Praying For Indonesia, Author at Praying for Indonesia

Who are the Banten?

When Indonesians hear “Banten”, they often think of the mystical arts. The Banten are basically Sunda who have had a different identity since the time of the establishment of the Banten Kingdom, which broke off from the Padjajaran Kingdom of West Java. The Banten live in Banten Province in the… Read more

Who are the Riau Malay?

The Riau Province of Sumatra is in Central Sumatra. While most Melayu Riau (Riau Malays) live on the mainland of Sumatra, other Riau peoples live on the 3,214 small islands that comprise the province of Riau Islands, just east of the Riau province. The two most developed islands in that… Read more

Who Are the Sundanese?

The Sundanese are the largest unreached people group in Indonesia; their homeland is in the province of West Java. The area inhabited by the Sunda is called “Sunda Land.” The Sunda live near the Javanese, Banten, Betawi, and the coastal Javanese of Kulon. The Sunda are also called Priangan or… Read more

Who Are the Madurese?

The Madurese people are the third largest people group in Indonesia. Most Madurese live on the island of Madura and in the eastern part of the island of Java. Other major pockets of Madurese people can be found in Jakarta, Kalimantan, Sulawesi and even Singapore. “E tembang pote matah, angok… Read more

Who Are The Jambi?

The Jambi people also known as the Jambi Malay or Melayu Jambi, primarily live in central Sumatra. They occupy the regencies of Batanghari, Bungo-Tebo, Sarolangun, Muaro Jambi, Merangin and the capital city of Jambi Province. The Jambi language is part of the Malay language cluster. Their culture has been heavily… Read more

Who Are The Acehnese?

The Acehnese people live on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra in Aceh province. Their provincial capital of Banda Aceh used to be a stopover for Southeast Asian Muslims traveling by ship to Mecca. For this reason the city is sometimes known as “The Veranda of Mecca.” The… Read more

Bali

Bali is the center of tourism for Indonesia. Java is to the west and Lombok to the east. To the south is the Indian Ocean, and to the north is the Java Sea. Bali has world famous beaches, including Kuta Beach, Nusa Dua, and Sanur. In addition to the beaches,… Read more

Don’t Use Loudspeakers During Ramadan

During Ramadan, mosques broadcast the call to prayer and readings from the Qur’an over loudspeakers more than the regular five times a day. People often complain about this, stating that it is hard for them to rest and go about their daily life with this in the background. Indonesia’s hard-line… Read more

Shia Cleric Sentenced to Jail for Blasphemy

A Shi’ite Muslim cleric was sentenced to two years in jail for blasphemy. Human rights groups are urging the Indonesian government to release the cleric and repeal its blasphemy laws. These laws pose a threat to religious freedom and violate the Indonesian constitution promising religious freedom to Indonesians. Ask for… Read more

Sumatra

Sumatra is the westernmost island in Indonesia. It is the largest island that is not shared with another country. Just north of Sumatra is the Malay Peninsula, and Java is to the east of the island. It has a population of just over 50 million, making it the world’s fourth… Read more

Kalimantan

Kalimantan covers about three-fourths of the island of Borneo. Borneo is the largest island in Southeast Asia. Peninsular Malaysia and Sumatra are to the west, the Philippines to the north, Sulawesi to the east, and Java to the south. The rest of the island of Borneo is owned by Malaysia… Read more

Java

Java is the center of government and commerce for Indonesia. Most Indonesians live on this island, making it the most populated island in the world, even though it is far from being the biggest! 138 million people call this island home, with 2,756 people per square mile. In the archipelago,… Read more

Churches Closed in Aceh

A regent in Aceh has ordered the closing of 20 churches. An April 30 order told church members they had to tear down their own buildings. According to the group that gave this order, the churches were violating a community agreement that only one church be allowed in the regency.… Read more

Religion in Indonesia

Officially the Indonesian government allows people to choose from six religions. Those religions are Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and “Chinese Religions”. All Indonesians must choose one of these six religions and it is stated on a person’s identity card. If a person is not religious then he will usually… Read more

Overview of Indonesia

Indonesia is the largest archipelago in the world with over 17,000 islands and approximately 238 million people. There are five main islands: Java, Sumatra, Borneo (which is shared with Malaysia), Sulawesi, and Papua (which is shared with Papua New Guinea). The capitol, Jakarta, is the nation’s largest city and is… Read more

Story of a New Believer

Two Christian friends visited Jon who sells sugar cane drinks. Jon said he remembered the story of Jesus when life went smoothly but not when he was having problems with his children and had no money. Jon decided to accept Christ as his personal savior after one of the Christians… Read more

Extremist Group Recruits Students to Target Christians

An emerging Islamic terrorist group recruits followers among university students and, through brainwashing, prepares them for suicide bombings or bomb attacks against sensitive targets, including Christian churches. It has been confirmed by the Indonesian police that the former separatist movement “NII or Negara Islam Indonesia” – the Islamic state Indonesia… Read more

Indonesian Youths Vow to Avenge Bin Laden’s Death

Scores of Indonesian men rallied on Friday to publicly vow their readiness to sacrifice their lives to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden. The group, calling itself Al Kaida Solo, said it would focus attacks on the United States — but there was no indication that it had the… Read more