from Mecca to Madina.
The Madina society concist of variety of society ... muslim, jewish, christian ...
During that time .... they work and live together ....
Respect each other ......
Respect each other way of live
respect each other religion ...

to comment on your "but the legal situation Hindus and Christians often face is quite bad"
Thera are people that doing mis conduct of certain thing ....
I believe .. it happen also in USA .... with the afro-american citizen ...
[ the fresh example is how they treat the victim of hurricane katrina there .... ] ......
It sometime happens ... but you cannot blame on the system ... you should blame on the one who did the misconduct ....

The thing is .... there are some countries ... who force to accept the value of democracy using their "spectacles" ....
while democracy is basic value of live .... the implementation is different referring to the local culture and civilization ....

I notice ... Almost posting in this thread ... is judging one part of civilization rather than ... having a constructive discussion ....

Why do you always throw .... sound tendencius ... news ....
while the oppinion from the other side ... is not presented here ...

It is just not fair ...

I don't recall ever saying the US was a good example of civil society either. If I did say that, please let me know. It seems like you are arguing with what you thought I was implying rather than what I said. I would say the best example of a model society on this planet that I know of would be in Norway and Sweden. The UN has repeatedly said these two countries have the best living standards in the world as well as the most competitive economies in the world.

I also only post news stories from major media outlets such as Reuters, the BBC, AP, and the IHT. Those are the news websites I frequent. Because I don't visit Muslim news websites I do not post stories from them. It's not any bias, I am only posting news stories.

I don't recall ever saying the US was a good example of civil society either. If I did say that, please let me know. It seems like you are arguing with what you thought I was implying rather than what I said. I would say the best example of a model society on this planet that I know of would be in Norway and Sweden. The UN has repeatedly said these two countries have the best living standards in the world as well as the most competitive economies in the world.

I also only post news stories from major media outlets such as Reuters, the BBC, AP, and the IHT. Those are the news websites I frequent. Because I don't visit Muslim news websites I do not post stories from them. It's not any bias, I am only posting news stories.

No .. You did not say US is a good example.
It is my statement that saying US was not a good example.

The thing with your posts on this thread are from one sides ....
Will all my respect ...
I like your economic and politic postings ..
We are all here care about Indonesia ...
I think our goals are the same ... to make Indonesia better.

when you select specific stories ... which you selected from those news agency .... most of moslem see that those news agency "belongs" to one side of the story .... they have the same languages ... with the same melody ...
and you are not excert the same story from the other side.

Maybe you know the term in Marketing ...

"lies" story that is presented in a thousand times in a thousand occasions .. will become "real" story.

Another practise is ... if you put 100 sentences ... which most of them are correct. then you take 2 sentences .... and change them into "made up sentences" that are wrong. .......

People will thought that .. those 2 sentences are also right ...

what if these 2 sentences read by ... the whole internet ...
they will be a wrong factual ? which believed to be right by most people.
are willing to take responsibility of that ? .. spreading something that are not true ?

Liberalisme Agama Tak Mungkin Terjadi Terhadap Agama Wahyu
Maryadi - detikcom

Jakarta - Liberalisme agama tidak mungkin terjadi terhadap agama yang memiliki kitab suci berdasarkan wahyu. Liberalisme agama hanya mungkin untuk agama yang tidak mendasarkan kekuatan pada kitab suci karena tidak mampu menjamin serta mempertanggungjawabkan otentisitas kitab suci mereka.

Kemajemukan dan keagamaan merupakan keniscayaan di muka bumi. "Dan, saya berpendapat kemajemukan dan keagamaan adalah sunnatullah karena Allah menciptakan manusia dalam keberagaman atas dasar bangsa, suku, ras, dan agama. Al-Quran juga menyebutkan agama-agama," kata Ketua Umum Pimpinan Pusat Muhammadiyah Din Syamsuddin saat memberikan ceramah di depan peserta Muktamar XIII Persatuan Islam (Persis) di Asrama Haji Pondok Gede, Jakarta, Sabtu (3/8/2005). Muktamar berlangsung dari tanggal 3 hingga 5 September nanti.

Tetapi, lanjut Din, wacana pluralisme keagamaan yang berkembang dewasa ini telah menyeleweng karena dibelokkan ke arah sinkretisme agama atau pencampuradukan perbedaan agama-agama dan satu persamaan. Padahal, setiap agama memiliki perbedaan yang kalau dileburkan dalam satu persamaan dapat menumbuhkan anggapan dan pandangan bahwa semua agama sama-sama benar karena menuju Tuhan yang sama. "Hanya penamaan yang berbeda, sehingga kebenaran agama menjadi bersifat relatif," ujar Din.

Sinkretisme dan relativisme, tekan Din, tidak sesuai dengan akal pikiran sehingga sangat berbahaya karena justru bertentangan dengan hak asasi manusia. Inilah yang dikritik para ulama yang kemudian difatwakan lewat Majelis Ulama Indonesia. "Pluralisme yang dibelokkan kepada sinretisme dan relativisme bertentangan dengan ajaran agama Islam. Bukankan kita hidup dalam keragaman yang koeksistensi."

Ditambahkan, terhadap pihak umat Islam yang mengembangkan pemahaman dan pemikiran seperti ini kemudian dikategorisasi pihak-pihak yang luar dengan sebutan semisal Islam liberal. Tetapi, labelisasi tersebut malah kerap menimbulkan masalah karena tidak sesuai fakta.

Liberalisme agama, sambung Wakil Ketua Umum Majelis Ulama Indonesia ini, sesuatu yang tidak mungkin terjadi terutama terhadap agama yang berdasarkan wahyu. Liberalisme agama hanya dapat digunakan oleh agama yang tidak mempunyai kekuatan ajaran pada kitab suci karena mereka tidak bisa menjamin dan mempertanggungjawabkan otentisitas kitab suci mereka.

Untuk agama yang seperti ini, umat hanya menjadikan kitab suci sebagai sumber inspirasi sehingga mereka pun berusaha mengembangkan paham-paham keagamaan secara bebas atau liberal tanpa pernah mau mengakui ketidak-otentikan kitab suci mereka. "Paham-paham ini tidak lagi kitabi tetapi berdasarkan pada theologi dan filsafat," ujarnya.

Berbeda dengan umat Islam yang masih mempunyai Al Quran yang secara historis, akademis, dan substantif terjamin dan terpertanggungjawabkan keotentisitasannya. Kaum orientalis senantiasa gagal mencari titik lemah agama Islam dalam sejarah pertumbuhan, perkembangan, dan penyebarannya. "Oleh karena itu, tidak ada alasan mengembangkan pikiran yang meninggalkan traktat Al Quran dan Al Hadits," utur Din.

Kata Din, kalangan yang menyebut diri Islam liberal secara akademik cenderung meninggalkan Al Quran dan Al Hadits. Mereka antara lain mengemukakan beberapa tesis seperti bahwa agama hanyalah organisme hidup yang menumbuh dan berkembang menyesuaikan diri dengan perkembangan zaman. "Terhadap gejala seperti ini, tidak perlu digubris karena menghabiskan energi dan membuang waktu karena masih ada tugas-tugas dakwah kultural yang lebih berat dan luas," tukas Din. (mar)

Susilo: Freedom of worship guaranteed


The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono stressed on Sunday that the state guaranteed every citizen religious freedom and called on the police and members of the public to act to prevent violence against any faith.

The President, according to his spokesman Andi Mallarangeng, has ordered Minister of Religious Affairs M. Maftuh Basyuni and heads of local administrations to quickly find a solution to the closure of Christian houses of worship.

"The President called on them to find the right solution, with the principle that the state and the Constitution guarantee the freedom to worship," Andi said in a statement.

The President made the comments after Muslim hard-line groups to forcefully close at least 23 churches in a number of cities in West Java and Banten on the grounds that they were operating illegally.

Thousands of Christians and a number of leading Muslim figures, including former president Abdurrahman Wahid, rallied on Saturday to protest the closures.

Some Christians have also called on the government to revoke a 1969 ministerial decree issued jointly by the ministries of religious and home affairs that requires local public leaders to approve the construction of non-Muslim houses of worship.

The President, nevertheless, said that the government would not hastily revoke the joint ministerial decree. But he agreed that the decree needed some changes.

To prevent conflict, Susilo said, real estate developers would be required to build houses of worship for people living in housing complexes.

The President also expressed alarm over violence committed by hard-line groups against followers of other sects or other faiths.

"SBY also calls on any organization or community not to take the law into their hands on this issue of worship," Andi said.

"The National Police chief (Gen. Sutanto) is instructed to uphold the law against any perpetrators of violence, including the instigators."

Some Muslim hard-line groups recently attacked the premises of the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect after the Indonesian Ulema Council issued a fatwa against the group, calling it illegitimate. No one has been prosecuted for the violence committed against the sect.

www.parasindonesia.com

the replacement of laksamana.net - with new establishment on blogging. Excellent essays - some in English, some in Indonesian.

What I Did This Summer
Except for that leech, Indonesia was a great place

By Emily Williams
TEEN PAGE REPORTER

Some people get cars when they graduate from high school. Others get trips to Europe, and others are just happy to graduate. While I definitely fall into the last category, my graduation present was the opportunity to go with my dad to Indonesia during one of his yearly trips. Even though I was excited, I was uncomfortable with the idea of spending two weeks in another country. But my dad assured me that it would be a chance to "broaden my mind" and "become more appreciative of other cultures."

It takes 36 hours to get to Indonesia (25 of those are in the air). The best thing about traveling for two days is the service you get, especially in business class. The worst part is having motion sickness for two days. I believe there is a particularly horrible picture of me looking slightly green while we were somewhere over Malaysia.

I could write a book about my trip to Indonesia, but I have distilled my thoughts into snapshots of my impressions.

Indonesians are not terrorists. They are small, quiet people who seem to smile all the time, are eager to speak English and wish that more Americans would visit their country.

The real terror of Indonesia is the traffic. During our two-hour, 40-mile journey from Jakarta to the nearby city of Bogor, I noticed that Indonesians use the entire road (even places not designed for driving). Traffic laws are just a suggestion here, and there were near-misses that left me gripping the dashboard.

Traveling to my first jungle experience was an adventure in itself. Halimun National Park is about three hours away from Bogor. No matter where we were, the streets were filled with kids going to school in uniforms (different colors for elementary, middle and high school). As we approached Halimun Park, the road became smaller and bumpier. Actually the road consisted of boulders, which, while rearranging our insides, helped us stay on the road when monsoon-like rains threatened to sweep us away. Vegetation began to creep closer to the car as we entered the forest, where sunlight gave way to darkness. At the ranger station we were met by a scientist from Bogor Agricultural University, and by a forest ranger named Momo.

It rains a lot in a rain forest. The first afternoon we were there we went on a hike. Within five minutes every piece of clothing on my body was soaked. The soaking was worth it because of the scenery. Words cannot describe how green everything was around us. And then there were the animals.

I did not appreciate all the jungle animals, but some were amazing.

During this walk I met my most favorite and least favorite jungle creatures. While hiking a six-mile loop trail, we heard branches crashing in the canopy. A few gibbons came into view. It was amazing to watch them swing in the trees with the grace of professional athletes. While swinging, one missed his branch and dropped about 20 meters in a complete free fall. It left me wondering if suicide is common in the monkey world. But he caught a lower branch and kept swinging.

While I was occupied with the gibbons, another jungle creature was occupied with me.

After hiking out of the jungle I realized that my socks were covered with blood - my blood. Momo said that there was nothing to worry about, it was "only leeches." The idea of a blood-sucking slug on my leg freaked me out. I jumped up and down and shrieked in terror, much to the amusement of Momo.

For anyone traveling to the rain forest in the near future, remember this: Leeches can live in the water, on leaves and in trees. They are also very good at burrowing through socks. If you don't feel like donating blood to the forest, wear some sort of anti-bug repellant and rubber boots - or perhaps a rubber suit.

After three days in Halimun we traveled back to Bogor, checked into a nice hotel with HBO and a minibar, took a shower, had a cold drink and ate chocolate.

There are malls in Indonesia - but they are a bit different from Hanes Mall. While visiting a mall in Jakarta, searching for jewelry, I noticed the number of women who wore covers on their heads. I had always felt a sort of pity for Muslim women who were "forced" to cover themselves up.

But after going to the mall, I realized that the clothing is beautiful, and most head cloths are fashioned to coordinate with outfits and express individual style. We also visited the food court, which offered fish, soto (soup) and fruit shops instead of our usual hamburger, pizza and hot dog fare.

My second jungle experience was just as interesting as the first. We flew to the Island of Sulawasi to stay in a fishing village. After one night's rest we had a breakfast of rice and fish. Then we headed off with Sarroyo (a forestry student) and our local guide Jemi. Soon, we tracked down a group of Sulawesi black monkeys. Sarroyo heard the monkeys scolding something in the underbrush. "The monkeys have found a snake" Sarroyo said. He led us to a cluster of branches where we could see an eight-foot reticulated python. These snakes can eat adult monkeys, which is why the monkeys were in such a panic.

It didn't look so dangerous just sitting there, so I petted its tail. It started getting irritated. Not being the Crocodile Hunter, I scurried out of there.

After the snake encounter, we headed back for lunch - fish and rice again. Then we spent the afternoon snorkeling off the nearby black-sand beaches. It was like diving into a tropical fish tank - and it was probably my favorite part of the trip. The only disturbing thing was discovering that the reef fish had been the main course for my past two meals. That night we went to watch the reef fishermen bring in their catch. We bought several brightly colored parrotfish and ate them about an hour later - yep, fish and rice again.

After searching for several days, I finally got a chance to see a rare and endangered monkey. The tarsius is the smallest monkey in the world. It looks like a small squirrel with huge eyes and a long skinny tail. It lives only in certain kinds of trees, and it comes out of those trees only in the evening.

When we got tired of staring at the monkey, I headed down to the beach to talk to Sarroyo and Jemi. A small village is very peaceful at night. Sarroyo asked me if I was afraid that a terrorist was going to drop a bomb on me. I laughed. Terrorism seemed so faraway and alien to that peaceful beach in Sulawesi.

I guess there are criminals in every culture. Unfortunately, criminals often form our opinions of a group of people or a country.

