In Bandung, Activists Fight Prostitution
Underage prostitution is booming in Bandung, the capital of West Java. Three different nongovernmental organizations have interviewed over 700 underage prostitutes and found that most are not in it just for the money. Most of them come from a broken family. Prostitution provides the girls with an escape from domestic… Read more
Brothers From Papua Trafficked for Islam
Two brothers from Papua, Demianus and Seth, have recently escaped pesantrens (Islamic boarding schools) and are now telling their stories. The brothers’ parents died when they were young, and their uncle approached them and said he had a way that they could receive a free education, but they had to… Read more
Mount Kelud Erupts
A second volcano has erupted in Indonesia. Mount Kelud in East Java violently erupted Thursday evening. The eruption could be heard up to 125 miles away. One Indonesian described it as sounding like “…thousands of bombs exploding.” The ash has spread as far as west as Yogyakarta, with some villages… Read more
Aceh Fully Enforces Sharia
The Aceh provincial administration and legislative council have approved the Qanun Jinayat (behavior-governing bylaw), which means that both Muslims and non-Muslims in Aceh must follow sharia. Aceh has enforced sharia for a while now, but it was only enforced for Muslims. Now, non-Muslims must follow it, and all violators will… Read more
Church in Central Java Forced To Stop Services
A small church in Central Java has struggled for more than a decade to keep it’s worship facility. They were excited last month when it re-opened, but their excitement was short-lived. On December 1, a rural church began worshipping together again in their building, but just two weeks later, were… Read more
5 Deaths in Manado and Jakarta Because of Flooding
In Jakarta, four people have died as a result of flooding, including a 5-year-old-girl. Over 2,700 people who have been affected by floods are still in temporary shelters. That being said, the scale of the floods was much smaller this year compared to last year. East Jakarta was most affected… Read more
Shia Muslims In Indonesia Are Still Displaced
Two hundred Shia Muslims have yet to return home. Although the Indonesian president visited the area last month, there have been no follow-up efforts to help the Shi’ites return to their village. They are willing to make peace with the Sunnis in their home, but do not want to be… Read more
The Way of Truth
(Note: This testimony is actually from an Indonesian, written by him in English. Although we have edited it some so you will understand it, we did not edit everything so it would be more authentic.) One afternoon, one of my acquaintances asked me to take a friend of his, Pak… Read more
Mount Sinabung Erupts Again
Mount Sinabung, a volcano in North Sumatra erupted again nine times Monday night and Tuesday morning. In November, the warning level was raised when it started erupting, and some people evacuated then. But as a result of the Tuesday eruption, police and soldiers are forcing everyone to live in a… Read more
Multiple Faiths in Papua
The most eastern region in Indonesia, Papua, has had its share of tribal problems. But the village of Wamena is making strides to build harmony between the Muslims and the Christians who live there, along with the smaller number of Hindus and Buddhists. They have started doing special feasts known… Read more
Indonesian Authorities Tear Down Another Worship Center
International Christian Concern has reported that late last week, local government in South Sulawesi told the members of South Sulawesi Christian Church to stop all worship services. They then began demolishing the church on Wednesday. When the church was built in 1989, a permit was not required because “it was… Read more
Mount Sinabung Erupts
A volcano in North Sumatra, Mount Sinabung, has been erupting all weekend. The volcano’s alert level was raised to a level three on November third. From Saturday evening through Sunday morning, the volcano erupted at least nine times, and then erupted six more times by Monday morning. Now the alert… Read more
HIV Ministry in Indonesia
Agus and Tina (not real names) began ministering to Muslims in East Java in 2009. They began by sharing the Gospel with their neighbors, and began a Bible Study for Muslim Background Believers. It wasn’t long before they decided to begin visiting Muslim HIV patients. Most HIV patients are cut… Read more
Indonesia Is Once Again Demanding Christian and Catholic Schools to Teach Islam
The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) is stirring up controversy again over Christian and Catholic schools not teaching Islam. Last year, the same thing happened in Central and East Java, until parents defended the schools, saying the quality of education their children were getting was more important. The local association of… Read more
Indonesian Non-Stop Prayer Movement Gains Momentum in 500 Cities
Indonesian Christians have united together for an intercessory prayer movement. They hope it will improve relations between Muslims and Christians. Five million Christians are participating in non-stop prayer throughout hundreds of cities. Jeffrey Petrus, an organizer of the movement, said, “24 hours a day, we are praying for the churches… Read more
Singapore Muslims Honor Eid Sacrifice in Indonesia
Eid Al-Adha was celebrated throughout the Muslim world this past Friday. Traditionally, an animal is sacrificed, and the meat is given to poor people. Singapore is such a wealthy country that a group of Muslims went to neighboring Indonesia to perform the ritual. They donated animals on the nearby island… Read more
Sunni and Shia Agree to Bury Hatchet in Sampang
Sunni and Shia Muslims in Sampang, Madura, have signed a peace deal allowing the Shiites who have been displaced to return to their villages. The conflict between Sunni and Shia began on August 27, 2012. On that day, dozens of homes were burned, and two people were killed. As a… Read more
Indonesian Worker in Malaysia Faces Possible Death Penalty
Wilfrida Soik, a 20-year old Indonesian migrant worker, could face the death penalty if found guilty of killing her employer. Originally the court was expected to give its verdict on Monday, but has now been adjourned to November 17th because of new evidence. One of the new pieces of evidence… Read more
Islamic Solidarity Games in Indonesia
The Islamic Solidarity Games are going on in Indonesia right now. After changing the location several times, it was finally decided to hold them in Palembang, South Sumatra. Some have expressed concern over the Palembang complex, which was used for the Southeast Asian Games in 2011, where many athletes suffered… Read more
Embassies Warn of Attacks During Miss World Contest
The Miss World competition is going on in Bali right now. Originally, part of it was going to take part in Bali and part in the outskirts of Jakarta. But because of protests in Jakarta against the competition, the organizers decided to keep the pageant in Bali the entire time.… Read more