ROFIATUS SYAMSIAH
ENGLISH 08
INDONESIA
RELIGION MAP
The
first principle of Indonesia's philosophical foundation, Pancasila, is:
"belief in the one and only God". A number of different religions are
practiced in the country, and their collective influence on the country's
political, economic and cultural life is significant.[1] The Indonesian
Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.[2] However, the government only
recognizes six official religions (Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism,
Buddhism and Confucianism)[3][4][5] and Indonesian law requires that every
Indonesian citizen hold an identity card that identifies that person with one
of these six religions. Indonesia does not recognize agnosticism or atheism,
and blasphemy is illegal.[6] In the 2010 Indonesian census, 87.18% of
Indonesians identified themselves as Muslim (including Shias, Sunnis and
Ahmadis), 6.96% Protestant, 2.91% Catholic, 1.69% Hindu, 0.72% Buddhist, 0.05%
Khong Hu Chu, 0.13% other, and 0.38% unstated or not asked.[7]
With many
different religions practised in Indonesia, conflicts between followers of
different religions arise periodically. Moreover, Indonesia's political
leadership has played an important role in the relations between groups, both
positively and negatively, including the Transmigration Program, which has
caused a number of conflicts in the eastern region of the country.
ü
Islam 87.18%
ü
Protestant 6.96%
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Roman
Catholic 2.91%
ü
Hindu 1.69%
ü
Other 1.The Maritime Silk Road,
connecting India and Indonesia
Historically,
immigration from India, China, Portugal, Arabia, and the Netherlands has been a
major contributor to the diversity of religion and culture within the
country.[9] However, these aspects have changed since some modifications have
been made to suit the Indonesian culture.
Prior
to the arrival of the Abrahamic faiths of Christianity and Islam, the popular
belief systems in the region were thoroughly influenced by Dharmic religious
philosophy through Hinduism and Buddhism. These religions were brought to
Indonesia around the 2nd and 4th centuries, respectively, when Indian traders
arrived on the islands of Sumatra, Java and Sulawesi, bringing their religion.
Hinduism of Shaivite traditions started to develop in Java in the fifth century
AD. The traders also established Buddhism in Indonesia which developed further
in the following century and a number of Hindu and Buddhist influenced kingdoms
were established, such as Kutai, Srivijaya, Majapahit, and Sailendra.[10] The
world's largest Buddhist monument, Borobudur, was built by the Kingdom of
Sailendra and around the same time, the Hindu monument Prambanan was also
built. The peak of Hindu-Javanese civilisation was the Majapahit Empire in the
fourteenth century, described as a golden age in Indonesian history.[11]
Islam
was introduced to Indonesia in the fourteenth century.[9] Coming from Gujarat,
India, Islam spread through the west coast of Sumatra and then developed to the
east in Java. This period also saw kingdoms established but this time with
Muslim influence, namely Demak, Pajang, Mataram and Banten. By the end of the
fifteenth century, 20 Islam-based kingdoms had been established, reflecting the
domination of Islam in Indonesia.
The
Portuguese introduced Catholicism to Indonesia, notably to the island of Flores
and to what was to become East Timor.[12] Protestantism was first introduced by
the Dutch in the sixteenth century with Calvinist and Lutheran influences.