While taking the long trip back to the United States, I thought about these people who live a simple life, but were very happy, peaceful and friendly. Even though they don't have as much money as Americans, they also don't have our complicated life and seem more satisfied with what they have. They also have a quiet dignity that I learned to appreciate.

• Emily Williams is a graduate of West Forsyth High School.

Link to the Story (http://www.journalnow.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=WSJ%2FMGArticle%2FWSJ_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031784867734&path=!living!article&s=1037645509005)

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Her traffic observation is so true. :)

^^ hey, that's a really nice article. I'm ashamed being an Indonesian yet havn't experienced what the author has.

here's an article from current edition of Tempo on the controversy surrounding church closures :
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Sebatang Salib yang Dikunci

KASUS penutupan gereja di sejumlah daerah dalam waktu singkat berkembang menjadi isu nasional. Sidang kabinet terbatas langsung digelar Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. Hasilnya, Surat Keputusan Bersama Dua Menteri perlu ditinjau ulang. Adakah agenda tersembunyi di balik kasus ini?


Seharusnya sore itu akan menjadi acara perpisahan yang mengesankan bagi jemaat gereja di Kampung Sukabirus, Dayeuh Kolot, Bandung, dengan Pendeta Yuyun Noormalia. Masa tugas Yuyun sudah berakhir. Oleh sinode, dia ditarik kembali ke Jakarta. Ruangan disiapkan. Bangku-bangku sudah ditata, dan mimbar telah siap di ruangan. Di dinding, salib suci tergantung rapi.


Tetapi acara itu tak jadi berlangsung. Menjelang sore, Senin dua pekan lalu, rumah yang difungsikan sebagai tempat pribadatan itu didatangi puluhan orang dari Aliansi Gerakan Anti-Pemurtadan (AGAP) dan Barisan Anti-Pemurtadan (BAP). Dikomandani oleh H Muhammad Mu’min, mereka memasuki ruangan menemui Yuyun. ”Jumlah mereka sekitar 50 orang,” ujar Merry Kristiani, seorang pengurus gereja, kepada Tempo pekan lalu.


Tujuan massa teramat jelas. Mereka minta kegiatan peribadatan di rumah itu ditutup. Pihak gereja, yang diwakili 11 orang majelis jemaat, termasuk Yuyun, berusaha memberikan argumentasi. Suasana menegang. Menurut Merry, yang mendengar cerita dari Yuyun, di antara massa sempat ada yang menggebrak meja seraya menggertak, ”Mau damai atau perang?”


Tetapi tak terjadi kekerasan apaapa. Polisi, yang semula diundang guna mengamankan acara perpisahan, kini beralih menjaga pertemuan dadakan itu. Hasilnya, sore itu juga tak boleh lagi ada kegiatan peribadatan di sana. Bahkan acara perpisahan dengan Pendeta Yuyun pun batal. ”Kami lalu hanya melakukan doa bersama,” kata Merry.


Esoknya, penutupan itu ditegaskan oleh Agus Zakia, Camat Dayeuhkolot, dengan menerbitkan sebuah surat keputusan. Hal itu dilakukan setelah digelar pertemuan yang dihadiri musyawarah pimpinan kecamatan (muspika) setempat, perwakilan gereja, warga, dan AGAP. Alasan penutupan, rumah itu tidak dilengkapi izin sesuai dengan Surat Edaran Bupati Bandung No. 4522/1994 tentang Persyaratan Pendirian Rumah Ibadat.


Peristiwa Dayeuh Kolot itu adalah yang kesekian kalinya terjadi di Kota Kembang. Dalam dua pekan terakhir sekurangnya sudah tiga rumah ibadah yang disegel. Selain di Dayeuh Kolot, sebuah rumah ibadah di kawasan Cimahi dan Kompleks Margahayu juga ikut ditutup muspika atas desakan warga.


Komandan AGAP, H. Muhammad Mu’min, mengakui bahwa total ada 23 rumah ibadah yang telah mereka tutup dalam beberapa waktu terakhir. ”Masih banyak lagi yang akan kami tutup,” katanya (lihat Kami Akan Menyandera Pendeta). Pria yang sehari-hari dikenal sebagai dosen di Sekolah Tinggi Ilmu Ekonomi YPKP Bandung ini beralasan, gereja yang mereka tutup telah melanggar SKB Menteri Agama dan Menteri Dalam Negeri Tahun 1969 tentang pendirian rumah ibadah.


Kabar dari Bandung ini menyebar cepat. Semangat menutup rumah ibadah tak berizin lekas menjalar ke berbagai arah. Di Tangerang, Banten, warga RW 11, Kelurahan Larangan Utara, ramai-ramai mendatangi sebuah bangunan yang difungsikan sebagai tempat ibadah umat Kristiani, Minggu pekan lalu.


Menurut Safrudin, Ketua RW 11, mereka mendatangi pengurus gereja di gedung itu dan meminta agar kegiatan peribadatan tak diteruskan. Alasannya, bangunan yang aslinya berupa gedung serbaguna itu disalahgunakan. ”Mestinya mereka menggunakan gedung itu sebagaimana fungsinya,” kata Safrudin. Dia menolak tindakan itu diartikan bahwa mereka telah mencederai kehidupan umat beragama. ”Dalam kejadian hari Minggu itu, kami menunggu sampai kebaktian mereka selesai.”


Masih di pinggiran Jakarta, sebuah rumah kawasan Citeureup, Bogor, juga mengalami nasib serupa. Menurut Ketua Umum Majelis Pekerja Harian Persekutuan Gereja-gereja di Indonesia (PGI), Pendeta Andreas A. Yewangoe, rumah ibadah itu ditutup pada Agustus silam. Sebelumnya, pada April lalu, sebuah rumah ibadah di Garut juga ditutup. Anderas mengungkap hal itu seusai menemui Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, Selasa 23 Agustus lalu.


Istana bereaksi. Senin pekan silam Presiden memanggil Menteri Koordinator Politik, Hukum, dan Keamanan, Widodo A.S., Menteri Agama Maftuh Basyuni, Panglima TNI Jenderal Endriartono Sutarto, Kapolri Jenderal Sutanto, Kepala BIN Sjamsir Siregar, dan Sekretaris Kabinet Sudi Silalahi, untuk sebuah rapat kabinet terbatas. Hasilnya, Presiden meminta agar SKB dua menteri ditinjau kembali.



* * *


SKB yang diteken Menteri Agama K.H. Ahmad Dahlan dan Menteri Dalam Negeri Amir Machmud pada 1969 itu tampaknya dianggap menjadi sumber kericuhan. Inilah sebuah surat keputusan yang mengatur soal penyebaran agama, termasuk perihal pendirian rumah ibadah. Di sana disebutkan bahwa untuk mendirikan rumah ibadah diperlukan izin seorang kepala daerah. Dan jika diperlukan, kepala daerah bisa meminta pertimbangan organisasi-organisasi keagamaan serta ulama atau rohaniwan setempat.


Tidak hanya sekarang. Dari tahun ke tahun isu perlu-tidaknya SKB itu muncul tenggelam sesuai dengan kejadian di masyarakat. Setiap meletup aksi penggerudukan sebuah rumah ibadah, orang pun kembali melirik pada SKB tersebut (lihat Secarik Kertas, Beragam Soal).


Kalangan minoritas menganggap SKB itu tak lagi sesuai dengan perkembangan zaman. Beleid itu dianggap menjadi penghalang kaum minoritas mendirikan rumah ibadah. Menurut Weinata Sairin M.Th., Wakil Sekretaris Umum PGI, sering mereka sulit mendapatkan izin dari warga sekitar saat hendak mendirikan gereja. ”Anda pasti tidak percaya, kami butuh sekitar 20 tahun hingga perizinan keluar,” katanya kepada Mawar Kusuma dari Tempo.


Namun, karena ritus pemujaan terhadap Tuhan tak bisa menunggu, mereka lalu memanfaatkan rumah tinggal, ruko, atau gedung serbaguna sebagai tempat ibadah. Sairin mengakui, dari sekitar 15 rumah ibadah di Jawa Barat yang telah ditutup, baru lima yang sudah berbentuk gereja. Sisanya merupakan gedung serbaguna. ”Setelah ditutup, di mana para jemaat itu bisa beribadah sekarang?”


Tetapi, di sisi lain, penggunaan bangunan nongereja untuk peribadatan acap memercikkan benih curiga: gereja dituding melakukan Kristenisasi terhadap warga sekitar. Apalagi, selain menyelenggarakan kebaktian, pengurus rumah ibadah juga kerap menggelar kegiatan sosial. Mumammad Mu’min mempunyai catatan ribuan warga Bandung sudah murtad kena pengaruh rumah-rumah ibadah. ”Dua ribu kepala keluarga di Pangalengan dan 500 kepala keluarga di Kecamatan Cimenyan, Kabupaten Bandung, sudah murtad,” katanya.


Tidak hanya kalangan minoritas yang setuju peninjauan SKB. Din Sjamsuddin, Ketua Umum PP Muhammadiyah, ikut mengamini langkah Presiden itu. Dia mengusulkan pendekatan hukum dan pendekatan kesepakatan untuk mencegah konflik di sekitar pendirian rumah ibadah. Dia juga meminta agar etika sosial tetap dijaga kalangan pemimpin agama. ”Mendatangkan jemaah dari daerah lain di suatu komunitas umat agama tertentu akan merusak harmoni sosial,” katanya kepada Maria Ulfah dari Tempo.


Sampai di sini SKB dua menteri menjadi teks dengan dua tafsir. Yang satu menganggapnya sebagai penghalang penyebaran agama. Kelompok lain menjadikannya sebagai pegangan untuk beraksi.



* * *


TAPI benarkah rumah ibadah menjadi basis pemurtadan? Pastor Rosbani Setiawan, penanggung jawab rumah ibadah di Margahayu Raya, menepis tudingan itu. Dia bahkan menunjuk penjaga parkir rumah ibadah itu yang muslim dan tak pernah dimintanya pindah agama. Adapun di Gereja Hati Tak Bernoda Santa Perawan Maria—tempat dia beraktivitas sehari-hari—sebagian besar karyawannya juga muslim. ”Sekian puluh tahun bekerja di sini, mereka masih salat. Tidak ada masalah.”


Pastor Setiawan menggunakan rumah ibadah di Margahayu sejak 1986. Sebelumnya, rumah tersebut dibelinya dari Haji Azis, Ketua RT saat itu. Kala membelinya, Pastor mengaku sudah minta izin Azis akan memanfaatkannya untuk pembinaan rohani umat Katolik di sekitar situ. ”Untuk mendapatkan izin dari masyarakat, (bahkan) kami dibantu Pak Azis.” Sejak itulah setiap Sabtu digelar peribadatan di sana.


Namun, Sabtu akhir Agustus silam, rumah ibadah itu ditutup. Saat itu warga sekitar bersama puluhan anggota BAP mendatangi rumah tersebut dan meminta Pastor Setiawan, menghentikan kegiatan peribadatan. Menurut Marjani, ketua keamanan RW setempat, penutupan dilakukan karena warga sudah lama keberatan. Bahkan, kata dia, pengurus rumah ibadah itu pernah ditegur aparat kecamatan. ”Tapi kegiatan jalan terus,” katanya.


Kisah serupa juga tersimpan di rumah ibadah Dayeuh Kolot. Rumah yang terletak di permukiman warga itu difungsikan sebagai tempat ibadah dengan nama Gereja Kristen Pasundan sejak 1980. Dulunya tempat itu milik seorang bernama Risa, yang kemudian dibeli gereja. Separuh tempat digunakan sebagai kediaman Pendeta Yuyun, dan selebihnya sebagai tempat ibadah. ”Kami melakukan ritual kebaktian seminggu sekali, itu pun hanya selama dua jam,” tutur Merry.


Pada awal akan digunakan, menurut Merry, proses izin sudah ditandatangani sebagian masyarakat Sukabirus. Namun, katanya, izin itu mentok di meja Ketua RW. Meski demikian, peribadatan tetap mereka lakukan. Merry mengakui, jemaat yang datang bukan hanya penduduk Sukabirus. Dari 200 kepala keluarga jemaat, hanya dua keluarga yang merupakan warga Sukabirus. Sisanya berasal dari Dayeuh Kolot, Cimahi, Ciparay, Banjaran, Palasari, dan Margahayu. Toh, dia mengklaim hubungan Gereja Kristen Pasundan (GKP) dengan warga sekitar baik-baik saja.


Merry bahkan menyatakan beberapa kali gereja dan warga melakukan kegiatan bersama. Dia menunjuk penanganan banjir pada awal tahun ini, dan ketika mereka bahu-mambahu menangani wabah demam berdarah.


Tokoh masyarakat setempat, Kusnadi, membenarkan hal itu. Masyarakat sekitar, katanya, selama ini tak mempermasalahkan kehadiran GKP. Dia malah menanyakan kedatangan AGAP dan BAP yang mengatasnamakan waga. ”Warga Sukabirus mana yang mereka wakili?” katanya.


Sikap warga Sukabirus terbelah. Menurut Ketua RW setempat, Tjetjen Darmanto, pada Juli lalu dia pernah membuat surat edaran yang berisi keberatan warga terhadap GKP. Alasannya, GKP menyalahi aturan SKB dua menteri tentang pendirian rumah ibadah. ”Lebih dari 230 kepala keluarga yang meneken edaran itu,” kata dia. Di sana sekurangnya ada 300 kepala keluarga, dan 90 persen di antaranya muslim.


Menurut Tjetjen, surat itu merupakan yang ketiga, setelah pada 1985 dan 2004 beredar surat serupa. ”Pada dasarnya kami tidak mempermasalahkan keberadaan GKP. Soalnya, kenapa mereka tidak memenuhi aturan SKB,” tanyanya.



* * *


GUMPALAN kekecewaan kini menyesaki dada tokoh-tokoh Kristiani. Selain mendesakkan peninjauan SKB, mereka juga menyimpan ganjalan terhadap aparat keamanan yang dinilai kurang netral. Mantan Ketua Umum PGI, Nathan Setiabudi, menuding aksi penutupan itu direstui oleh aparat keamanan dan pemerintah setempat. ”Ini sangat absurd,” katanya. Menurut dia, yang terjadi dalam aksi penutupan itu adalah pelanggaran ketertiban umum. ”Jadi, polisi harus menertibkan.”


