A Sufi Muslim religious school in southern Aceh is now facing discrimination along with the rest of the religious minorities in Indonesia. Sufism is an expression of Islam focused on more mystical practices. On July 5, a dorm was burned down due to arson. Less than a month later, on… Read more

A prayer movement is rising in Indonesia. Twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, Indonesian Christians are praying for their country. In the Jakarta area a building is being used specifically for around the clock intervention. One of the prayer leaders there said the rooms are packed with people… Read more

Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)  is criticizing Islamic Defender’s Front (FPI) for conducting raids in places they deem immoral during the month of Ramadan. Last week one of those raids ended with a pregnant woman being killed in a vehicle accident. Just a few days later, FPI trashed a store in Makassar… Read more

Islamic pressures in Aceh, which is in Northern Sumatra, are becoming intolerable. Within a year, seventeen house churches have been closed, including two Catholic chapels. Threats against Protestant congregations have also been made. Favor Bancin, part of the Indonesian Synod, said, “The behavior of local authorities is a potential threat… Read more

It is illegal to be an atheist in Indonesia. So, how does someone survive as an atheist parent there? The Indonesian Atheist Parents Facebook group was started in April as a result of the growing atheist movement in Indonesia. There are now over seventy members of the group, who discuss… Read more

Last August, the Sampang Shi’ite community were displaced from their homes after their village was attacked. They were then forced to move into the town sports hall. The government has now provided small apartments for the refugees 100 kilometers from their homes. While the apartments are better than the sports… Read more

After months of debate, the Indonesian House of Representatives passed the mass organizations bill into law on Tuesday, July 2. This new law puts the Home Ministry in charge of the government’s integrated information system to screen all mass organizations operating in the country. Many organizations, both Christian and Muslim,… Read more

For the last two weeks, 265 fires have been burning in peat swamp forests and plantations of the province of Riau, Sumatra. The consensus is that the fires were started by companies using slash and burn techniques to make new fields. These fires have caused horrible air pollution throughout Southeast… Read more

A week ago Tuesday, there was a Muslim-Christian conference discussing religious freedom and peaceful coexistence between the two groups in Surabaya. In the middle of the conference that afternoon, a group from the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) stormed the group. They interrupted the activities and threatened every participant, despite the… Read more

In Indonesia, the needs and opportunities for unity have not been fully grasped. Father Antonius Benny Susetyo says, “The Churches fight for their own interests and, therefore, become exclusive.” Some steps toward unity have happened in recent years. The Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI) has 88 congregations with 15… Read more

A suicide bomber attacked a police station in Central Sulawesi on Monday, June 3. It was the first suicide attack in Indonesia since September 2011 when a bomber attacked a church in Central Java. The bomber forced himself into the police station and blew himself up. Fortunately no one was… Read more

Two weeks ago, a tunnel collapsed in Papua. It is the world’s second largest copper mine. Ten workers were rescued, but the rest who were still in the tunnel have died, making the death toll twenty-eight. Although Indonesia’s mining is known for having a poor safety record, industry officials state… Read more

Dr. Michael Youssef is doing a revival in Jakarta May 23-25 at Istora Stadium. The organizer of the revival meetings, Dr. Nus Reimas, says that Youssef is the first evangelist to come to Indonesia with Middle Eastern roots. Although Indonesia is a Muslim-dominated country, God has kept a door open… Read more

As a result of last week’s alleged plot to bomb the Myanmar Embassy, Indonesia’s anti-terrorism unit has conducted several operations to root out suspected militants. The group conducted raids last Wednesday and Thursday in both Central Java and West Java. They have killed seven and arrested another thirteen. The suspected… Read more

It is illegal to an atheist in Indonesia. That being said, there is a growing community that has joined together through social media. They now hold regular gatherings and have become bolder about their beliefs as a result. But Indonesia has an anti-blasphemy law, and recently people have been convicted… Read more