Animist areas in eastern Indonesia, on the other hand, were the main focus
Dutch conversion efforts, including Maluku, North Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara,
Papua and Kalimantan. Later, Christianity spread from the coastal ports of
Borneo and missionaries arrived among the Torajans on Sulawesi. Parts of
Sumatra were also targeted, most notably the Batak people, who are
predominantly Protestant today.[13]
Significant
changes in religion aspect also happened during the New Order era.[14]
Following an abortive coup in 1965 officially blamed on the Communist Party of
Indonesia, around 1/2 million were killed in an anti-communist purge.[15]
Following the incident, the New Order government had tried to suppress the
supporters of PKI, by applying a policy that everyone must choose a religion,
since PKI supporters were mostly atheists.[14] As a result, every Indonesian
citizen was required to carry personal identification cards indicating their
religion. The policy resulted in a mass religion conversions, topped by
conversions to Protestantism and Catholicism (Christianity).[14] The same
situation happened with Indonesians with Chinese ethnicity, who mostly were
Confucianists. Because Confucianism was not one of the state recognised
religions, many Chinese Indonesians were also converted to Christianity.[14]
Indonesia
is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country, with 87 percent of its
citizens identifying as Muslim.[16] Traditionally, Muslims have been concentrated
in the more populous western islands of Indonesia such as Java and Sumatra. In
less populous eastern islands, the Muslim population is proportionally
lower.[17] Most Indonesian Muslims are Sunnis. Around one million are Shias,
who are concentrated around Jakarta.[18]
The
history of Islam in Indonesia is complex and reflects the diversity of
Indonesian cultures.[17] In the 12th century many predominantly Muslim traders
from India arrived on the island of Sumatra, Java and Kalimantan where the religion
flourished between the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. The dominant Hindu and
Buddhist kingdoms of the time, such as Majapahit and Sriwijaya, were in decline
and the numerous Hindus and Buddhists mostly converted to Islam, although a
smaller number, as in the notable case of Hindus immigrating to Bali, moved off
Java and Sumatra.[17] Islam in Indonesia is in many cases less meticulously
practiced in comparison to Islam, for example, in the Middle East region.[19]
Politically,
parties based on moderate and tolerant Islamic interpretations have had
significant, but not dominant success in the national parliamentary elections
in 1999 and 2004. Hardline Islamist parties, however, have had little electoral
success and their bases of support remain. One form of Islam, known as
neofundamentalist,[20] adapted for new ways of thinking about the relationship
between Islam, politics and society. Nonetheless, a number of fundamentalist
groups have been established, including the Majelis Mujahiden (MMI) and their alleged
associates Jamaah Islamiyah (JI).[20] The Islamist Justice and Prosperous Party
(Partai Keadilan Sejahtera or PKS) has a different point of view from the
neofundamentalists, notably the anti-Semitic views and anti-Western conspiracy
theories of some of its members.
Christianity in Indonesia
The
Government of Indonesia officially recognizes the two main Christian divisions
in Indonesia, Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, as two separate religions.
ü
Protestantism
Protestants in Indonesia
A Karonese church affiliated with Karo Batak
Protestant Church (GBKP). Kabanjahe, Karo Regency, North Sumatra.
Protestantism
arrived in Indonesia during the Dutch East India Company(VOC) colonisation in
the sixteenth century. VOC policy to ban Catholicism significantly increased
the percentage of Protestant believers in Indonesia.[13] Missionary efforts for
the most part did not extend to Java or other already predominantly Muslim
areas.[21] The religion expanded considerably in the 20th century, marked by
the arrival of European missionaries in some parts of the country, such as
Western New Guinea and Lesser Sunda Islands.[22] Following the 1965 coup, all
non-religious people were recognised as Atheist, and hence did not receive a
balanced treatment compared to the rest of the citizens.[22] As a result,
Protestant churches experienced a significant growth of members, partly due to
the uncomfortable feeling towards the political aspirations of Islamic parties.
Protestants
form a significant minority in some parts of the country. For example, on the
island of Sulawesi, 17% of the citizens are Protestants, particularly in Tana
Toraja regency in South Sulawesi province and Central Sulawesi. Furthermore, up
to 65% of the ethnic Torajan population is Protestant. The Batak from North
Sumatra is also one of the major Protestant groups in Indonesia. Christianity
was brought by Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen who is known as apostle to the Batak
people and started the Huria Kristen Batak Protestant church in Indonesia.
Chinese Indonesians are also significant part of the Protestant population,
scattered throughout Indonesia with the majority concentrated in major urban
areas. In 2000 approximately 35% of ethnic Chinese were Christian, however
there is continuous increase among the younger generation. In some parts of the
country, entire villages belong to a distinct denomination, such as Adventist,
International Church of the Foursquare Gospel, Lutheran, Presbyterian or
Salvation Army (Bala Keselamatan) depending on the success of missionary
activity.[23] Indonesia has two Protestant-majority provinces, which are Papua
and North Sulawesi, with 60% and 64% of the total population consecutively.[24]
In Papua, the faith is most widely practiced among the native Papuan
population. In North Sulawesi, the Minahasan population centered around Manado
converted to Christianity in the nineteenth century.[25] Today most of the
population native to North Sulawesi practice some form of Protestantism, while
transmigrants from Java and Madura practice Islam
Roman Catholicism in Indonesia
Catholicism
arrived in Indonesia during the Portuguese arrival with spice trading.[22] Many
Portuguese had the goal of spreading Roman Catholicism in Indonesia, starting
with Moluccas (Maluku) in 1534. Between 1546 and 1547, the pioneer Christian
missionary, Saint Francis Xavier, visited the islands and baptised several
thousand locals.[26]
During
the Dutch East Indies (Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie) era, the number of
Roman Catholicism practitioners fell significantly, due to VOC policy to ban
the religion. The most significant result was on the island of Flores and East
Timor, where VOC concentrated. Moreover, Roman Catholic priests were sent to
prisons or punished and replaced by Protestant priests from the
Netherlands.[22] One Roman Catholic priest was executed for celebrating Mass in
a prison during Jan Pieterszoon Coen's tenure as Governor-General of the Dutch
East Indies. After the VOC collapsed and with the legalization of Catholicism
in the Netherlands starting around 1800, Dutch Catholic clergy predominated
until after Indonesia's independence.