Suasana tegang memang sempat terjadi saat warga dan massa AGAP mendatangi rumah ibadah di Margahayu. Fotografer Tempo, Budiyanto, yang saat itu berada dalam ruangan, melihat sejumlah aparat polisi berjaga-jaga.


Dalam dialog, Pastor Iwan secara halus sempat menolak penutupan. Alasannya, persoalan harus diselesaikan lewat pengadilan. Ini membuat suasana menghangat. Beberapa kali terdengar teriakan takbir dari massa. ”Di sini sudah ada muspika yang berwenang dan juga warga yang menolak gereja. Tak perlu ke pengadilan,” kata massa. Memang, saat itu hadir pula unsur muspika, yakni Camat Margacinta, Kapolsek Margacinta AKP Sugianta, dan sekretaris RW 16.


Belakangan Pastor Iwan akhirnya bersedia meneken surat penutupan gereja. ”Itu pilihan terbaik yang bisa saya ambil dalam situasi yang buruk. Saya memikirkan keselamatan umat saya dan rumah itu,” katanya kepada Tempo.


Kapolres Bandung Timur AKBP Edison Sitorus menyatakan, saat itu polisi memang membiarkan penutupan gereja terjadi. ”Karena bukan AGAP yang meminta penutupan, tapi muspika setempat,” katanya kepada Setiyardi dari Tempo.


Dia merujuk SKB dua menteri yang menyatakan bahwa penutupan merupakan wewenang kepala daerah. ”Anggota saya hanya bertugas mengamankan agar tak terjadi bentrok,” kata Edison. Kapolsek menegaskan, jika yang melakukan penutupan AGAP, dia baru akan bertindak.


Mu’min sendiri menegaskan, AGAP yang dipimpinnya tak pernah melakukan aksi kekerasan. Kelompok yang dipimpinnya sudah memiliki prosedur tetap setiap kali hendak mendatangi rumah ibadah.


Dalam pertemuan antara Pastur Frans Magnis Suseno dan Ketua Front Pembela Islam (FPI) Habib Rizieq pada Sabtu pekan lalu, yang berlangsung sekitar dua jam 30 menit itu di rumah Habib Rizieq, di jalan Petamburan, Jakarta, diungkapkan beberapa persoalan yang terjadi dalam kasus tersebut. ”Masalah intinya adalahnya adanya saling kecurigaan antara pemeluk Islam dan Kristen,” kata Frans Magnis Suseno kepada wartawan usai melakukan pertemuan


FPI sendiri, kata Rizieq, berjanji akan menghormatinya. Bahkan dirinya mengaku kalau aktivisnya di berbagai daerah siap menjaga gereja-gereja sepanjang tidak bermasalah dari sisi perizinannya.


Mengenai SKB, dirinya mempersilahkan pihak agama lain untuk memperjuangkan agar diubah. Namun dirinya juga mengaku punya hak untuk memperjuangkan agar SKB tersebut tetap berlaku.


Kekerasan fisik memang tak terjadi. Tapi teror, intimidasi, dan pelarangan orang beribadah telah meletup di mana-mana—aksi yang dilarang Tuhan dan negara tapi sayangnya dibiarkan aparat keamanan.


Tulus Wijanarko, Ayu Cipta (Tangerang), Endang Purwanti, dan Rana Akbari (Bandung)

Anyway what is the real meaning of "Murtad" or "pemurtadan"?

Anyway what is the real meaning of "Murtad" or "pemurtadan"?

Murtad means a moslem who changes religion. Pemurtadan is the process of murtad.

Pemurtadan means ... converting one realigion to other religion.

Moslem always think .... " Kristenisasi " ....
Kristenisasi here means .. converting moslem to christians

Christian always think .... " Islamisasi " .....
Islamisasi here tends to have the meaning .. of to make Indonesia as an islamic country.

Actually it is stated in SKB ( Surat Keputusan Bersama ) Join Decree of Ministry ...saying that ... influencing to convert religion is forbidden for whom have embrace the religion.

It is ok .. for people usually deep inthe jungle .. who have not embraced any religion ....

We'll spain is not a good example of Good Civil Society also right ?


Muslim Alicante di Spanyol Berduka, Masjid Satu-Satunya di Kota itu Bakal Ditutup
Publikasi: 06/09/2005 15:05 WIB

eramuslim - Warga Muslim di kota Alicante, Spanyol harus menghadapi kenyataan pahit menjelang bulan Ramadhan yang makin dekat tahun ini. Betapa tidak, masjid satu-satunya di kota itu, kemungkinan akan ditutup oleh pemerintah kota setempat setelah menerima keluhan dari warga sekitar.

Untuk sementara ini, warga Muslim Alicante berhasil meyakinkan otoritas pemerintah lokal untuk menunda penutupan masjid tersebut dan menunda keputusan pengadilan atas kasus tersebut. Keputusan penundaan itu tercapai setelah imam masjid melakukan pertemuan dengan pejabat pemerintah kota setempat.

Situs Islamonline menyebutkan, meskipun faktanya masjid tersebut sudah memenuhi semua persyaratan legal dan persyaratan lainnya yang ditetapkan pemerintah kota, namun masjid itu masih menghadapi ancaman penutupan dengan alasan yang tidak jelas.

Penutupan masjid tersebut sebenarnya harus dilakukan awal September mendatang. Namun setelah bernegosiasi, para pejabat pemerintah kota akhirnya menyetujui untuk menunda penutupan itu sebelum dan selama bulan Ramadhan yang diperkirakan akan jatuh pada 3 atau 4 Oktober mendatang.

Dalam pernyataan yang dikirim ke kantor berita Spanyol, EFE, pejabat kota Alicante mengaku sudah mengirimkan surat perintah penutupan pada pengelola masjid. Namun pemuka warga Muslim setempat, Najid Khadim menyatakan belum menerima surat tersebut. Menurutnya, semua surat resmi yang berkaitan dengan pengurus masjid akan ditangani secara hukum oleh seorang pengacara.

Khadim menambahkan, ia tidak mengerti mengapa pemerintah kota memutuskan menutup masjid tersebut. Padahal semua persyaratan sudah dipenuhi, kecuali masalah pintu keluar darurat tambahan yang kabarnya menjadi keberatan warga di lingkungan masjid itu. Mereka juga menuding masjid tersebut sebagai tempat persemaian 'ide-ide ekstrimis' meski warga yang komplain itu tidak bisa menunjukkan bukti atau dokumen yang mendukung tuduhan mereka.

Satu-satunya masjid di kota Alicante berdiri sejak lima tahun yang lalu dan bisa menampung sekitar 500 jamaah. Pada bulan Ramadhan, masjid ini menjadi tempat berkumpulnya warga Muslim untuk menjalankan ibadah dan menyelenggarakan kegiatan budaya selama bulan suci.

Para pejabat pemerintahan kota mengatakan, pihaknya sedang mencari lokasi untuk membangun masjid yang baru dan tidak bermaksud menghalang-halangi warga Muslim untuk menjalankan ibadahnya. Koran lokal di Spanyol bahkan memberitakan, akan dibangun sebuah Islamic Center yang megah untuk memenuhi kebutuhan warga minoritas Muslim di kota Alicante yang kebanyakan Muslim asal Maroko dan Aljazair.

Di Spanyol, pendirian dan pengoperasian rumah ibadah tidak perlu memiliki izin tertulis. Namun kenyataannya, warga Muslim di sejumlah kota di Spanyol selalui menemui kesulitan untuk membangun masjid bahkan untuk menunjukkan identitas mereka sebagai Muslim. Kondisi ini makin buruk saat terjadi peristiwa ledakan bom di sebuah kereta di Madrid pada Maret 2004 lalu.

Di Seville, proyek pembangunan masjid agung terpaksa dihentikan setelah warga sekitar menyatakan keberatan. Protes anti pembangunan masjid di Seville bahkan sudah sampai pada tahap yang ekstrim, dengan melemparkan kepala babi ke lokasi pembangunan masjid tersebut. (ln/iol)

Pemurtadan means ... converting one realigion to other religion.

Moslem always think .... " Kristenisasi " ....
Kristenisasi here means .. converting moslem to christians

Christian always think .... " Islamisasi " .....
Islamisasi here tends to have the meaning .. of to make Indonesia as an islamic country.

Actually it is stated in SKB ( Surat Keputusan Bersama ) Join Decree of Ministry ...saying that ... influencing to convert religion is forbidden for whom have embrace the religion.

It is ok .. for people usually deep inthe jungle .. who have not embraced any religion ....


Does it sounds like againts freedom of expression, this SKB thing? I beleive "to choose or not to choose religion" is one of the human rights, even when ppl convert from one religion to the other, it is part of human rights. or perhaps I have lived too long in the Netherlands :bash:

I myself is not a fan of this religion thinggies but it's so sad that Christian and Moslem always fight against each other in all over the world, even on this forum. :sleepy:

Does it sounds like againts freedom of expression, this SKB thing? I beleive "to choose or not to choose religion" is one of the human rights, even when ppl convert from one religion to the other, it is part of human rights. or perhaps I have lived too long in the Netherlands :bash:

I myself is not a fan of this religion thinggies but it's so sad that Christian and Moslem always fight against each other in all over the world, even on this forum. :sleepy:

In Indonesia .. the first principle of live is ... " Ketuhanan Yang Maha Esa" meaning .. believe in one supreme god. So for non-believer is forbidden in Indonesia. And in fact there are also non-believer in Indonesia .... It is their freedom, but they usually put one of the religion in their ID card whether it is Islam, Kristen, Katolik, Hindu or Budha. Coz .. people will say you are crazy if you don't believe in God :-)

No .. wS .. we are not fighting .. :-) ... just a brotherhood little argument ... he he he

Can we put 'KEPERCAYAAN' for religion in the ID card?

I don't even think that religion should be put on one's ID card. The reasoning is simple, an ID card helps to identify a person. Now, what is exactly the use of knowing someone's religion to identify that person? It's not like height or blood type which you carry your whole life. Besides, someone can always change his/her religion (at least on the ID) at will, so what is the point of putting them on ID cards? In a society like Indonesia where it is getting progressively difficult for members of the society - yes, that includes all of us- to tolerate differences, that is only going to help alienate minorities. Shame on us, I mean it.

Just want to say my two cents, this whole conversion of religion thing isn't hard to solve, the solution is just don't be too busybody. Let everyone practice his/her own faith, no matter what it is, or even if he/she holds no faith in any religion. Faith is not something you can confer to others in an instant, nor is it something that can be obtained instantly as well. It is a spiritual journey for EVERY individual. Let that person walk his/her own path in life, and may he find the one faith that he hold to be true.

Nicely put. I absolutely agree.

I agree, religious belief should not be a part of our KTP. It's a private matter.

Can we put 'KEPERCAYAAN' for religion in the ID card?

No .. people from kepercayaan usually choose one of those five acknowledged religion to be put on the KTP

http://www.kompas.com/utama/news/0509/09/193600.htm

It took the FPI a long time to exploit this legal loophole, and now they are doing it everywhere. Now SBY has to deal with the possibility of massive social unrest rather than improving the lives of the people he leads.

---

Christians hold services on streets as churches blocked

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Around 500 Christians from two churches in the Jati Mulya housing complex in Bekasi, West Java, were forced to conduct Sunday services on the streets after a group of people blocked their way into their respective churches.

Former chairman of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) Nathan Setiabudi said persons claiming to be members of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) have blocked roads into HKBP and Gekindo churches since Saturday, forcing congregation members to conduct their Sunday services on the street in front of the churches.

"Both churches have a total membership of around 800. As most of them have agreed to have Sunday services no matter what happens, Protestant ministers decided to hold their services on streets," he told The Jakarta Post on Sunday.

Nathan said some congregation members decided to go home to avoid clashes.

"Although both the churches do not have permits, they have been there for 15 years. They want to get a permit but can't get it even after 15 years of requesting," he said.

He added that no violence occurred during the blockade or service as a group of police officers from Bekasi were in attendance.

Bekasi deputy police chief Adj. Comr. Ritonga said that his office had deployed around 100 officers to secure the situation.

"Right now, representatives from both sides are discussing how to end the conflict," he said.

Meanwhile, Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. Tjiptono said that as long as no violence or destruction of property, the police would not interfere and would only monitor the situation.

He said that they could not remove the blockade because not only did both churches have no required permit but also they wanted to avoid provoking the blockaders.

Many churches in Bandung and Jakarta have been closed forcefully by hard-line Muslim groups, including the FPI and the Anti-Apostasy Movement Alliance (AGAP).

Earlier, PGI leader Andreas A. Yewangoe complained to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about the closure of 23 churches in Bandung by hard-line groups since September 2004.

Christians in the country have called for the revocation of a 1969 joint ministerial decree, which requires that congregations wishing to build a church obtain a permit from the head of local administration and seek permission from local residents.

With Indonesia being predominantly Muslim, minority Christians often have difficulties in building churches, and instead use houses, shop-houses or hotels to hold services.

Jafar Sidiq of FPI said on Sunday that the FPI and local people in Bekasi had never closed down churches, but only private houses that had been turned into worship places.

"I believe that my friends in Bekasi would never close down churches. But if a private house was turned into a place of worship then it has violated the ministerial decree. I think everyone should obey the regulations," he told the Post.

oo.. that's so sad.. hope they get a new place to pray,,

Ahmadiyah mosques destroyed in attack

Yuli Tri Suwarni, The Jakarta Post, Bandung

Hundreds of people in West Java vandalized on Monday night houses, mosques and cars belonging to members of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI), a Muslim group whose teachings differ from the central tenets of Islam.

No casualties nor injuries were reported in the attack.

West Java Police said on Tuesday the vandalism had been localized to Campaka district in Cianjur regency, some 100 kilometers southeast of Jakarta, which is home to hundreds of Ahmadiyah followers.

The attackers, mostly from the neighborhood and the nearby Darul Rahman Islamic boarding school, destroyed or damaged four mosques, 33 houses and four Islamic schools, and set fire to three cars.

The mob of Muslims dispersed after the 90 minute attack at around 9 p.m.

West Java Police chief Insp. Gen. Edi Darnadi said the Cianjur Police had arrested 48 people in relation to the attack.

