Tiarma Siboro, Jakarta – Muslim hard-liners have continued intimidating the Liberal Islam Network (JIL), an organization that promotes pluralism and liberalism in the country, after fai

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung/Jakarta – The closure of churches in Bandung and surrounding areas over the past two years has caused concern among people of different faiths who consider the

Tony Hotland, Jakarta – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has joined the chorus in condemning the much-criticized forced closure of dozens of neighborhood churches in West Java, saying

ID Nugroho, Surabaya – The Malang District Court handed down a two-year prison sentence for a Muslim cleric who was charged with despoiling Islam, by leading prayers both in Bahasa Indo

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

Kalinga Seneviratne, Jakarta – Ever since Indonesia's highest Islamic authority, the Indonesian Ulama Council (MUI), issued 11 fatwas or edicts against liberal Islam, a fierce debate ha

Yuli Tri Suwarni, Bandung – Despite laws banning people from taking the law into their own hands and recognizing freedom of religion, police in West Java have admitted to helping Muslim

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government will not ban the teachings of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI) nor dissolve the group, but will let the government-sanctione

Jakarta – Despite the ongoing controversy surrounding the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI)'s edicts against secularism, pluralism and liberalism, the Indonesian Council for Islamic Propag

Jakarta – After seven long hours, the members of the Islamic Liberal Network (JIL) felt relieved, at least for the day.

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 organi

Jakarta – The highest Islamic authority in Indonesia has been criticised by the world's largest Muslim organisation over its controversial edicts against "liberal Islamic thought," a re

Figures from various religions, including Muslim scholars Dawam Rahardjo and Syafii Anwar, and priest Anand Krishna, attended the event on Thursday.

Hera Diani and Slamet Susanto, Jakarta, Yogyakarta – More condemnation has been heaped on the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for issuing draconian fatwas outlawing liberal Islamic thoug

Concluding its seventh congress last week, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) issued eleven fatwa that sparked concern over its increasingly conservative stance.

Tiarma Siboro and Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Interfaith leaders condemned on Friday the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for its issuance of fatwas on Thursday that outlawed liber

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 outlawi

Jakarta – Regional offices of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) are calling for strong measures to prevent Muslims from converting to other religions.

Nani Afrida, Banda Aceh – Sharia police said on Sunday they had rounded up at least 36 unmarried women and men for dating in secluded, poorly-lit areas in Bireuen regency, Aceh province

Theresia Sufa, Bogor – A member of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) said on Friday that looking at the preliminary evidence, last week's attack on the Ahmadiyah comp

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – The government condemned on Saturday an attack by members of Indonesian Muslim Solidarity on the Jamaah Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI) on Friday afterno

Hera Diani, Jakarta – How much violence in this country is committed in the name of religion?

Mohamad Mova Al 'Afghani, Jakarta – The recent caning of people convicted for gambling offences in Aceh has sparked controversy about the extent of the implementation of sharia law ther

Muninggar Sri Saraswati, Jakarta – Haj pilgrims will have to pay more in the upcoming haj season, even though the government has recorded Rp 525 billion (US$54.17 million) in unused haj

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Indonesian Muslims donate about Rp 19.3 trillion (about US$2 billion) annually, but poor management prevents much of this money from really helping the poor, accor

Jakarta – Thousands of Indonesian Muslims staged rally outside the US embassy in Jakarta on Sunday, condemning the alleged desecration of the Muslim holy book Koran by American soldiers

Meidyatama Suryodiningrat – This goes beyond a simple case of an "oddball" preacher in Malang leading prayers in Arabic and Bahasa Indonesia.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The current uncertain relationship between the state and Islam stems from the Soeharto regime's unclear vision about how it dealt with extremist movements, Muslim

Hera Diani, Jakarta – They fight "infidels", they rail against city nightlife, and now they have turned their overzealous worldview against popular soft rock band Dewa.

Jakarta – Several Islamic organizations, led by well-known vigilante group the Islam Defenders Front (FPI), have reported popular rock band Dewa to the city police for alleged blasphemy

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Muslim clerics continue to be one of the major stumbling blocks in gender equality in Indonesia, the world's biggest Muslim country, hence moderate Muslim leaders

Hera Diani, Jakarta – The reaction continued on Tuesday to the news that a woman led a mixed-gender Friday prayer service in New York last week, with Muslim scholars calling for more pu

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Liberal Muslim scholars here welcomed on Monday the news of a woman leading a mixed-gender Friday prayer service in New York last week.

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Conservative religious understanding and cultural elements have hampered the development of the political role of women here, the Women's Research Institute (WRI)

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Prominent Muslim scholars threw their weight behind a demand for the revival of the alternative draft Islamic law code, which they say will encourage gender equali

Hera Diani, Jakarta – Women activists are seeking to revive an alternative draft for an Islamic code of law (KHI), which they say would help reduce domestic violence cases.

Jakarta – With US helicopters dropping noodles instead of bombs and soldiers carrying rice rather than guns, the United States was confident its enormous efforts to help Asian tsunami v

Philip Cornford, Banda Aceh – "They come as angels. They are our friends," said Almascaty after the fundamentalist's first meeting yesterday with an Australian army captain.

Vaudine England – Father Fernando, aged 70, is more comfortable speaking Indonesian or his native Italian, rather than English.

Apriadi Gunawan, Medan – An Islamic extremist group led by elderly cleric Abu Bakar Ba'asyir, currently standing trial in Jakarta on terror charges, has established dozens of new branch

Jakarta – Fears of attacks by Islamic militants are forcing some Christians in Indonesia to abandon traditional churches in favour of more discreet and secure venues this Christmas.

Jakarta – A group of Muslim hard-liners called on the House of Representatives on Wednesday to begin work on a bill that would limit the construction of other religions' places of worsh

Marwaan Macan-Markar, Bangkok – The new leader of the world's most populous Muslim country, Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, has a serious challenge ahead, having stepped

Yogyakarta – About 2,000 people from a range of Islamic organizations in the province staged a protest here on Friday against gambling after the police chief let a suspected gambling op

Muhammad Nafik, Jakarta – Although it is emerging as the world's largest Muslim democracy, the country still has a long way to go until it plays a greater role in the Muslim world and o

Devi Asmarani, Yogyakarta – Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono yesterday urged religious leaders to play a strong role to build tolerance in their communities in the fight ag

Religious leaders from 13 countries gathered in the heartland of Indonesia's al-Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah group to discuss how to combat sectarian extremism.

Kurniawan Hari, Jakarta – Scholars on Islamic studies warned on Saturday that religious radicalism would continue to grow over the next few years, partly due to perceived unfair treatme

M.

Jakarta – An Indonesian Islamist group said yesterday it was sending volunteers to help Iraq's resistance forces.