Other
than Flores, Central Java also have significant numbers of Catholics.
Catholicism started to spread in Central Java when Frans van Lith, a priest
from The Netherlands came to Muntilan, Central Java in 1896. Initially, his
effort did not produce a satisfying result, until 1904 when four Javanese
chiefs from Kalibawang region asked him to give them education in the religion.
On 15 December 1904, a group of 178 Javanese were baptised at Semagung,
Muntilan, district Magelang, Central Java, near the border of province DI
Yogyakarta. In Java, next to Javanese, Catholicism also spread to Chinese
Indonesian.
As
of 2006, 3% of all Indonesians are Catholics, about half the number of
Protestants at 5.7% The practitioners mostly live in Papua and Flores. The
province of East Nusa Tenggara where the island of Flores and West Timor
located is notable as the only province in Indonesia where Catholics are
majority (about 54.56% of total population).
On
September 22, 2006, there was a massive strike by Catholics, concentrated
mainly on Flores Island following the execution of three Roman Catholic
men.[27] Fabianus Tibo, Marinus Riwu, and Dominggus da Silva were convicted in
2001 of leading a Christian militia which killed at least 70 Muslims in 2000.
However, human rights groups had questioned the fairness of the trial: claiming
that although the three participated in the militia, they were not the
leaders.[27]
Hinduism
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Hindu
culture and religion arrived in the Indonesian archipelago in the first
century, roughly coinciding with the arrival of Buddhism.[28] This resulted in
a number of Hinduism-Buddhism empires such as Kutai, Mataram and Majapahit. The
Prambanan Temple complex was built during the era of Hindu Mataram. The
greatest Hindu empire in the archipelago was Majapahit. The age of
Hindu-Buddhist empires lasted until the sixteenth century, when the
archipelago's Islamic empires began to expand. This period, known as the
Hindu-Indonesia period, lasted for sixteen centuries.[29] The influence of
Hinduism and classical India remain defining traits of Indonesian culture; the
Indian concept of the god-king still shapes Indonesian concepts of leadership
and Sanskrit is used in courtly literature and adaptations of Indian epic
poetry.