Five of them, he said, had been declared suspects. They have been identified as Deni Hidayat, 35, Yopi Suhendar, 32, M. Yohadi, 35, Dani Hamdani, 27 and Nurdin, 22.

Darul Rahman boarding school head Muhammad Hardian Nawawi, who is believed to have led the attack, is being questioned by the Cianjur Police.

The attack was the latest against Ahmadiyah, which has been branded a heretical group by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) through its fatwa issued recently.

In 1984, the Ministry of Religious Affairs issued a circular to provincial offices across the country, declaring that Ahmadiyah was misleading and against Islam.

The group believes that another prophet, its founder Mirza Ghulam Ahmad, came after Muhammad, the last prophet of God in Islam.

In July, thousands of people attacked the Ahmadiyah compound in Parung, Bogor, West Java, in a protest against the group's teachings.

The attack was condemned by Muslim organizations and leaders, who said that faith differences must not be resolved with violence.

However, nobody was arrested for the Parung violence.

Ahmadiyah has existed as an organization since 1953 and now has about 200,000 members.

The West Java Police chief said the Cianjur authorities had been slow to settle the conflict between Ahmadiyah and local residents, which he said had caused accumulated rage and destruction.

West Java Police chief of detectives Sr. Comr. Ahmad Abdi said the Cianjur administration had met on Sept. 5 with local residents and Ahmadiyah leaders.

During the talks, the Ahmadis had been told to halt their activities but had ignored the demand.

"Despite the MUI's fatwa against Ahmadiyah, the attack was a punishable crime -- and punishment was needed to avoid similar attacks in the future," Abdi said.

Meanwhile, West Java Governor Danny Setiawan appealed for tolerance and restraint for the course of the police's investigation.

As of Tuesday evening, Ahmadiyah's West Java leader, Abdul Wahab, could not be reached for comment.

On the same subject, looks like the FPI is really flexing its muscles around Indonesia.

---

Building of church halted despite permit

Abdul Khalik, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Two weeks after a group of people blockaded two places of worship in Jati Mulya, Bekasi, West Java, about 400 people stopped the construction of the Graha Bintang Timur church in Cikarang, Bekasi, on Monday.

Members of the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), the Ansor Youth Movement and the Indigenous Youth Movement blocked off the church and hung banners demanding the construction be stopped.

They also demanded that Bekasi Regent Saleh Manaf revoke the permit he issued for the construction of the church.

The secretary of the Bekasi regency administration, Herry Koesaeri, said the construction work would be suspended to allow the parties involved in the conflict to discuss the issue.

"The regent has issued a permit for the construction of the church. So, they cannot just stop the construction of the building without discussing it with the related parties. The administration, the people from the church and the Muslim groups are trying to find a solution to the problem," he told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.

He said the church had tried for four years to get a building permit before the regent granted it recently.

It is not clear if the church secured approval from the people living near the site for its construction, as required by a joint ministerial decree issued in 1969.

With Muslims making up some 85 percent of the country's population, non-Muslims have long seen the decree as a major stumbling block to building places of worship.

The secretary of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) in Bekasi, Hotman Hutasoit, said the PGI had asked the regency council and the regent for construction to be allowed to proceed because the church had already secured a building permit.

"We will continue fighting for the resumption of construction because the regent has issued a permit. There is no reason to stop construction," he told The Jakarta Post.

This was the second such incident involving churches in Bekasi in the last two weeks.

About 500 members of the HKBP and Gekindo churches in the Jati Mulya housing complex were forced to hold Sunday services on the street two weeks ago after FPI members prevented them from entering the churches.

After several days of discussions, local residents insisted that the 13-year-old places of worship had to be moved because neither church had a permit from local authorities.

Local authorities said they were looking for new locations for the churches.

Several churches in Bandung and Jakarta have also been closed down by hard-line Muslim groups, including FPI and the Anti-Apostasy Movement Alliance.

PGI leader Andreas A. Yewangoe earlier complained to President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono about the closure of 23 churches in Bandung since September 2004.

Christians see the 1969 ministerial decree as the root of the problem.

The decree requires congregations wishing to build a house of worship to obtain a permit from the head of the local administration and to seek permission from local residents for the construction.

Recently, the government announced that the decree would be replaced by a new joint decree from the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Religious Affairs.

^^ that's outrageous...an affront to principle of freedom of religion in the country :bash:

These 'muslims' are becoming an embarrasment to muslim and Indonesian all over. The government has got to do something about this! These zealot idiots won't stop! Their leaders must be arrested. I am so ashamed of being an Indonesian because of this!!!!!!!!!

I think its time for UN to intervene in these issues, I dont mind all nation in the world intervening this issues, the problem is becoming a serious issue in west java. I feel sorry for that church development, our church just finished a weeknight donation to that church and now..the development has to be stopped despite the church already have the permit...what a shame!

cheers

Art featuring near-nude pulled from Jakarta exhibition
Fri Sep 23,10:06 AM ET



JAKARTA (AFP) - A Jakarta art exhibition has withdrawn a work depicting a nearly-nude male actor amid controversy in local tabloid media and a complaint to police by Muslim hardliners, reports said.

ADVERTISEMENT

The work was not on display when an AFP correspondent visited the Jakarta biennial of contemporary art Friday.

The creation by artist Agus Suwage and photographer Davy Linggar, featuring an actor named Anjasmara, has been replaced after it became a hot topic in tabloid publications, the Kompas newspaper website said.

Press reports quoted the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), a hardline Islamic group, as calling the work pornography and said they had complained to police.

FPI has in the past vandalized night clubs.

Kompas reported that the artists made two works, one of which depicted Anjasmara in a forest bare-chested but with his genitals covered by a white sphere.

A second work showed Anjasmara and a female model in a garden. The FPI said it depicted Adam and Eve, newspapers reported.

"This incident is truly beyond expectations. Apparently, people aren't ready to appreciate" such works, Linggar was quoted by Kompas as saying.

Most of Indonesia's 220 million people follow a moderate brand of Islam.

FPI lagi, FPI lagi.

When will we treat these premans like the thugs that they are?

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a244/shillouette2/Anjasmara.jpg

oouuppss sorry for the wrong pics

:D:D

http://img378.imageshack.us/img378/3356/image2639hh.jpg

http://img375.imageshack.us/img375/7043/image2621qb.jpg

^^ u know, at least the pictures were censored...

how were the pics when they were displayed at the exhibition?
are they censored also lidat?

Hmm, I guess I see people's problems with the pictures.

This is also a form of terrorism which should be eliminated..
--------------------------------------------------------------------


Churches forced to close
in Indonesia
'Religious persecution … is both systemic and systematic'

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted: October 5, 2005
1:00 a.m. Eastern



© 2005 WorldNetDaily.com

More and more churches in Indonesia are being forced to close as a campaign against minority Christians intensifies in the world's largest Muslim nation.

According to Christian Freedom International, a group that helps persecuted believers around the world, being a Christian in Indonesia is getting more difficult.


Said the group's president, Jim Jacobson: "Religious persecution targeting minority Christians in Indonesia, particularly in West Java, is both systemic and systematic."

Jacobson conducted a fact-finding mission to Indonesia last month, visiting numerous forcibly closed churches in West Java.

CFI says a radical Islamic group, AGAP, or Aliansi Gerakan Ant Pemurtadan, which translated means Anti-Apostasy Alliance Movement, is responsible for much of the persecution. Christian Freedom International is urging Indonesia's Muslim government to allow religious freedom and intervene to stop the forced shutdown of churches by AGAP.

Said Jacobson in a statement: "AGAP has a mission to close churches and basically eradicate Christianity in Indonesia. They use fear, intimidation, threats and obscure government regulations, in cooperation with local officials, to accomplish their goal."

CFI quotes one Indonesian Christian, Jacob, telling the story of one church closure:


I was cleaning up after the 5 p.m. worship service. AGAP came through the doors. These were not our neighbors; they were from the outside. More than 50 of them came into the church, wearing masks and carrying swords and backpacks of stones. I was so afraid.
They were very angry. They were shouting, "Allah Akbar!" I went out to call for help from the neighbors and call the police to come. The police came but did nothing.

The AGAP came in around 10 p.m. They left at 3 a.m. the next morning. They said this is the last time you can worship here. They said we must not worship here again.

At least 35 churches in Bandung and neighboring regions have had been closed by Islamic mobs during the past 12 months alone, CFI reported.

Christian Freedom International is urging Indonesia's Muslim government to allow religious freedom and intervene to stop the forced shutdown of churches by AGAP.
SBY's administration is not a Muslim government. Is as rediculous as saying the Tony Blair's government is a Christian government.

Back to the story. I agree, AGAP must held accountable for their actions.

wtf...that's crazy!!

wtf...that's crazy!!

agree!!!!!!! :( :( :(

Where's the police? Do we even need a police force since these thugs have become the law?

So many problems. :(

ohmygod.. what would this country be if we all can't get along..... :(:(:(

The government is now revising the SKB (what's english word for this?) that governs construction of religious building. Draft is ready and being discussed between government --in this case Dept Agama--, religious organizations like GMKI, PMKRI and some public figures especially representing churches.

Good luck, But i dont think it can be realised within 2 or 3 years, maybe take more years than that. For instance, the UU intelijen, they will actually discuss that UU in 2007! yes 2 more years from now despite the bombings...so dont expect BIN can actually do their job perfectly...

cheers

Good luck trying to get DPR to actually sit down and do some work. They're too busy sleeping or going on "comparative study" trips.
:bash: :bash: :bash:

Court 'pimping RI woman'

What a great story Want to marry RI woman? Pay Rp 500m in deposit was, when it appeared in the Oct. 10 edition of The Jakarta Post. While they can't even deal with the multitude of cases of corruption, collusion and nepotism (KKN) in the country, now the Supreme Court has the bright idea that they will control who people marry.

It seems to me that they didn't realize that their existing stupid law is already demonstrably unfair to all Indonesian women who marry foreigners. Now they are planning to charge foreign men US$50,000 just to marry Indonesian woman?

There will be many wives of foriegn men who are quietly thanking God they have already tied the knot because if this new law is put in place, most women will only be "married" to foreign men.

To the Supreme Court: Are you trying to treat women here as commodities? Aren't migrant workers doing the job well enough?

Will a foreign woman also be charged the same price if she wants to marry an Indonesian male; wouldn't this be a great joke?

There is, of course, is a hidden motive behind these plans: Money. It's a great way to make money out of fact that many Indonesian women simply prefer to marry foreign men. Just like a papa-san.

MELANITA, Jakarta
Very very true. Seems that the Supreme court wants to be a pimp.

Is MUI getting desperate?

MUI demands stop to 'pornographic' and mystical television broadcasts

JAKARTA (Antara): The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) demanded on Friday that television stations stop airing 'pornographic' and mystical scenes as they were not educative and even tended to ruin the nation's character, especially amid the fasting month ofRamadhan.

"The media and entertainment industries, especially television stations and production houses, are responsible for the decadence of the nation's morals," MUI chairman Amidhan said.

Amidhan said that television stations had an extraordinary role, replacing those of ulemas, teachers and parents, so that those managing television stations should have the wisdom to nothave a negative impact on the mentality and morals of children and adolescents.

Freedom of expression in arts, he said, should not necessarily be ni contradiction with existing norms in the community or with religious teachings.

Amidhan urged the government and the House of Representatives to speed up deliberation of the pornography bill so as to provide legal certainty on the matter.

He also asked television stations not to exploit religious fiction stories merely for profit, thereby denigrating the glory of religious values. (**)

Bride deposit draws scorn

Hera Diani and Muninggar Saraswati, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

A woman called up The Jakarta Post the other day in a panic after reading a Post article on the proposal for the government to require expatriate men to deposit some Rp 500 million (about US$50,000) before marrying an Indonesian woman.

"My sister's fiance is Dutch. And he said even if he had the money, he'd be better off investing it in a business," said the woman.

The idea was put forward in a recent Supreme Court national working meeting, the highest forum of judges from across the country. Yet, it is still unclear how and when the proposed scheme would be implemented.

A Supreme Court judge, who attended the meeting, said the idea had been floating around for the past few years.

"The judges are concerned about the poor conditions for Indonesian women, particularly when they are separated from their expatriate husbands. The women usually lost custody over their children, who automatically become expatriates, and are left with no money," said the judge who requested anonymity.

He said the judges were also aware that Egypt had implemented a "good law" to protect women.

According to a document from the national meeting, Egypt obliges a non-national to pay 25,000 Egyptian pounds at a state bank before marrying an Egyptian citizen as a bond.

"The money is not for the state, it remains the couples'. Should the mixed couple get divorced, each is entitled to half of it. The amount is only a suggestion, but we think it is appropriate as it is not cheap to raise your own children who happen to be foreign nationals," said the judge.

The scheme has sparked anger among many people in Indonesia, particularly women, who have accused the state of treating women as a commodity.

Others suspect that it is just another form of corruption and an attempt to coerce profit from expatriates.

This would add to the problems faced by mixed couples here, which are rooted in the problematic Law No. 62/1958 on citizenship that has been called discriminatory against women and children.

Dewi Tjakrawinata, an activist with an alliance that groups about 4,000 mixed parents here, said the issue had moved beyond the citizenship law.

"It's about women's dignity and basic rights. Even parents don't have the right to put a price on their daughters. And what about migrant workers married to fellow workers who are certainly not rich?" she said.

Women's activist and legal expert Nursyahbani Katjasungkana said that rather than ask for a deposit, the civil registry office should just remind every couple to make a prenuptial agreement, or transform the function of mahar (dowry) so that it became a form of insurance.

"Don't follow an Arabic country that doesn't give female citizens any independence. If the government aims to protect its female citizens, then it must make a good policy," Nursyahbani -- who is also a legislator from the National Awakening Party -- said in reference to Egypt.

Under the citizenship law, an Indonesian woman, for instance, cannot sponsor her expatriate husband and their children. So if the husband cannot secure work in the country, he must leave, preventing the family from living a normal life.

An Indonesian wife cannot claim her children either if a divorce takes place as children of mixed marriages are automatically given the father's citizenship, nor can she bequeath her wealth to her children.

There is no record of the number of mixed marriages in the country, but in Jakarta alone, at least 300 new mixed marriages are registered every year.

