Review of Ã¢â‚¬å“the Hijab as Cultural Edict Not Islamic Obligationã¢â‚¬â by Laila S Dahan

At first sight these two weather condition seem to be somewhat contradictory but Soekarno, Indonesia'southward first president, resolved this issue by hypothesizing that every organized religion (including 'soft polytheistic' Hinduism) essentially has one highest Supreme Beingness to which ane subjects oneself.

Although Republic of indonesia is not an Islamic state, Islamic principles exercise influence political conclusion making. Moreover, sure hardcore Muslim groups have been able to influence political and judicial determination making through (the threat of) violence.

I peculiarity of the Indonesian authorities's stance on (freedom of) religion is that it recognizes half-dozen official religions just (namely Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism). Every Indonesian is required to embrace 1 of these religions as information technology is mandatory personal data that is mentioned in official documents such equally passports and other identification cards.

Atheism is not an choice and constitutes a socially unacceptable ideology in Indonesia (all the same at that place is no law that bans atheism). In recent years it has happened that Indonesians who published atheist worldviews on social networks were threatened by their local community and arrested by the law on charges of blasphemy; charges that tin lead to imprisonment.

Composition of Indonesia's Six Official Religions

	Percent share (of total population)	Absolute numbers (in millions)
Muslim	87.2	207.two
Protestant	half dozen.nine	16.v
Catholic	ii.9	6.9
Hindu	1.7	4.0
Buddhist	0.vii	1.vii
Confucian	0.05	0.1

^{Source: Statistics Republic of indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik), Population Demography 2010}

It should be emphasized, even so, that the Indonesian followers of in a higher place-mentioned religions practise non form coherent groups. For example, there are many strict Muslims who focus on the mosque, scripture and ritual and therefore Islam plays an important role in their daily activities and lives. However, there are besides many moderate or cultural Muslims in Indonesia who are Muslim according to their identity cards and who identify with the Muslim civilisation due to their family background only who rarely pray, rarely visit the mosque, and rarely read the Quran. The same stardom tin can be found in the other religions.

Although not acknowledged by the government there also still exist forms of animism in several parts of Indonesia. Various varieties of animism were already practiced in the region before the arrival of Hinduism (Hinduism arrived in the archipelago through a merchandise network stretching from China to India in the get-go century of the Mutual Era). All the same, over the course of centuries these animist streams have blended with the mainstream monotheistic religions (and Sufi Islam), resulting in several specific local conventionalities-systems such as Kejawen in Java and Kaharingan in Kalimantan (adept by Dayaks). In order to comply with the Pancasila (which stipulates "the belief in the one and only God"), animists tend to exist classified as Hindus because this religion is more flexible to absorb these streams.

Religions & Violence

Unfortunately, religion has also been the crusade of much violence throughout the history of Indonesia. Regarding Indonesia's recent history, one of import turning point can exist discerned. After the fall of president Suharto's New Order regime (which was marked by a stiff central government and a weak civil society) radical Islamic voices and violent (terrorist) acts - previously largely suppressed by the government - establish their way to the surface in the form of bomb attacks and other threats.

In the era of Reformation, Indonesian media have reported frequently most attacks by radical Muslims on minority communities such as the Ahmadiyya customs (a stream within Islam) or Christians. Moreover, perpetrators or instigators of such vehement acts sometimes receive very short prison sentences only. These issues take received international attention as several governments, organizations and media have expressed business concern over the ensuring of freedom of organized religion in Republic of indonesia.

However - as bloodcurdling as information technology may be - such religious violence is the exception rather than the rule and it should be stressed that, by far, the majority of the Indonesian Muslim community is highly supportive of a religious pluralist and peaceful society. For a detailed account regarding violent Islamism in Indonesia visit our Radical Islam section. Lastly, it should be mentioned that religious intolerance or discrimination in Indonesia also takes non-tearing forms such equally the difficulty of building places of worship that are non-Islamic in areas that are mainly occupied by Muslims (and vise versa). Yet, any minority in whatever country will, most probable, accept to deal with discriminatory actions, and Republic of indonesia is no exception to this 'rule'.

Islam in Indonesia

By far the majority of the Indonesian population is Muslim. This does, nevertheless, not mean that it constitutes a coherent group. As the diverse regions in Indonesia are marked by carve up histories and therefore captivated different influences, the upshot regarding the Islamic faith has been different as well. Although a process of PAN-Islamization has been continuing for a number of centuries up to the present, Indonesia has not lost its diverseness of Islamic varieties.