Hinduism
in Indonesia takes on a tone distinct from other parts of the world.[30] For instance,
Hinduism in Indonesia, formally referred as Agama Hindu Dharma, never applied
the caste system. It also incorporated native Austronesian elements that
revered hyangs, deities and spirits of nature and deceased ancestors. The Hindu
religious epics, the Mahabharata and the Ramayana, are expressed in uniquely
Indonesian wayang puppetry and dance. In many areas on Java, Hinduism and Islam
have heavily influenced each other, in part resulting in Abangan and Kejawen
traditions.[31]
All
practitioners of Agama Hindu Dharma share many common beliefs, mostly the Five
Points of Philosophy: the Panca Srada.[32] These include the belief in one
Almighty God, belief in the souls and spirits and karma or the belief in the
law of reciprocal actions. Rather than belief in cycles of rebirth and
reincarnation, Hinduism in Indonesia is concerned more with a myriad of local
and ancestral spirits. In addition, the religion focuses more on art and ritual
rather than scriptures, laws and beliefs.[30] Balinese Hinduism also holds to
the concept of Tri Hita Karana, nurturing and maintaining a harmonious
relationship between human and God, human and human, human and nature.[33]
As
of 2007, the official number of Hindu practitioners was 10 million,[34] giving
Indonesia the fourth largest number of Hindus in the world. This number is
disputed by the representative of Hinduism in Indonesia, the Parisada Hindu
Dharma. The PHDI gives an estimate of 18 million.[35] Of this number, 93% of
the practitioners are located in Bali, the majority of the population of which
is Hindu. Besides Bali, Sumatra, Java, Lombok, Kalimantan and Sulawesi also
have significant Hindu populations; most are Balinese who migrated to these
areas through government sponsored transmigration program or urbanized Balinese
attracted to cities in Java, especially the Greater Jakarta area. Central
Kalimantan has a 15.8% Hindu population. The Hindu variant of Kalimantan is
identified as Hindu Kaharingan, although this native Dayak belief may be more
correctly categorized as Animism, rather than Hinduism.[citation needed]
Buddhism in Indonesia
Buddhist
pilgrims performing their rituals at Borobudur
Buddhism
is the second oldest religion in Indonesia, arriving around the sixth
century.[36] The history of Buddhism in Indonesia is closely related to the
history of Hinduism, as a number of empires based on Buddhist culture were
established around the same period. Indonesian archipelago has witnessed the
rise and fall of powerful Buddhist empires such as Sailendra dynasty, Srivijaya
and Mataram Empires. The arrival of Buddhism was started with the trading
activity that began in the early of first century on the Silk Road between
Indonesia and India.[37] According to some Chinese source, a Chinese traveler
monk on his journey to India, has witnessed the powerful maritime empire of
Srivijaya based on Sumatra. The empire also served as a Buddhist learning
center in the region. A number of historical heritages can be found in
Indonesia, including the Borobudur Temple in Yogyakarta and statues or prasasti
(inscriptions) from the earlier history of Buddhist empires.
Following
the downfall of President Sukarno in the mid-1960s, Pancasila was reasserted as
the official Indonesian policy on religion to only recognise monotheism .[38]
As a result, founder of Perbuddhi (Indonesian Buddhists Organisation), Bhikku
Ashin Jinarakkhita, proposed that there was a single supreme deity, Sang Hyang
Adi Buddha. He was also backed up with the history behind the Indonesian
version of Buddhism in ancient Javanese texts, and the shape of the Borobudur
Temple.
According
to the 2000 national census, roughly 2% of the total citizens of Indonesia are
Buddhists, which takes up about 4 million people.[36] Most Buddhists are
concentrated in Jakarta, although other provinces such as Riau, North Sumatra
and West Kalimantan also have a significant number of practitioners. However,
these totals are likely high, due to the fact that practitioners of
Confucianism and Taoism, which are not considered official religions of
Indonesia, referred to themselves as Buddhists on the census.[36]
Confucianism in Indonesia
Confucian
Temple in Bojonegoro, East Java.
Confucianism
originated from China mainland and brought by Chinese merchants and immigrants.
It is estimated as late as the 3rd century AD that the Chinese arrived in
Nusantara archipelago.[3] Unlike other religions, Confucianism evolved more
into loose individual practices and belief in the code of conduct, rather than
a well-organized community religion, or way of life or social movement. It was
not until the early of 1900s that Confucianists formed an organization, called
Tiong Hoa Hwee Koan (THHK) in Batavia (now Jakarta).[3]
After
the independence of Indonesia in 1945, Confucianism in Indonesia was affected
by several political turmoils and has been used for some political interests.
In 1965, Sukarno issued Presidential Decree No. 1/Pn.Ps/1965, in which there be
six religions embraced by the Indonesian people, including Confucianism.[3]
Earlier in 1961, the Association of Khung Chiao Hui Indonesia (PKCHI), a
Confucianist organization, declared that Confucianism is a religion and
Confucius is their prophet.
In
1967, Sukarno was replaced by Suharto, marking the New Order era. Under Suharto
rule, the anti-China policy was applied to gain political support from the
people, especially after the fall of Indonesian Communist Party, which is
claimed to have been backed by China.[3] Suharto issued the controversial
Presidential Instruction No. 14/1967, which practically banned Chinese culture,
expression of Chinese belief, Chinese celebrations and festivities, as well as
forcing many Chinese to change their name. However, Suharto knew how to handle
Chinese Indonesian community that formed only 3% of the population, but gained
a disproportionately large share of wealth and dominant influence in many key
sectors of economy.[39] Yet, in the same year, Suharto addressed "The
Confucian religion deserves a decent place in this country," in front of
the PKCHI national convention.[3]
In
1969, Statute No. 5/1969 was passed and it re-iterated the official six
religions from the 1967 presidential decree. However, it was different in
practice. In 1978, the Minister of Home Affairs issued its directive that there
are only five religions, excluding Confucianism.[3] On 27 January 1979, a
presidential cabinet meeting took place and it firmly decided that Confucianism
is not a religion. Another Minister of Home Affairs was issued in 1990
re-iterating about five official religions in Indonesia.