The House of Representatives recently decided to revise the citizenship law. However, the only "progress" in the draft law proposed is that the children of an Indonesian woman and expatriate man may be granted Indonesian citizenship, but only if it is agreed upon in a prenuptial agreement.

http://liputan6.com/files/buser/pic/141005bpornografi.jpg
Liputan6.com, Mojokerto: Maraknya foto bugil Endang Kristi, pemenang ajang Yuk dan Gus Mojokerto 2005 di internet terus membuat heboh. Pose-pose telanjang siswi kelas tiga Sekolah Menengah Atas Negeri di Mojokerto, Jawa Timur, membuat gerah dan resah para gurunya. Itulah sebabnya, pihak sekolah merazia seluruh telepon genggam milik siswa yang masih menyimpan foto-foto telanjang tersebut, Kamis (13/10).

Endang Sulianti, Kepala Sekolah SMAN tersebut menegaskan razia ini dimaksudkan untuk mengantisipasi agar foto-foto seronok itu tidak meluas. "Jika masih ditemukan gambar-gambar telanjangnya, kami minta untuk segera mengapusnya," kata Endang.

Beredarnya foto-foto bugil Endang akhirnya tercium polisi. Endang kemudian diperiksa di Markas Kepolisian Resor Mojokerto. Selain meminta keterangan dari Endang, polisi juga kini tengah mencari pelaku yang memunculkan foto itu ke internet.

Usai diperiksa Endang menampik dirinya telah berpose bugil. Foto itu semata-mata hanya teknik montase. "Foto-foto itu nggak benar. Pokoknya saya tak pernah melakukannya," kata Endang yang datang ke markas polisi didampingi ayahnya Bambang dan pengacaranya Sucahyo Maarif.

Endang malah menduga ada unsur pemerasan dalam kasus ini. Pasalnya, dia telah didatangi tiga pemuda yang meminta uang sebanyak Rp 10 juta agar foto-fotonya tidak disebarkan. Karena permintaannya tidak digubris, akhirnya foto-foto itu tetap beredar di masyarakat. Merasa menjadi bahan pergunjingan, Endang kemudian memutuskan pindah sekolah sejak 10 Oktober silam dan mengikuti neneknya ke Sumatra.(IAN/Bambang Ronggo)

INS

^^
yang mau foto2nya silahkan hubungi saya

:D:D

It turns out the claim that Egypt requires a deposit for foreign men to marry Egyptian women is false.

It turns out the claim that Egypt requires a deposit for foreign men to marry Egyptian women is false.
I've read that too. Looks like the Supreme Court needs to go back to school.

:) or could it be that Indo men are afraid that there will not be any beautiful Indo women left to marry ????

More to do with finding more way for the judges to make money. Guess it's not enough that they're getting bribes from defendents.

Depositing the money is another thing while getting the money BACK from the government is another HUGE thing.

That's one thing I couldn't understand. When will the couple get their money back? After being married for over 5 years? Or will they never get their money back as long as they're married? Either way, the proposal reeks sexism at the worst way. And the person that proposed this legislation has to be sacked, for either being dumb enough not to check if the legislation actually existed in Egypt or for being an outright liar.

Delapan Aktivis FPI Ditangkap
Selasa, 18 Oktober 2005 | 16:40 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta: Sebanyak delapan orang anggota Front Pembela Indonesia (FPI) ditahan Polda Metro Jaya karena terbukti membawa senjata tajam saat berdemo di Polres Metro Jakarta Barat, Selasa (18/10).

Mereka yang ditangkap adalah Haekal, 25 tahun, warga Jakarta Timur; Jafarudin, 20 tahun, warga Gunung Banten Kecamatan Gunung Banten; Tulus, warga Palmerah jakarta Barat; Nano, 18 tahun, warga Depok; Wanto; Soleh, 30 tahun, warga Tangerang; Taufik; Solihin, 25 tahun, warga Sawah Besar.

Barang bukti yang disita sebanyak 10 senjata tajam yakni tombak berujung pisau, pedang, pisau dapur (3), kikir gergaji, celurit (3), dan golok.

"Sekarang masih dalam penyelidikan polisi soal alasan mereka membawa senjata tajam," kata Direktur Reserse dan Kriminal Umum, Komisaris Besar M. Jaelani.

Sekitar 150 orang anggota FPI menuntut polisi bertindak tegas terhadap tempat-tempat hiburan yang dianggap bermaksiat selama Ramadan 2005. Mereka memberi waktu 7 kali 24 jam kepada polisi untuk memenuhi tuntutan itu. Jika tidak, FPI mengancam akan melakukan aksi razia.

Selain tuntutan agar polisi menjaga kesucian bulan Ramadan, polisi diminta untuk menindak tegas premanisme. Salah satunya, FPI menilai, polisi tidak tegas menindak preman terkait peristiwa bentrokan 14 Oktober 2005 di Muara Angke, Kalijodo, Jakarta Barat, antara FPI dan kelompok masyarakat.

Kejadian itu bermula ketika FPI meminta kelompok masyakarat menghentikan konsumsi minuman keras. Peristiwa bentrokan ini menyebabkan 5 anggota FPI menderita luka dan 2 orang kelompok masyarkat mengalami luka.

Mengenai anggota FPI yang ditangkap, Ketua Badan Investigasi DPP FPI, M. Alawi Usman, menyatakan, trauma peristiwa di Kalijodo menyebabkan anak buahnya membawa senjata tajam. Yuliawati

Delapan Aktivis FPI Ditangkap
Selasa, 18 Oktober 2005 | 16:40 WIB


good! I'm moslem but personally I'm sick of them.

8 down, many more to go. If could just arrest the leader.

8 down, many more to go. If could just arrest the leader.

The leader used to be jailed, didn't he?

The leader used to be jailed, didn't he?

I believe he was in prison once. FPI's leadership is closely associated with the Suharto clan, or at least they were.

14 October, 2005
INDONESIA
Islamic extremists attack Catholics reciting rosary

The attack took place on 11 October in a private house. Armed men broke in and threatened to burn the place down if the prayer went ahead. Fears are rising about further violence against Indonesian believers.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) – A group composed of Islamic extremists attacked Catholics praying the rosary on 11 October and threatened to burn down the house they were gathered in. The assailants, who claimed to be part of the Islamic Defender Front (Front Pembela Islam, FPI), invaded the house of one of the Catholic community belonging to the parish of Christ Salvator in western Jakarta.

The men forced the marian prayer to stop immediately, threatening to burn the place down. They forced all those present including the Ketua Lingkungan (informal parish leader - ed. note) to sign a declaration that they will not hold any more rosary gatherings in houses in the area.

The attack has fuelled fears and apprehension among Indonesian Catholics who fear further possible hostile moves from the FPI. The front is also behind the closure of 24 home-churches in western Java.

For Catholics all over the world, including those in Indonesia, October and May are months dedicated especially to the Virgin Mary. In Indonesia, believers manifest their faith by undertaking pilgrimages to the country’s Marian shrines and by reciting the rosary in parishes.

Meeting to recite the rosary together, better known as Doa Rosario Bersama, is usually organised once a week in one of the houses of the community.

Source :
http://www.asianews.it/view.php?l=en&art=4359

I know the NU have threaten to send their members to protect churches. Maybe it's time for them to threaten to mobilized their members and confront these bigots. This way, it will force the government to act. Last thing they want is to have NU members go and beat up the FPI.

I believe he was in prison once. FPI's leadership is closely associated with the Suharto clan, or at least they were.

ah I understand then.....

I am frustated with the situation, why dont the government ban such organisation like FPI, MMI (mujahiddin),Laskar Jihad and any other radical group? they caught in the act for destroying private properties and creating a chaos in society. What else the government needs for such prove? its like instant daily reports on the news for Goodness sake. or the government needs to have those three organisation listed in government's list of organisation, so they can ban them????? Government wants to use that reason?? just like JI?? cmon, these morons are on the streets claiming to be FPI members and the government do nothing!


cheers

^^
I Think government doesnt have enough courage to do so

I think it's time for all Christian groups in Indonesia, Protestant and Catholic alike, to call on the NU for protection of their places of worship in West Java. The situation is dire, with attacks like these being reported at least every week and sometimes more.

Probably if the government banned the group, these ppl could become suicide bombers which is worst compared to premanisme.

how embarassing. the news is evrywhere,,

Probably if the government banned the group, these ppl could become suicide bombers which is worst compared to premanisme.
In another word, the law enforcement is useless.

SUARA PEMBARUAN DAILY
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Sulitnya Mendirikan Tempat Ibadah Bukan Sekadar Masalah Keagamaan

JAKARTA - Kesulitan pembangunan dan mendirikan tempat ibadah di sejumlah tempat di Indonesia, tidak boleh semata-mata dilihat sebagai isu keagamaan atau bagian dari radikalisme keagamaan. Hal ini mesti dilihat dalam perspektif yang lebih luas, yaitu melemahnya nilai kebangsaan dan makin memudarnya nilai-nilai Pancasila dalam kehidupan bermasyarakat, berbangsa dan bernegara.

"Sikap fundamentalistik dalam kehidupan keagamaan dapat terjadi pada semua agama, sikap itu pada gilirannya dapat menumbuhkan semangat dan radikalisme keagamaan, sikap kekerasan bahkan yang lebih jauh dari itu merusak persatuan dan kesatuan bangsa," ujar Wakil Sekretaris Ketua Umum PGI, Weinata Sairin dalam acara temu konsultasi yang diselenggarakn Ditjen Bimas Kristen di Bogor, Selasa.

Menurut dia, dengan memberi ruang yang lebih luas bagi dialog, sikap apresiatif terhadap kebebasan dan menumbuhkan kembali nilai-nilai Pancasila dalam kehidupan konkret, maka radikalisme keagamaan, sikap kekerasan bernuansa agama dapat dieliminasi atau semakin berkurang.

Hal ini berarti, lanjutnya, penutupan terhadap tempat ibadah merupakan pelecehan terhadap kekristenan dan pengingkaran terhadap NKRI berdasarkan Pancasila yang memberi ruang bagi agama-agama. Karena itu, pemerintah harus bersikap adil, tidak memihak dan memiliki otoritas yang kuat dalam mengatasi hal tersebut. Pembiaran terhadap hambatan pelaksanaan ibadah sangat bertentangan dengan UUD 1945.

Keunikan gereja sebagai sebuah institusi terletak pada hakikatnya yang berdimensi transendental, esa dan universal. Transendental dalam arti bahwa institusi itu secara teologis dibentuk, dibimbing dan dipelihara oleh Tuhan. Sedangkan esa serta universal dalam arti bahwa gereja itu satu, walaupun memiliki keragaman denominasi dan eksistensinya melintasi keberbedaan geografis, etnik dan politik. Oleh karena itu, hadirnya sejumlah tenaga utusan gerejawi dari negara lain di Indonesia maupun sebaliknya, merupakan sesuatu yang biasa dan wajar sebagai perwujudan dari hakikat gereja yang universal itu.

Pengamat sosial, Theodore Silaban menilai penutupan gereja-gereja itu salah satunya dilatarbelakangi oleh umat Kristen sendiri yang tidak mau menerima satu dengan yang lainnya. Ia mempertanyakan kenapa umat Kristen di Bandung tidak mau bersatu. Mengambil contoh kasus apa yang terjadi di Kompleks Permata, Cimahi, Bandung, di mana di tempat itu terdapat 7 gereja yang berbentuk rumah. Hal ini menimbulkan kecemburuan dan kecurigaan masyarakat.

Berdasarkan persepektif hukum, anggota LBHI Hendardi menilai, salah satu prinsip yang penting dalam HAM adalah adanya pernyataan kesetaraan dari semua manusia. (E-5)



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Last modified: 19/10/05

North Korea, Eritrea and Turkmenistan are the world’s “black holes” for news

Western democracies slip back, with the US falling more than 20 places

North Korea once again comes bottom of the Reporters Without Borders fourth annual World Press Freedom Index, released today. It is closely followed in the 167-country list by Eritrea (166th) and Turkmenistan (165th), which are other “black holes” for news where the privately-owned media is not allowed and freedom of expression does not exist.

Journalists there simply relay government propaganda. Anyone out of step is harshly dealt with. A word too many, a commentary that deviates from the official line or a wrongly-spelled name and the author may be thrown in prison or draw the wrath of those in power. Harassment, psychological pressure, intimidation and round-the-clock surveillance are routine.

East Asia (Burma 163rd, China 159th, Vietnam 158th, Laos 155th), Central Asia (Turkmenistan 165th, Uzbekistan 155th, Afghanistan 125th, Kazakhstan 119th) and the Middle East (Iran 164th, Iraq 157th, Saudi Arabia 154th, Syria 145th) are where journalists have the toughest time and where government repression or armed groups prevent the media operating freely.

The situation in Iraq (157th) deteriorated further during the year as the safety of journalists became more precarious. At least 24 journalists and media assistants have been killed so far this year, making it the mostly deadly conflict for the media since World War II. A total of 72 media workers have been killed since the fighting began in March 2003.

But more and more African and Latin American countries (Benin 25th, Namibia 25th, El Salvador 28th, Cape Verde 29th, Mauritius 34th, Mali 37th, Costa Rica 41st and Bolivia 45th) are getting very good rankings.
Western democracies slip back

Some Western democracies slipped down the Index. The United States (44th) fell more than 20 places, mainly because of the imprisonment of New York Times reporter Judith Miller and legal moves undermining the privacy of journalistic sources. Canada (21st) also dropped several places due to decisions that weakened the privacy of sources and sometimes turned journalists into “court auxiliaries.” France (30th) also slipped, largely because of searches of media offices, interrogations of journalists and introduction of new press offences.

At the top of the Index once again are northern European countries Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands, where robust press freedom is firmly established. The top 10 countries are all European. New Zealand (12th), Trinidad and Tobago (12th), Benin (25th) and South Korea (34th) are the highest-ranked countries in other continents.
Press freedom, economic development and independence

Countries that have recently won their independence or have recovered it are very observant of press freedom and give the lie to the insistence of many authoritarian leaders that democracy takes decades to establish itself. Nine states that have had independence (or recovered it within the past 15 years) are among the top 60 countries - Slovenia (9th), Estonia (11th), Latvia (16th), Lithuania (21st), Namibia (25th), Bosnia-Herzegovina (33rd), Macedonia (43rd), Croatia (56th) and East Timor (58th).