At that place are currently more than 207 million Muslims living in Indonesia, mostly Sunni Muslims. Trade played a crucial part in the Islamization process of Indonesia. All the same, this was not a quick and easy process and was sometimes forced by the power of the sword. The process of Islamization of Indonesia occurred in a series of waves involving international merchandise, the establishment of various influential Muslim Sultanates, and social movements.

Read more than nearly Islam in Indonesia

Christianity in Indonesia

One articulate case of the lasting bear upon of European influence and Dutch colonial power on Indonesian social club is the presence of effectually 23 million Christians currently living in Republic of indonesia. Christianity is the 2d-largest religion in Indonesia, albeit relatively small compared to the Islam. Indonesian Christianity consists of Protestantism and Catholicism, the quondam being the bulk. These Christian communities tend to cluster in the eastern office of Indonesia.

Although there accept occurred some fierce incidents betwixt Muslims and Christians, most notoriously the 1999-2002 Muslim-Christian conflict in the Moluccas, also equally the forced closure of several churches over the years, worshipers of both religions generally live in social harmony across the country. Apart from the traditional (mainline) church, the charismatic motion (which - like Pentecostals - puts emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit) has a growing following in the bigger cities of Indonesia.

Read more nigh Christianity in Indonesia

Hinduism in Indonesia

Of all official religions Hinduism has the longest history in the archipelago. However, on most Indonesian islands this chapter in its history has been erased by fourth dimension or conquest. The only exception being the island of Bali. Until the present day almost inhabitants of this island (known as 'island of the Gods') practice Balinese Hinduism. Besides Bali's beautiful countryside and beaches, this Balinese Hinduism is a major reason for tourists to visit the island.

Before Hinduism and Buddhism arrived in the Archipelago, the indigenous population expert forms of animism. However, when Hinduism arrived in the western office of the archipelago through a trade network that stretched from China to India in the first century of the Common Era, local rulers considered this new organized religion as a tool that could raise their power. Past representing themselves equally Hindu deities, they managed to grow their status.

Read more about Hinduism in Republic of indonesia

Buddhism in Indonesia

Only 0.7 percentage of the Indonesian population - or one.7 million individuals - are Buddhists. Indonesia's Buddhist communities are full-bodied in Riau, the Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung, North Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Jakarta. The clear majority of Indonesian Buddhists consist of the ethnic Chinese customs. In fact there are many Chinese who actually practice Taoism and Chinese folk religion merely are classified as Buddhist as the Indonesia regime does not recognize these streams.

The history of Buddhism and Hinduism in Indonesia is highly intertwined. In the second century of the Common Era Buddhism spread to Southeast Asia through the same trade networks that had brought Hinduism to the archipelago one century earlier. The early on maritime empire of Srivijaya on Sumatra served as a Buddhist learning center for Chinese monks in the seventh century. One century afterward the impressive Borobudur temple was built by the Sailendra dynasty in Central Java, while in the 15th century the 1000 Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit empire ruled a big part of the Archipelago. There are various sites on Sumatra and Java where you tin observe Buddhist remnants from between the 2d - 15th century. Starting from the 16th century Islam became the dominant religion on Sumatra and Coffee.

Confucianism in Indonesia

Similar to Buddhism, not everyone will hold that Confucianism is a religion (many adopt to think of it as a belief or philosophy). However, the Indonesian government acknowledges it as ane of the six country religions. It is interesting to note that the government's opinion on Confucianism has been ambiguous. Nether President Soekarno information technology was one of the state religions. However, information technology was de-recognized past the Suharto regime every bit the government tried to restrict expressions that originated from China (including the Chinese language, celebrations, and names) in order to preclude the emergence of clashes betwixt the native Indonesians and ethnic Chinese (although forming less than 3 pct of the Indonesian population, this Chinese minority gained a disproportionately big share in the nation'due south economy). Those who skilful Confucianism therefore "changed" their religion to Buddhism or Christianity (on their identity cards only). In 2006 the authorities, again, recognized Confucianism every bit one of the state's official religions.

Confucianism was brought to the Archipelago (from people's republic of china), primarily by Chinese merchants and immigrants starting from the 3rd century of the Common Era.

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Source: https://www.indonesia-investments.com/culture/religion/item69