Hence
the status of Confucianism in Indonesia in the New Order era was never clear.
De jure, there were conflicting laws, as the higher law permitted Confucianism,
but the lower law did not recognize it. De facto, Confucianists were not
recognized by the government and they were forced to become Christians or
Buddhists to maintain their citizenship. This practice was applied in many
places, including in the national registration card, marriage registration, and
even civics education in Indonesia taught school children that there are only 5
official religions.[3]
With
the fall of Suharto in 1998, Abdurrahman Wahid was elected as the fourth
president. Wahid lifted the Presidential Instruction No. 14/1967 and the 1978
Minister of Home Affairs directive. Confucianism is now officially recognized
as religion in Indonesia. Chinese culture and all related Chinese-affiliated
activities are now allowed to be practiced. Chinese and non-Chinesd
Confucianists have since then expressed their belief in freedom.
Other religions and beliefs
Kebatinan
or Kejawen (Javanese beliefs) or Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa
(Believer of One Supreme God) is an amalgam of animism, Hindu-Buddhist, and
Islamic — especially Sufi — beliefs. The beliefs is rooted in Javanese history
and spiritualism with the tendency to syncretize aspects of different religions
in search of the common ground. This loosely organized current of thought and
practice was legitimized in the 1945 constitution and, in 1973, when it was
recognized as Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa (Indonesian: Believer of
One Supreme God) that somewhat gain the status as one of the agama, President
Suharto counted himself as one of its adherents. The Kebatinan or Kepercayaan
have no certain prophet, sacred book, nor distinct religious festivals and
rituals; it has more to do with each adherents internalized transcendental
vision and beliefs in their relations with others and with the supreme being.
As the result there is an inclusiveness that the kebatinan believer could
identify themselves with one of six officially recognized religions, at least
in their identity card, while still subscribe to their kebatinan belief and way
of life.
Kebatinan
is generally characterized as mystical, and some varieties were concerned with
spiritual self-control. Although there were many varieties circulating in 1992,
kebatinan often implies pantheistic worship because it encourages sacrifices
and devotions to local and ancestral spirits. These spirits are believed to
inhabit natural objects, human beings, artifacts, and grave sites of important
wali (Muslim saints). Illness and other misfortunes are traced to such spirits,
and if sacrifices or pilgrimages fail to placate angry deities, the advice of a
dukun or healer is sought. Kebatinan, while it connotes a turning away from the
militant universalism of orthodox Islam, moves toward a more internalized
universalism. In this way, kebatinan moves toward eliminating the distinction
between the universal and the local, the communal and the individual.
Animism
Animism
has existed since Indonesia's earliest history, around the first century, just
before Hindu culture arrived in Indonesia.[40] Furthermore, two thousand years
later, with the existence of Islam, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism,
Confucianism and other religion, Animism still exists in some parts of
Indonesia. However, this belief is not accepted as Indonesia's official religion
as the Pancasila states the belief in the supreme deity, or monotheism.[40]
Animism, on the other hand, does not believe in a particular god. The
government of Indonesia often views indigenous beliefs as adat (custom) rather
that agama (religion) or as a variant of a recognized religion.[41] Because the
government do not recognize animism indigenous tribal belief systems as
official religion, as a result followers of various native animistic religions
such as Dayak Kaharingan have identified themselves as Hindu in order to avoid
pressure to convert to Islam or Christianity. Several native tribal beliefs
such as Sundanese Sunda Wiwitan, Torajan Aluk To Dolo, and Batak Malim —
although different than Indian influenced Balinese Hinduism — might sought
affiliations with Hinduism in order to survive, while in the same time also
tried preserving their distinction to mainstream Indonesian Hinduism dominated
by Balinese. In many cases, some of the followers of these native beliefs might
converted to Christianity or Islam, at least registered as such in their KTP
(identity card), but still uphold and performed their native beliefs.