The Index also contradicts the frequent argument by leaders of poor and repressive countries that economic development is a vital precondition for democracy and respect for human rights. The top of the Index is heavily dominated by rich countries, but several very poor ones (with a per capita GDP of less than $1,000 in 2003) are among the top 60, such as Benin (25th), Mali (37th), Bolivia (45th), Mozambique (49th), Mongolia (53rd), Niger (57th) and East Timor (58th).

Reporters Without Borders compiled this Index of 167 countries by asking its partner organizations (14 freedom of expression groups from around the world) and its network of 130 correspondents, as well as journalists, researchers, legal experts and human rights activists, to answer 50 questions designed to assess a country’s level of press freedom. Some countries are not mentioned for lack of information about them.

N° Country Note
1 Denmark 0,50
- Finland 0,50
- Iceland 0,50
- Ireland 0,50
- Netherlands 0,50
- Norway 0,50
- Switzerland 0,50
8 Slovakia 0,75
9 Czech Republic 1,00
- Slovenia 1,00
11 Estonia 1,50
12 Hungary 2,00
- New Zealand 2,00
- Sweden 2,00
- Trinidad and Tobago 2,00
16 Austria 2,50
- Latvia 2,50
18 Belgium 4,00
- Germany 4,00
- Greece 4,00
21 Canada 4,50
- Lithuania 4,50
23 Portugal 4,83
24 United Kingdom 5,17
25 Benin 5,50
- Cyprus 5,50
- Namibia 5,50
28 El Salvador 5,75
29 Cape Verde 6,00
30 France 6,25
31 Australia 6,50
- South Africa 6,50
33 Bosnia and Herzegovina 7,00
34 Jamaica 7,50
- Mauritius 7,50
- South Korea 7,50
37 Japan 8,00
- Mali 8,00
39 Hong-Kong 8,25
40 Spain 8,33
41 Costa Rica 8,50
42 Italy 8,67
43 Macedonia 8,75
44 United States of America (American territory) 9,50
45 Bolivia 9,67
46 Uruguay 9,75
47 Israel 10,00
48 Bulgaria 10,25
49 Mozambique 10,50
50 Chile 11,75
51 Dominican Republic 12,25
- Taiwan 12,25
53 Cyprus (North) 12,50
- Mongolia 12,50
- Poland 12,50
56 Croatia 12,83
57 Niger 13,00
58 Timor-Leste 13,50
59 Argentina 13,67
60 Botswana 14,00
- Fiji 14,00
62 Albania 14,17
63 Brazil 14,50
- Tonga 14,50
65 Serbia and Montenegro 14,83
66 Ghana 15,00
- Panama 15,00
68 Nicaragua 15,25
69 Paraguay 15,50
70 Romania 16,17
71 Congo 17,00
- Guinea-Bissau 17,00
- Seychelles 17,00
74 Moldova 17,50
- Tanzania 17,50
76 Angola 18,00
- Honduras 18,00
78 Burkina Faso 19,00
- Senegal 19,00
80 Uganda 19,25
81 Lesotho 19,50
82 Central African Republic 19,75
83 Cameroon 20,50
- Liberia 20,50
85 Kuwait 21,25
86 Guatemala 21,50
87 Ecuador 21,75
88 Comoros 22,00
89 Malawi 22,75
90 Burundi 23,00
- Cambodia 23,00
- Qatar 23,00
- Venezuela 23,00
- Zambia 23,00
95 Togo 23,75
96 Jordan 24,00
97 Madagascar 24,50
98 Turkey 25,00
99 Georgia 25,17
100 Kosovo 25,75
- United Arab Emirates 25,75
102 Armenia 26,00
- Gabon 26,00
- Guinea 26,00
- Indonesia 26,00
106 India 27,00
107 Thailand 28,00
108 Lebanon 28,25
109 Chad 30,00
- Kenya 30,00
111 Kyrgyzstan 32,00
112 Ukraine 32,50
113 Malaysia 33,00
- Tajikistan 33,00
115 Sri Lanka 33,25
116 Peru 33,33
117 Haiti 33,50
118 Swaziland 35,00
119 Kazakhstan 36,17
- Morocco 36,17
121 Djibouti 37,00
122 Rwanda 38,00
123 Bahrein 38,75
- Nigeria 38,75
125 Afghanistan 39,17
126 Sierra Leone 39,50
127 Mauritania 40,00
128 Colombia 40,17
129 Algeria 40,33
130 Gambia 41,00
131 Ethiopia 42,00
132 Palestinian Authority 42,50
133 Equatorial Guinea 44,00
- Sudan 44,00
135 Mexico 45,50
136 Yemen 46,25
137 United States of America (in Iraq) 48,50
138 Russia 48,67
139 Philippines 50,00
140 Singapore 50,67
141 Azerbaijan 51,00
142 Bhutan 51,50
143 Egypt 52,00
144 Côte d’Ivoire 52,25
145 Syria 55,00
146 Democratic Republic of Congo 57,33
147 Tunisia 57,50
148 Maldives 58,50
149 Somalia 59,00
150 Pakistan 60,75
151 Bangladesh 61,25
152 Belarus 61,33
153 Zimbabwe 64,25
154 Saudi Arabia 66,00
155 Laos 66,50
- Uzbekistan 66,50
157 Iraq 67,00
158 Vietnam 73,25
159 China 83,00
160 Nepal 86,75
161 Cuba 87,00
162 Libya 88,75
163 Burma 88,83
164 Iran 89,17
165 Turkmenistan 93,50
166 Eritrea 99,75
167 North Korea 109,00

http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=15331

Fitraya Ramadhanny - detikcom

Jakarta - Dua dari 10 orang Indonesia ternyata antiamerika. Pemerintah pun diminta tidak menutup diri atas fenomena antiamerika di Indonesia.

"Ini adalah fakta yang ada di masyarakat," kata Direktur Freedom Institute Syaiful Mujani dalam diskusi dan peluncuran buku "Benturan Peradaban: Sikap dan Perilaku Islamis Indonesia terhadap AS", di Hotel Aryaduta, Jalan Prapatan, Jakarta Pusat, Kamis (20/10/2005).

Pernyataan Syaiful ini didukung survei yang dilakukan Freedom Institute pada akhir 2004. Survei dilakukan pada 1.200 responden. Sampel diambil secara multistage random sampling. Margin of error sebesar 3%. "Hasilnya, 21 % rakyat Indonesia antiamerika," tegas Syaiful.

Menurut Syaiful, fakta ini tidak perlu ditutup-tutupi terutama oleh pemerintah. Hanya saja, pemerintah harus bisa mengakomodiasi, agar sikap ini tidak melahirkan sikap anti kekerasan.

"Sah-sah saja bersikap antiamerika dalam sebuah negara demokrasi. Namun, pemerintah harus membuat pemahaman yang lebih inklusif dan plural di tengah masyarakat," pinta pria yang juga menjabat Direktur Riset Lembaga Survei Indonesia ini.

Syaiful menambahkan, fenomenan antiamerika juga terjadi di Eropa dan belahan dunia lainnya. Maka dari itu, ia berharap, agar penelitian ini menjadi awal bagi kajian-kajian serupa. (ism)

klik (http://jkt1.detiknews.com/index.php/detik.read/tahun/2005/bulan/10/tgl/20/time/235754/idnews/465656/idkanal/10)

From Medan
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/dave_win3/miss%20chinese/medan.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/dave_win3/miss%20chinese/medan1.jpg

From Batam
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/dave_win3/miss%20chinese/batam.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/dave_win3/miss%20chinese/batam1.jpg

Before contest
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/dave_win3/miss%20chinese/after.jpg

http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/dave_win3/miss%20chinese/all.gif

On contest
http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a333/dave_win3/miss%20chinese/oncontest.gif

This one is Indonesian Miss Chinese
Another Indonesian Miss Chinese contestant
Chen Jia Qi - Chandra Linda Sari
Selat Panjang
Fu Cai Yi - Julita Afni
Selat Panjang
Wen Ni Ting - Cornelia
Xi Qiang [Makassar]
Li Xiu Ling - Xiao Ling
Medan
Guo Zi Hui - Cecil Guo
Jakarta
Zhuang Li Xiang - Erni Zhuang
Medan
Wen Yen Ni - Juliani Sanjaya 21yo
Jakarta
Huang Li Xia - Purnamawati
Wang Jia Li [Bengkalis]
Luo Yin Li - Li Susana
Lampung

news on
http://www.phoenixtv.com/

pictures taken from
http://www.supermodel.com.my/mcw.html <-- Malaysian site

In response for press freedom ranking post..
Anyone know what is Indonesia previous score?
I found current rank at 102 is somehow surprising.

^^
I already try to find but so far no result :sleepy:

Etnis Tionghoa Juga Berharap Dapat KKB

"Ayo Pak, ikuti saya," kata Yeyen (42 tahun). Ia langsung mengayuh sepedanya menelusuri jalan setapak yang kanan kirinya ditumbuhi oleh semak belukar, mengajak Republika menuju ke rumahnya.

Republika bertemu Yeyen di kantor Kepala Desa Cengklong, Kecamatan Jatimulya, Kabupaten Tangerang, Rabu (19/10) siang. "Saya ini miskin Pak, rumah saja numpang sama ibu saya," ujar janda beranak tiga ini, ketika masih di kantor kepala desa. Kepada Republika, ia berkeluh kesah soal kehidupannya dan nasib dia yang tak mendapatkan kartu kompensasi BBM (KKB).

Seperti ingin membuktikan status ekonominya yang memang pas-pasan, Yeyen langsung mengajak Republika berkunjung ke rumahnya. Jarak dari kantor desa ke rumah Yeyen sekitar 500 meter. Banyaknya babi yang berlalu lalang mencari makanan di sepanjang jalan menuju rumah Yeyen, menjadi pemandangan yang membedakan perkampungan ini dengan perkampungan lain di sekitar Jakarta.

Ketika memasuki rumah Yeyen, seorang nenek tua bernama Cong Si Moi sedang bersembahyang menurut ajaran agama Budha di ruang tamunya. Dengan mengapit sepasang dupa di tangannya dan mengangguk-angguk, ibunda Yeyen yang berumur 72 tahun itu menyapa Republika dan mempersilakan duduk, usai ia sembahyang.

"Kata ketua RT di sini saya tidak terdaftar untuk mendapat KKB karena saya punya rumah yang sudah ditembok. Padahal, listrik saja masih numpang sama tetangga, dan saya nggak punya penghasilan tetap," ujar Si Moi. Untuk memenuhi kebutuhan makan setiap hari, ia mengaku memperolehnya dari berdagang krupuk dan makanan kecil di salah satu perumahan dekat Bandara Soekarno-Hatta. Penghasilannya mencapai Rp 10 ribu sampai Rp 15 ribu per dua hari.

Berjarak tiga rumah dari rumah Si Moi, keluarga etnis Tionghoa yang lain sedang berkumpul di depan rumah mereka ketika Republika mendatanginya. Sian Mai (55 tahun) beserta ibunya So Win Yong (74 tahun) juga mempertanyakan keadilan penyebaran KKB bagi keluarga miskin (gakin). "Kata Pak RT, jatah untuk warga di sini udah habis, padahal saya sudah dua kali mengajukan permohonan KKB, tapi nggak ada hasil," kata Sian Mai, ibu dengan empat anak.

Ia menyandarkan hidup keluarganya dari hasil kerja serabutan suaminya sebagai montir listrik. Dibandingkan dengan keluarga Cong Si Moi, kondisi rumah Sian Mai memang sangat memprihatinkan. Rumah berukuran 4x7 meter yang telah didiami oleh keluarga Sian Mai selama 11 tahun tersebut, masih beratapkan anyaman dari daun kelapa, dan dindingnya terbuat dari bilik bambu. Rumah ini telah mendapatkan aliran listrik untuk penerangan. Tapi, rumah ini sama sekali tidak memiliki jendela apalagi ventilasi. "Miskinnya harus seperti apa supaya mendapat KKB? Kalau rumah seperti kami ini, apa kami nggak layak dapet KKB?" kata Sian Mai.

Desa Cengklong --apabila ditempuh dari pusat kota Tangerang dengan kendaraan pribadi menghabiskan waktu hingga satu setengah jam-- merupakan salah satu desa di Tangerang yang banyak dihuni warga etnis Tionghoa. Namun, jangan mengira bahwa warga Tionghoa di Desa Cengklong keadaan ekonominya seperti warga Tionghoa berbisnis di kawasan niaga Mangga Dua, Jakarta, atau sekitar Glodok.

Warga etnis Tionghoa di Tangerang sering disebut dengan Cina Benteng. Masyarakat Cina Benteng yang tinggal di Desa Cengklong sebagian besar hidup di bawah garis kemiskinan.

Luas Desa Cengklong adalah 188 hektare. Terdiri atas 14 Rukun Warga (RW), 31 Rukun Tetangga (RT), dan 14 Dusun. Desa Cengklong berbatasan dengan Desa Selembaran Jati di sebelah utara, Desa Jatimulya di sebelah selatan, Desa Belimbing di sebelah barat, dan Desa Kosambi di sebelah timur.

Sekretais Desa Cengklong, Endang Trisna, membenarkan informasi mengenai banyaknya warga etnis Tionghoa di Desa Cengklong yang terbilang miskin. Meski tidak memiliki data yang akurat, menurut Endang, dari 9.245 jiwa warga Desa Cengklong, sepuluh persennya adalah warga etnis Tionghoa. ''Dan sebagian besar miskin,'' kata Endang.

Mereka adalah warga yang lahir di Cengklong. Nenek moyang mereka telah mulai menetap sejak zaman kemerdekaan. ''Kebanyakan dari mereka adalah buruh kasar atau mencari nafkah dengan berdagang," jelas Endang. Eng Nio (60 tahun), yang telah lima tahun ditinggal mati suaminya, adalah salah satu warga etnis Tionghoa di Cengklong yang beruntung mendapatkan KKB. Eng Nio mengaku telah mencairkan dana kompensasi BBM, dan kini tersisa Rp 100 ribu. "Yang dua ratus ribu sudah saya belanjakan untuk beli beras persediaan makan dan minyak tanah," kata Eng Nio.

