Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Pope Benedict XVI apologized Saturday to Muslims who were offended by a speech he gave in Germany, saying his comments were misinterpreted and stressing his utmo

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – Ending religious violence and promoting peace will take concrete measures, according to the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP).

Leaders of the country's largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and other moderate clerics gathered in Jakarta over the weekend to draw up a common strategy to counter growing

Tony Hotland, Nusa Dua, Bali – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono called on the international media Saturday to play a mediating role in conflicts rather than fanning animosity.

Farid Muttaqin, Athens, Ohio – It is important to begin any discussion on homosexuality in Islam with a look at how some hegemonic cultures and traditions before Islam influenced Islami

Jakarta – Nahdlatul Ulama leader Hasyim Muzadi and Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin have been elected co-chairs of the World Conference on Religion for Peace (WCRP) at its eighth me

Julia Suryakusuma and Tim Lindsey – Indonesia is in the middle of an explosive debate about whether conservative Islamic morality will become enforceable law in that nation of 230 milli

Adisti Sukma Sawitri, Jakarta – As Islamic fundamentalism spreads in Indonesia, the tendency to control women has become so pronounced that even those who have embraced a conservative c

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The majority of Indonesian Muslims still believe a secular state is more suitable for the country than an Islamic or Western-style liberal system, a survey found

Ary Hermawan, Jakarta – The government should take all the necessary measures to prevent Indonesian jihadis from leaving for Lebanon or they will only create more problems when they ret

Panca Nugraha, Mataram – The National Commission on Human Rights has asked the government to guarantee the security of Ahmadiyah followers to ensure members of the religious sect can li

Jakarta – The Jakarta administration will have to rethink its plan to increase public awareness about paying taxes in an SMS reward program after the Jakarta chapter of the Indonesian U

An Indonesian journalist faces trial over his decision to publish cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad.

A group of leaders of different faiths demanded Friday that the UN intervene to put an end to the Israeli military assault on Lebanon.

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Up to 1.3 percent of Indonesian Muslims nationwide admit using violence against people or objects they consider contradictory to their beliefs, a survey fo

Makassar – Hundreds of young people from across the country attended Monday the first congress of the newly formed Association of Young Indonesian Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI Muda).

Denpasar – Members of the Ahmadiyah religious group sought asylum Monday at the Australian diplomatic mission in Denpasar and claimed the government neglected their needs.

An Indonesian Islamic sect which claims it has been persecuted by extremist Muslims met with Australia's consul in Bali to seek support, warning they may lodge pleas for political asylu

M.

Jakarta – Members of the Salamullah religious sect lead by Lia Aminuddin, also known as Lia Eden, reported Wednesday to police that they had been threatened while at the Central Jakarta

Jakarta – The Central Jakarta District Court jailed the leader of a minority religious sect for two years Thursday for blasphemy against Islam, a judgment quickly condemned by her lawye

Jakarta – A number of Islamic social organisations from the Islamic Community Forum (FUI) have visited the offices of the Ministry for Political, Legal and Security Affairs to ask that

Slamet Susanto and Blontank Poer, Yogyakarta – Thousands of Muslims thronged a sermon here Sunday by firebrand cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, who served time over the 2002 Bali bombings.

Jakarta – The second International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) ended with a call for Muslims living in non-Muslims areas to promote their religion as one of moderation and tol

Jakarta – The courts should severely punish members of radical groups convicted of violent offenses, National Police chief Gen. Sutanto says.

Jakarta – Conservative religious leaders are marshaling hard-line Islamic groups to counter the growing public pressure for the government to outlaw organizations that commit violence i

Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta – Leaders of Nadhlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, the country's two largest Muslim organizations, say they are committed to campaigning for moderate Islam to co

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat, Jakarta – Newly installed Jakarta Police chief Insp. Gen.

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – Empowering moderates to speak up in the increasingly divided Islamic world is essential to promote peace and cultivate interfaith harmony, the chairman of Indone

Jakarta – The government will embrace hard-line groups in an effort to persuade them to stop using violence, even though it has already been proven that the groups have broken the law.

Mark Forbes, Jakarta – A beaming Abu Bakar Bashir walked out of the gates of Cipinang jail yesterday, pledging a renewed campaign to impose sharia law on Indonesia in front of hundreds

Solo – A firebrand Indonesian cleric who served time for his role in the 2002 Bali bombings has reportedly called Islamic extremists "misguided" holy warriors, as Australia's prime mini

Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has been released from a Jakarta prison, where he served two years for conspiracy in the 2002 Bali bombings.

Jakarta – Former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid has been reported by conservative clerics to the police for allegedly desecrating the holy Koran.

Robin McDowell, Jakarta – A reputed top leader of an al-Qaida-linked terror group that has been blamed for the 2002 Bali bombings and other deadly attacks walked free from prison Wednes

Abu Bakar Bashir, the firebrand Islamic cleric accused of inspiring the first Bali bombings, has walked free from Jakarta's main prison and into the arms of hundreds of jubilant militan

Gary LaMoshi, Denpasar – Last week was a rough one for jihadis in Indonesia.

Natalie O'Brien – The scheduled release this week of Abu Bakar Bashir, alleged spiritual leader of the extremist group Jemaah Islamiah, could spark a fresh round of terror strikes.

Jakarta – In a rally attended by thousands of people, religious leaders reaffirmed their allegiance to the state ideology Pancasila in a show of solidarity to counter a growing Islamic

A hero's welcome awaits Australia's nemesis, Abu Bakar Bashir, the cleric convicted for blessing the Bali bombing, when he is freed on Wednesday after 251/2 months in an Indonesian jail

Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – The government has issued a warning to members of hard-line groups in the country: You will face the full weight of the law if you promote unruly radicalism or

Jakarta – Amid criticism for his alleged failure to take action, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has expressed concern about the growth of militias who glorify violence in the name o

Indra Harsaputra, Ponorogo – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) on Friday proscribed any movements, either by individuals, groups of people, institutions or organizations, that threaten

Ridwan Max Sijabat and ID Nugroho, Jakarta/Jember – Hundreds of supporters of Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid rallied Friday to demand the government disband the militant Islam Defenders Fr

M. Taufiqurrahman, Jakarta – The government will maintain references to religions on identity cards for the time being, the home minister says.

Jakarta – Religious leaders from the country's major Muslim organizations and activists have demanded President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono crack down on extremist groups that commit viole

Jakarta – An non-governmental alliance protecting religious freedoms reported the Religious Affairs Minister to the National Police on Monday, accusing him of defaming the Ahmadiyah sec

Indra Harsaputra, Banyuwangi – Ulemas organized a mass rally Thursday to demand Banyuwangi Regent Ratna Ani Lestari resign within 24 hours for allegedly blaspheming Islam.

Hasrul, Kendari – The chairman of a local Ahmadiya group says dozens of unidentified people have vandalized the Nur Rabwah mosque belonging to Ahmadiyah followers at Ranowila village, K

Hera Diani, Jakarta – More Christian places of worship have been vandalized or forcibly closed by local Muslims because they have failed to meet the requirements of a controversial mini