Judaism
See also:
History of the Jews in Indonesia
There
are small unrecognized Jewish communities in Jakarta and Surabaya. An early
Jewish settlement in the archipelago was through the Dutch Jews who came along
for the spice trade. In the 1850s, about 20 Jewish families of Dutch and German
origins lived in Jakarta (then Batavia). Some lived in Semarang and Surabaya.
Several Baghdadi Jews also settled in the island. Prior to 1945, there were
about 2,000 Dutch Jews in Indonesia. In 1957, it was reported around 450 Jews
remained, mainly Ashkenazim in Jakarta and Sephardim in Surabaya. The community
has decreased to 50 in 1963. In 1997, there were only 20 Jews, some of them in
Jakarta and a few Baghdadi families in Surabaya.[42] Jews in Surabaya maintain a synagogue. They have little contact
with Jews outside the country. There is no service given in the synagogue.[43]
Inter-religious relations
Although
the Indonesian government recognizes a number of different religions,
inter-religious conflicts have occurred. In the New Order era, former president
Suharto proposed the Anti-Chinese law which prohibits anything related to
Chinese culture, including names and religions.[44] Nevertheless, positive form
of relations have also appeared in the society, such as the effort from six
different religious organisations to help the 2004 Tsunami victims.
Between
1966 and 1998, Suharto made an effort to "de-Islamicise" the
government, by maintaining a large proportion of Christians in his cabinet.[45]
However, in the early 1990s, the issue of Islamisation appeared, and the
military split into two groups, the Nationalist and Islamic camps.[45] The
Islamic camp, led by General Prabowo, was in favour of Islamisation, while
General Wiranto was in the Nationalist group, in favour of a secular state.
During
the Suharto era, the Indonesian transmigration program continued, after it was
initiated by the Dutch East Indies government in the early nineteenth century.
The intention of the program was to move millions of Indonesians from
over-crowded populated Java, Bali and Madura to other less populated regions,
such as Ambon, Lesser Sunda Islands and Papua. It has received much criticism,
being described as a type of colonisation by the Javanese and Madurese, who
also brought Islam to non-Muslim areas.[8] Citizens in western Indonesia are
mostly Muslims with Christians a small minority, while in eastern regions the
Christian populations are similar in size or larger than Muslim populations.
This more even population distribution has led to more religious conflicts in
the eastern regions, including Poso and Maluku communal violence since the
resignation of President Suharto.
The
government has made an effort to reduce the tension by proposing the
inter-religion co-operation plan.[46] The Foreign Ministry, along with the
biggest Islamic organization in Indonesia, Nahdatul Ulama, held the
International Conference of Islamic Scholars, to promote Islamic moderation,
which is believed to reduce the tension in the country.[46] On December 6,
2004, the "Dialogue On Interfaith Cooperation: Community Building and
Harmony" conference was opened. The conference, attended by ASEAN countries,
Australia, East Timor, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea was intended to discuss
possible co-operation between different religious groups to minimise
inter-religious conflict in Indonesia.[46] The Australian government,
represented by the Foreign Minister Alexander Downer, supported the dialogue by
co-hosting it.
On
the issue of Ahmadiyyah Muslim community, Indonesia has failed to act and
uphold their human rights. Several Ahmadi mosques were burnt in 2008.[47]
Several thousands of Ahmadis have become refugees within their own country in
the past 4 years. The Indonesian government seems to have become hostage to the
demands of extremist Islamic parties.[48][49] There is an internal struggle
going on between moderates and extremists in Indonesia, where the extremists
align themselves with Al-Qaeda and Taliban Islam. They either condone or
directly support violence and terrorism, while the majority remains moderate
and condemns such violence.[50]
There
is however, indications that religious conflicts regarding erection of place of
worships have more to do with business interest than in religious issues.[51]
For example dispute over a Bethel Injil Sepenuh Church (GBIS) in Jakarta was
due to land dispute dating back to 1957, while the Indonesian Christian Church
(GKI) Taman Yasmin dispute in Bogor was due to municipal government plan to
turn the church's area into business district. The Taman Yasmin Church in Bogor
has been upheld and protected by Supreme Court of Indonesia, but the mayor of
Bogor refused to comply the court ruling.[51][52]
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