Setiap harinya, Eng Nio mendapat rezeki dari mengumpulkan plastik bekas air kemasan yang dikumpulkan dan dijual setiap bulannya. Setiap 10 kilogram plastik bekas air kemasan yang berhasil dikumpulkan setiap bulan, dia memperoleh penghasilan Rp 40 ribu. "Mending BBM nggak usah naik. Karena meski dapet duit Rp 300 ribu, harga-harga juga selangit," ujar Eng Nio, yang tinggal bersama satu anak dan satu cucu.

Ribut Soal BLT Ketua RT Dibunuh

Jambi, Sabtu

Ribut masalah konpensasi dana BBM yang disalurkan lewat bantuan langsung tunai (BLT), yang dinilai masih banyak tidak tepat sasaran di Provinsi Jambi memakan korban. Saman (52) Ketua RT Dusun Sungai Benit, Kabupaten Bungo, dibunuh.

Kapolres Bungo, AKBP Joko Irwanto di Jambi, Sabtu (22/10) mengatakan, peristiwa pembunuhan ketua RT Dusun Sungai Benit, Desa Sungai Mengkuang, Kecamatan Bungi, 310 Km dari kota Jambi itu, terjadi pada Jumat, 21 Oktober 2005 pukul 10:30 wib.

"Pembunuhan itu dipicu pertengkaran Ketua RT Saman dengan tersangka Hendri (32) terkait masalah BLT keluarga miskin (gakin) di desa tersebut," katanya.

Ia menjelaskan, tersangka tidak puas dengan keterangan ketua RT tentang penjelasan kriteria atau syarat warga yang menerima BLT ditandai dengan pemberian Kartu Konpensasi BBM (KKB).

Tersangka yang bekerja sebagai buruh penyadap karet itu, tidak puas dan tidak senang karena tidak didata oleh ketua RT sebagai keluarga miskin.

Kapolres menyebutkan, dalam pertengkaran itu, tersangka menusuk Saman dengan sebilah pisau yang sudah disiapkannya, akibatnya korban tersungkur dan tewas setelah sempat dilarikan ke rumah sakit daerah setempat.

"Tersangka Hendri kini diamankan di Mapolres Bungo, bersama barang bukti pisau yang digunakan untuk menghabisi nyawa Saman guna pengusutan lebih lanjut," kata Joko Irwanto.

I really2 think this monetary compensation every month is a stupid idea, I know those people really2 need the money but it is much
better if government employ them for

1. street cleaning service (coz jakarta street is very dirty)
2. parking staff (coz a lot of illegal parking staff that ask Rp 1.000 per park)

or give a cheap edication or health car facilities rather give money every month which will turn Indonesian more lazy

^^
I already try to find but so far no result :sleepy:

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesia has made further progress in terms of press freedom over the past 12 months, according to Reporters Without Borders' 2005 Worldwide Press Freedom Index.

According to the index, made public late last week, Indonesia is ranked 102nd, out of 167 countries surveyed. The country was ranked 117th last year.

The Paris-based watchdog said that there had been some striking improvements in terms of press freedom in Indonesia with the opening up of Aceh province to journalists following the signing of a peace accord by the government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) rebel group in August.

"Despite occasional violence, the media works in good conditions and online media are prolific," it said.

Current developments at home, however, are not entirely encouraging for the press corps here.

Some media people have recently expressed concern about the future of press freedom here, particularly with the government's proposal of a new tougher Criminal Code, in which some of the articles could restrict freedom of thought and expression, including press freedom.

Violent attacks against journalists have also remained a concern. The police, for instance, have been strongly criticized for failing to immediately respond to a case where a journalist in North Sumatra had been attacked and kidnapped by mobs allegedly working for an influential local politician. The journalist had run a series of stories exposing irregularities in the implementation of the local election in North Sumatra's South Nias regency.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has also banned foreign journalists from entering conflict-prone areas, most notably Papua province.

Reporters Without Borders also saw improvement in Malaysia (113th) as that country no longer is holding any journalists or cyber-dissidents in prison.

Singapore (140th) still has a very low ranking because the government keeps a tight grip on the media and uses tough laws to crack down on the few independent journalists.

Killings of journalists in the Philippines (139th) increased, along with censorship, mainly by local officials. The watchdog said that President Gloria Arroyo showed intolerance towards the media, especially foreign, for exposing corruption. On Mindanao island, security forces were frequently involved in the murder or obstruction of journalists, it added.

North Korea, which remained dead last on list, along with Eritrea and Turkmenistan, were described as the world's "black holes" for news where the privately owned media is not allowed any freedom of expression, and quite simply does not exist.

"Journalists there simply relay government propaganda," it said.

Some Western democracies slipped down the index as well. The United States (44th) fell more than 20 places, mainly because of the imprisonment of New York Times reporter Judith Miller and legal moves undermining the privacy of journalistic sources. Canada (21st) also dropped several places due to decisions that weakened the privacy of sources and sometimes turned journalists into "court auxiliaries." France (30th) also slipped, largely because of searches of media offices, interrogations of journalists and introduction of new press offenses.

At the top of the Index once again are northern European countries Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Iceland, Norway and the Netherlands, where robust press freedom is firmly established.

Don't know if you guys have heard of this one yet, so I'll just post.

Both articles are taken from www.tempointeraktif.com

Penduduk Dievakuasi untuk Pembebasan Polisi Palu yang Disandera
Selasa, 25 Oktober 2005 | 16:54 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Palu: Wakil Wali Kota Palu Suwardin Saebo memerintahkan penduduk Desa Salena dan Borobuli, Palu Barat, Sulawesi Tengah, yang berada di sekitar permukiman aliran sesat pimpinan Mahdi untuk mengungsi sementara waktu.

Saat ini, beberapa truk milik Pemerintah Kota Palu sudah mulai mengevakuasi warga. Suwardin pun berada di lokasi penyanderaan belasan polisi itu.

Wakil Kepala Polda Sulawesi Tengah Komisaris Besar Sukirno menyatakan, saat ini dia berkonsentrasi untuk membebaskan enam anggotanya yang masih disekap oleh kelompok Mahdi. Termasuk yang disandera adalah Wakil Kepala Polsek Palu Barat.

Kelompok aliran pimpinan Mahdi semula menyandera 16 anggota Kepolisian Palu, yang berusaha meminta keterangan tentang ajaran mereka. Kepala Polsek Palu Barat Iptu Bayu Wijanarko mengaku sempat disekap selama tiga jam.

Bayu mengaku meloloskan diri dengan terjun ke jurang. Kondisi Bayu saat ini sangat lemah, kepalanya penuh luka, dan badannya penuh dengan luka bacokan.

Dia menambahkan, seorang anggota aliran juga tewas akibat dipukuli oleh polisi. Menurut Bayu, sebelum menghunus parang, para pengikut Mahdi seolah-olah kesurupan. "Setelah itu mereka melakukan gerakan tarian silat dan mencabut golok atau parang," ia menuturkan. Mohamad Darlis


Pengikut Mahdi Kebal dari Tembakan Peluru Polisi
Selasa, 25 Oktober 2005 | 17:09 WIB

TEMPO Interaktif, Jakarta: Peristiwa penyanderaan polisi oleh pengikut Mahdi di Salena, Palu Barat, Sulawesi Tengah, yang menewaskan dua polisi berawal pada Selasa (25/10) pagi. Saat itu, polisi berusaha meminta keterangan dari kelompok Mahdi soal ajaran mereka yang dianggap meresahkan warga.

Aliran Mahdi mengembangkan tiga ajaran, yaitu pengobatan, pengembalian adat, dan sinkritisme (campuran antara adat dan agama).

Amiruddin, warga Kelurahan Borobuli, tetangga desa Salena, melaporkan mereka ke Polsek Palu Barat. Ia mengaku dipaksa untuk ikut aliran itu. Dari laporan Amiruddin, polisi menurunkan 16 orang petugas untuk bernegosiasi dan melakukan pemantauan.

Berdasarkan informasi, saat negosiasi berlangsung, tiba-tiba Mahdi kesurupan. Ia lalu memerintahkan 400 orang anggotanya untuk mengepung 16 orang polisi yang datang itu.

Dalam gerakan silat, Mahdi menghunus parang dan menyabetkannya ke Ajun Komisaris Fuadi, Wakil Kepala Polsek Palu Barat. Fuadi tewas seketika. Anggota polisi yang lain lalu berusaha mempertahanan diri dengan mengeluarkan tembakan peringatan.

Ratusan anggota aliran bergeming, dan terus menyerang. Polisi pun mengarahkan tembakannya pada massa. Anehnya, peluru tak dapat menembus tubuh mereka. Mereka pun terus menyerang. Korban kembali jatuh, yakni Briptu Arwan, anggota Perintis Kepolisian. Moh Darlis

Oh I read that news at detik. Crazy huh? They take several police as hostage.

Summary: Indonesian police try to arrest the leader of a religious group because local Muslim clerics call them "deviant." Members fight back, killing three police officers. One member is killed.

---

Police clash with Islamic sect in Indonesia

Wed Oct 26, 8:49 AM ET

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A clash between police and machete-wielding members of a shadowy Islamic sect on Indonesia's eastern Sulawesi island has killed four people, three of them police officers, a senior policeman said on Wednesday.

The incident took place on Tuesday in the rugged hills just outside the Central Sulawesi provincial capital of Palu. Fighting broke out when police had sought to apprehend the leader of a tiny sect which was branded deviant by local Muslim clerics.

"His supporters became hysterical and started to attack officers when police were about to take him," said deputy national police spokesman Soenarko Artanto, adding one sect member also died in the fighting.

Local media reported police retaliated with guns after being attacked with lethal traditional weapons like machetes and poisonous blow darts.

Palu police chief Guntur Widodo told Reuters around 20 sect members were taken by police for questioning but the sect leader was still at large. Previously, Soenarko had said the leader, known only Madi, was in police custody.

On Wednesday, more than 300 police officers were deployed to guard the sect's remote hamlet.

Local mainstream clerics in Palu, which is 1,650 km (1,030 miles) east of Jakarta, said that although the sect considered itself Islamic, the followers mixed the religion with ancient local traditions and refused to observe basic Islamic tenets such as fasting during Ramadan or praying five times a day.

Muslims all over the world are observing the holy Ramadan month, which will end in early November.

Indonesia's Religious Affairs Minister Maftuh Basyuni called the sect, whose followers always wear white headbands and yellow scarves, "a very, very deviant group."

Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation, but groups branded as deviant periodically spring up.

Last month, hundreds of angry Muslims in West Java province torched more than 30 houses and damaged mosques belonging to a breakaway Muslim sect connected to the Ahmadiyah movement.

The groups has surrender themselves to the police now. Mahdi and his 20 followers has been arrested. A policeman that held hostage been returned.

Bego ah.. mending lari.. emang kalo menyerahkan diri bakal dapet fair trial gitu.. pasti di jadiin bulan bulanan sebelonnya.. 1 pengikut versus 20 polisi.. baru deh ngerasa hebat tuh polisi hehehe

Good news! lets all write a letter to UN about this and make them immediately hold a meeting about this, the more demand the fastest they possibly can discuss these issue!

Pelarangan Ahmadiyah dan Penutupan Gereja Diadukan ke PBB

Jakarta, CyberNews. Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) Jakarta mengadukan pelarangan jemaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia dan penutupan gereja-gereja di sejumlah daerah di Indonesia kepada Komisi HAM PBB. Pengaduan ini telah didaftarkan Senin (31/10).
"Masalah ini akan dibahas dalam persidangan Komisi HAM di Geneva pada Maret dan April nanti (2006). Pemerintah Indonesia akan diundang untuk menjelaskan kondisi kebebasan beragama di Indonesia. Kami berharap PBB mengeluarkan rekomendasi untuk menekan pemerintah Indonesia agar memberi jaminan pasti terhadap kebebasan beragama yang telah dijamin konstitusi," kata Direktur LBH Jakarta Uli Parulian Sihombing, Selasa (1/11) di LBH Jakarta.

Dalam kesempatan itu, Uli didampingi Humas Pengurus Pusat Ahmadiyah Mubarik Ahmad dan Sekretaris Umum Persekutuan Gereja-gereja Indonesia (PGI) Cabang Jakarta Chevrolet Lumbantoruan.

Uli lebih lanjut menyatakan kekecewaannya terhadap pemerintah. Sebab, menurutnya, persoalan sentimen keyakinan, belakangan ini, terjadi secara masih di seluruh Indonesia. Pemerintah, dalam hal ini, seolah tidak berdaya menghadapi berbagai macam aksi kekerasan yang terjadi.

"Tidak ada upaya yang signifikan di tingkat domestik. Tidak jelas sampai sekarang langkah apa yang diambil pemerintah dalam kasus ini. Kekerasan penutupan gereja dan penyerangan terhadap warga Ahmadiyah tidak ada tersangkanya sampai sekarang. Kami menganggap pemerintah tidak serius. Oleh karena itu kami melaporkan hal ini ke PBB," kata Uli.

Jemaah Ahmadiyah merasa waswas memasuki Idul Fitri. Mereka terancam tidak bisa melaksanakan shalat Ied. Pasalnya, sejumlah masjid Ahmadiyah di beberapa wilayah di Indonesia masih disegel dan diawasi oleh masyarakat yang tidak setuju dengan keberadaan Ahmadiyah.

Sementara itu, senada dengan Ahmadiyah, Chevrolet mengatakan sampai kini warga sejumlah gereja yang ditutup tidak bisa melaksanakan ibadah. Ia menyebutkan, jumlah gereja yang ditutup ada 66 di Jawa Barat.

"Konstitusi menjamin setiap warga negara untuk memeluk agama dan menjalankan ibadahnya. Tapi, kami selalu dikejar-kejar setiap kali kami beribadah," demikian Chevrolet.

( kcm/Cn08 )

Good news! lets all write a letter to UN about this and make them immediately hold a meeting about this, the more demand the fastest they possibly can discuss these issue!

Pelarangan Ahmadiyah dan Penutupan Gereja Diadukan ke PBB

Jakarta, CyberNews. Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) Jakarta mengadukan pelarangan jemaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia dan penutupan gereja-gereja di sejumlah daerah di Indonesia kepada Komisi HAM PBB. Pengaduan ini telah didaftarkan Senin (31/10).
"Masalah ini akan dibahas dalam persidangan Komisi HAM di Geneva pada Maret dan April nanti (2006). Pemerintah Indonesia akan diundang untuk menjelaskan kondisi kebebasan beragama di Indonesia. Kami berharap PBB mengeluarkan rekomendasi untuk menekan pemerintah Indonesia agar memberi jaminan pasti terhadap kebebasan beragama yang telah dijamin konstitusi," kata Direktur LBH Jakarta Uli Parulian Sihombing, Selasa (1/11) di LBH Jakarta.

Dalam kesempatan itu, Uli didampingi Humas Pengurus Pusat Ahmadiyah Mubarik Ahmad dan Sekretaris Umum Persekutuan Gereja-gereja Indonesia (PGI) Cabang Jakarta Chevrolet Lumbantoruan.

Uli lebih lanjut menyatakan kekecewaannya terhadap pemerintah. Sebab, menurutnya, persoalan sentimen keyakinan, belakangan ini, terjadi secara masih di seluruh Indonesia. Pemerintah, dalam hal ini, seolah tidak berdaya menghadapi berbagai macam aksi kekerasan yang terjadi.

"Tidak ada upaya yang signifikan di tingkat domestik. Tidak jelas sampai sekarang langkah apa yang diambil pemerintah dalam kasus ini. Kekerasan penutupan gereja dan penyerangan terhadap warga Ahmadiyah tidak ada tersangkanya sampai sekarang. Kami menganggap pemerintah tidak serius. Oleh karena itu kami melaporkan hal ini ke PBB," kata Uli.

Jemaah Ahmadiyah merasa waswas memasuki Idul Fitri. Mereka terancam tidak bisa melaksanakan shalat Ied. Pasalnya, sejumlah masjid Ahmadiyah di beberapa wilayah di Indonesia masih disegel dan diawasi oleh masyarakat yang tidak setuju dengan keberadaan Ahmadiyah.

Sementara itu, senada dengan Ahmadiyah, Chevrolet mengatakan sampai kini warga sejumlah gereja yang ditutup tidak bisa melaksanakan ibadah. Ia menyebutkan, jumlah gereja yang ditutup ada 66 di Jawa Barat.

"Konstitusi menjamin setiap warga negara untuk memeluk agama dan menjalankan ibadahnya. Tapi, kami selalu dikejar-kejar setiap kali kami beribadah," demikian Chevrolet.

( kcm/Cn08 )

It's about time!

It is ridiculous that security force respond on allegations that the clerics made.

What did the people of the sect in Sulawesi did?
They did nothing according to the clerics they broke islamic values but because Indonesia is a secular country (NO OFFICIAL RELIGION) the police are not allowed to responsd and certainly not on allegations of those religious leaders.
As long as members of the sect did not commited any acts of violence they are guilty.
Those CLERICS ARE NOT JUDGES. For the unity of Indonesia let's keep it that way.

In the case that occured in Sulawesi the clerics should be reviewed. And they should follow a course Human Rights and Freedom of Expression.

You are totally right let´s end those destabilising actions of those uneducated people without no future. By surpressing houses of worship and free thinking organisations they continue to threat(western) investors convidence.
It´s said that the government is not taking any actions to take these violent groups out.
Good news! lets all write a letter to UN about this and make them immediately hold a meeting about this, the more demand the fastest they possibly can discuss these attack!

Pelarangan Ahmadiyah dan Penutupan Gereja Diadukan ke PBB

Jakarta, CyberNews. Lembaga Bantuan Hukum (LBH) Jakarta mengadukan pelarangan jemaah Ahmadiyah Indonesia dan penutupan gereja-gereja di sejumlah daerah di Indonesia kepada Komisi HAM PBB. Pengaduan ini telah didaftarkan Senin (31/10).
"Masalah ini akan dibahas dalam persidangan Komisi HAM di Geneva pada Maret dan April nanti (2006). Pemerintah Indonesia akan diundang untuk menjelaskan kondisi kebebasan beragama di Indonesia. Kami berharap PBB mengeluarkan rekomendasi untuk menekan pemerintah Indonesia agar memberi jaminan pasti terhadap kebebasan beragama yang telah dijamin konstitusi," kata Direktur LBH Jakarta Uli Parulian Sihombing, Selasa (1/11) di LBH Jakarta.

Dalam kesempatan itu, Uli didampingi Humas Pengurus Pusat Ahmadiyah Mubarik Ahmad dan Sekretaris Umum Persekutuan Gereja-gereja Indonesia (PGI) Cabang Jakarta Chevrolet Lumbantoruan.

Uli lebih lanjut menyatakan kekecewaannya terhadap pemerintah. Sebab, menurutnya, persoalan sentimen keyakinan, belakangan ini, terjadi secara masih di seluruh Indonesia. Pemerintah, dalam hal ini, seolah tidak berdaya menghadapi berbagai macam aksi kekerasan yang terjadi.

"Tidak ada upaya yang signifikan di tingkat domestik. Tidak jelas sampai sekarang langkah apa yang diambil pemerintah dalam kasus ini. Kekerasan penutupan gereja dan penyerangan terhadap warga Ahmadiyah tidak ada tersangkanya sampai sekarang. Kami menganggap pemerintah tidak serius. Oleh karena itu kami melaporkan hal ini ke PBB," kata Uli.

Jemaah Ahmadiyah merasa waswas memasuki Idul Fitri. Mereka terancam tidak bisa melaksanakan shalat Ied. Pasalnya, sejumlah masjid Ahmadiyah di beberapa wilayah di Indonesia masih disegel dan diawasi oleh masyarakat yang tidak setuju dengan keberadaan Ahmadiyah.

Sementara itu, senada dengan Ahmadiyah, Chevrolet mengatakan sampai kini warga sejumlah gereja yang ditutup tidak bisa melaksanakan ibadah. Ia menyebutkan, jumlah gereja yang ditutup ada 66 di Jawa Barat.

"Konstitusi menjamin setiap warga negara untuk memeluk agama dan menjalankan ibadahnya. Tapi, kami selalu dikejar-kejar setiap kali kami beribadah," demikian Chevrolet.

( kcm/Cn08 )

http://i12.photobucket.com/albums/a244/shillouette2/POOR.jpg

woww.. PBB,, that further??

Yep. I think PBB should be happy to receive the report. They have something to do, at least. PBB has lost much of its charisma and functions lately. Really need to abolish that Veto thing.

Demikian keputusan Dewan Pengupahan Provinsi DKI Jakarta yang disampaikan Kepala Dinas Tenaga Kerja dan Transmigrasi (Kadisnakertrans) Pemprov DKI Ali Zubeir kepada pers di Balai Kota, Selasa (1/11). Sebelumnya, Ali bersama anggota Dewan Pengupahan lainnya bertemu Gubernur Sutiyoso di tempat tersebut. Anggota Dewan Pengupahan berasal dari unsur pengusaha, serikat pekerja, dan wakil pemerintah.

Lebih lanjut, jelas Ali, UMP baru akan berlaku efektif mulai 1 Januari 2006. Perusahaan yang tidak sanggup membayar upah buruh sesuai UMP itu dipersilakan mengajukan permohonan penangguhan pemberlakuan UMP ke Disnakertrans paling lambat sepuluh hari sebelum 1 Januari 2006. Kemudian, permohonan penangguhan itu kata Ali harus berdasarkan kesepakatan bersama antara pengusaha dan serikat pekerja.

Wakil Sekretaris Dewan Pengupahan Gibson Nababan yang merupakan unsur serikat pekerja dalam dewan itu di tempat sama mengatakan nilai UMP tersebut jauh di bawah usulan serikat pekerja yakni sebesar Rp1,2 juta per bulan.

Dalam pembahasan di Dewan Pengupahan, katanya, wakil pengusaha hanya bersedia menerima kenaikan UMP dari Rp711.843 menjadi Rp750.000. Rapat Dewan Pengupahan akhirnya sepakat dengan angka Rp819.100.

Gibson melanjutkan pihaknya terpaksa menerima kenaikan itu karena nilai kenaikan 15,07 persen itu sedikit lebih tinggi di atas perkiraaan inflasi sebesar 14 persen. "Kalau naik lebih tinggi, pengusaha akan kesulitan," kata Gibson yang juga anggota Asosiasi Serikat Pekerja Indonesia (Aspek Indonesia).

astaga (http://www.astaga.com)

Lebaran Hari Kedua, Pelancong Indonesia Serbu Singapura


http://www.kompas.com/utama/news/0511/05/065552_.htm
Singapura, Sabtu

Singapura menjadi surga belanja dan tempat liburan nomor satu bagi sejumlah Pelancong Indonesia pada hari kedua Idul Fitri 1426 H, Jumat.

Mereka tumpah ruah di sepanjang pusat pertokoan Orchad Road yang amat populer itu, hingga ke kawasan Far East, di sentra Singapura. Mereka dijumpai berjalan-jalan dengan bercengkerama di sejumlah pusat belanja, trotoar, taman-taman kota, restoran, juga di lobi-lobi hotel.

Kebanyakan pelancong Indonesia itu berasal dari Jakarta, Medan, Surabaya serta Batam. Mereka sengaja memilih Singapura sebagai tujuan liburan Lebaran, karena suasananya yang nyaman, relatif aman dari gangguan teror, dan yang paling penting, banyak tempat belanja.

Rata-rata mereka menyatakan akan berada di Singapura antara tiga hari hingga seminggu. "Singapura mampu menyediakan beragam fasilitas dan alternatif, terutama untuk wisata belanja. Kalau panorama alam, yah tentu kalah dari kita di Indonesia," ujar Lili dan Nona, dua karyawati yang dijumpai di HarbourFront, Singapura.

Pemerintah dan swasta Singapura rupanya sangat paham dengan peluang ini. Karena itu mereka sengaja memasang ucapan "Selamat Hari Raya Aidel Fitri" dan "Selamat Datang di Singapura" di banyak tempat. Termasuk tulisan di bahagian depan bus-bus kota ber-AC berbagai jurusan.

Selain kawasan Orchad Road, para pelancong dari Indonesia banyak pula yang menikmati berbagai sarana rekreasi--untuk anak-anak hingga dewasa--di Pulau Sentosa. Fasilitas di Pulau Sentosa ini sebenarnya mirip dengan yang tersedia di Dunia Fantasi, Ancol, Jakarta. Bedanya di Pulau Sentosa lebih beragam pilihannya.

Pulau Sentosa sejak beberapa bulan terakhir menjadi tujuan para penjudi. Di pulau ini dioperasikan fasilitas kasino dengan aneka permainan judi yang menggairahkan. Singapura di era Lee Kuan Yew, merupakan negara yang menolak judi. Lee sendiri pernah dengan tegas minta pihak Indonesia, agar Pulau Batam jangan dijadikan arena permainan judi. Tetapi, karena bisnis ini beromzet triliunan rupiah per hari, Singapura tampaknya berubah pikiran.

woww.. PBB,, that further??
I wouldn't read too much into having the UN involved in this. The UN gets thousands of request for them to get involved in domestic matters all over the world. They rarely follow through on the request. That said, the group should've never been harashed by the bigots. They should be allowed to pray in what ever matter they wish to do so, as long as they don't harm other's people right to do the same. The police should've protected them, they are the law and order. If the group was violating the law, it should be the police's job to enforced it, not the bigot group.

these days the tv always says sumthin about 13th november will be like may 98,,, is that true??

Metrotvnews.com, Poso: Poso kembali bergolak. Insiden kekerasan kembali terjadi. Kali ini dua orang siswi Sekolah Menengah Atas Poso, ditembak orang tidak dikenal di depan rumah mereka di Jalan Gatot Subroto, Kelurahan Kasintuwu, Kompleks Kantor Perusahaan Listrik Negara Poso Kota, Sulawesi Tengah, Selasa (8/11). Belum diketahui pasti motif dan pelaku penyerangan ini. Kedua siswi itu masing-masing bernama Ivone dan Nurul Aini.

Ketiga korban menderita luka tembak yang cukup parah pada bagian pipi sebelah kiri. Dan kini dua siswi yang berusia 17 tahun itu dalam keadaan kritis dan mendapat perawatan intensif di Rumah Sakit Umum Poso. Saat ini, polisi dibantu aparat TNI dikerahkan untuk memburu dua orang yang diduga sebagai pelaku penyerangan. Saksi mata melihat keduanya kabur ke kompleks kuburan Cina di Jalan Talasa, Kelurahan Lawanga, Poso Kota.

Insiden tadi membuat situasi Poso kembali menegang. Sebelum peristiwa itu, penyerangan terhadap siswi SMA di Poso, pertama kali terjadi 29 Oktober silam. Penyerang membunuh tiga siswi Sekolah Menengah Atas Kristen Poso dengan cara memenggal kepala korban. Kepala dan tubuh korban dibuang ke lokasi berbeda.

Pemunuhan sadis itu terungkap berkat teriakan seorang siswi SMAK yang selamat dari usaha pembunuhan meski menderita luka parah di bagian wajah. Ketiga korban diduga kuat disergap dan dibunuh saat dalam perjalanan ke sekolah yang berjarak sekitar sembilan kilometer dari rumah mereka. Tubuh ketiga siswi yang mengenakan seragam Pramuka tersebut ditemukan di Jalan Bumboyo, Kelurahan Bukit Bambu, oleh seorang warga setelah mendengar teriakan minta tolong korban yang selamat [baca: BELUM ADA TERSANGKA PEMBUNUH SISWI SMAK POSO].

Satu jam kemudian warga menemukan potongan kepala ketiga siswi di dua tempat berbeda. Dua kepala ditemukan di Kecamatan Lage, sekitar 100 meter dari Markas Kepolisian Sektor Lage. Sementara satu lainnya ditemukan di Kelurahan Kasiguncu, Kecamatan Poso Pesisir, sekitar 15 kilometer dari lokasi penemuan tubuh. Ketiga korban meninggal adalah siswi kelas 1 dan 3 SMAK GKST Poso. Mereka adalah Theresia Morangke (15) kelas 1, Yarni Sambue (15) kelas 1, dan Alfita Puliwu (17) kelas 3. Korban selamat adalah Noviana Malewa (17). Ia menderita luka parah akibat bacokan di bagian pipi.

:(

We need to find these barbarians and hang them by their balls.