In the first half of February 2020 the ‘Indonesian Islamic State (IS) returnees’ were a hot topic in local Indonesian media. Based on international reports, 689 Indonesian citizens have travelled to Syria (or Iraq) in support of the battle of Islamic terrorist group IS (albeit most experts assume that the real number is much higher). The problem now is that many among these 689 Indonesians – including children and women – have become stranded abroad, mostly in Syria and Turkey.

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Nearly one year after US President Donald Trump confirmed the US would recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and move its embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison followed suit by suggesting that Australia plans to make the same risky move. Morrison said Australia is considering to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel and to move its embassy to the holy city.

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On Friday (01/09) markets are closed in Indonesia as the people celebrate Idul Adha, the day of sacrifice. On this public holiday people commemorate a story that is known in both Muslim and Christian circles, namely Ibrahim (Abraham)'s willingness to sacrifice his son, Ismael, to God. At the last moment, however, God intervened and told Ibrahim to sacrifice a sheep instead of Ismael. Ibrahim's act proved his commitment to God.

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I Wayan Dipta, Deputy Production and Marketing at Indonesia's Cooperatives and Small & Medium Enterprises Ministry, believes Indonesian halal food products (halal refers to those products that are produced in accordance with Islamic law) have great potential on the international market over the next 15-20 years due to the growing number of Muslims worldwide.

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This is a sad day for Indonesia. Incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known by his nickname Ahok) was found guilty of blasphemy by the North Jakarta District Court and sentenced to two years in prison. After the verdict Ahok was immediately taken into custody, implying Deputy Governor Djarot Saiful Hidayat now replaces Ahok until the end of his term in October 2017.

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A new large mosque - named Hasyim Asy'Ari Grand Mosque - was opened on Saturday (15/04) on Jalan Daan Mogot in West Jakarta. At the inauguration Indonesian President Joko Widodo emphasized the new mosque has to become a friendly and moderate Islamic symbol in Jakarta and Indonesia, acknowledging the diversity and pluralistic nature of the country, and strengthening the spirit of moderate and tolerant Islam. Although Indonesia has a clear Muslim-majority population, it is also home to millions of Christians, Catholics, Hindus and Buddhists.

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Panic arose in Bandung (West Java) after a low-explosive, homemade bomb exploded on Monday morning (27/02) around 09:00 am local time near Pandawa Park in Cicendo. Indonesian police said there were no casualties. The man who allegedly detonated the bomb fled to an urban community office building before being shot by police about two hours after the explosion (and rushed to a local hospital where he is currently being treated). A second suspect, a woman, fled on a motorcycle. Police is still looking for her.

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A new rally, organized by the Indonesian Muslim Forum (FUI), will be staged on Tuesday (21/02) in front of Jakarta's national legislative complex on Jalan Gatot Subroto in Senayan (South Jakarta). An estimated 10,000 protesters will urge authorities (in this so-called "212 rally") to suspend Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (Ahok). Ahok is currently on trial for blasphemy based on a manipulated video that surfaced on social media last year.

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Starting from 7:00 am local Jakarta time on Wednesday (15/02), the capital city of Indonesia is voting for their next governor. There are more than 13,000 polling places spread across Jakarta to accommodate the 7.1 million eligible voters. Although actually in more than 100 provinces, cities and districts the regional heads are being elected today, most attention goes to Jakarta where ethnic and religious tensions are high due to the participation of incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (better known as Ahok), a Christian, ethnic Chinese politician who is being prosecuted for blasphemy.

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Shares in Asia (as well as US stock futures) are trading lower, while the US dollar is sliding on Monday (30/01) after US President Donald Trump announced to curb immigration into the USA. This move sparked wide criticism at home and abroad, while giving rise to uncertainty about future (unpredictable) US political and economic policies. Since Friday (27/01) refugees from seven predominantly Muslim countries - Iran, Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - are banned (for 90 days) from entering the USA.

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At the inauguration of the People's Conscience Party (Hanura)'s new central leadership board on Wednesday (22/02), Indonesian President Joko Widodo said "Indonesian democracy has recently gone over the top". He referred to the various controversial cases and demonstrations that have emerged in recent months involving hate speech related to race, religion, ethnicity and class.

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Rizieq Shihab, leader of the Islamic Defenders Front (in Indonesian: Front Pembela Islam, or FPI), has been named a suspect of insulting the Pancasila (Indonesia's state ideology) by the West Java branch of Indonesian Police on Monday (30/01). Sukmawati Sukarnoputri, daughter of Indonesia's first president Sukarno, had filed a police report against Shihab after a speech surfaced in which the latter insulted and criticized the Pancasila as well as national hero Sukarno.

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A high profile trial is about to start in Indonesia. On Tuesday (13/12) incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (better known as Ahok), a Christian of Chinese descent, will visit the Jakarta Court for the first day of his trial. Ahok is prosecuted for blasphemy, an offense that carries a maximum prison sentence of five years in Indonesia. After the Vietnamese iced coffee murder case, this is another huge court case followed not only by the Indonesian people, but also by the international community that is concerned about rising intolerance in Indonesia.

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Again we advise people, specifically expats, to stay away from Central Jakarta on Friday (02/12) when another massive rally is scheduled to take place. This second big protest rally, aimed against incumbent Jakarta Governor Basuki Cahaya Purnama (better known as Ahok), may attract more than 150,000 protesters and could become the scene of riots and other forms of violence in the capital city of Indonesia. Many businesses will keep their doors shut on Friday to anticipate the unpredictable situation.

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A total of 13 Indonesians were caned (a punishment under the Islamic Sharia law) at a local mosque in Banda Aceh in Indonesia's province of Aceh on Monday (17/10). These people (seven men and six women) allegedly exhibited behavior that is not allowed by Aceh's local Sharia law. Such behavior includes "too close contact" between unmarried people (such as touching and kissing). Over the past two days pictures of the caning spread in international media, accompanied by concerns about this brutal punishment and the state of human rights in Indonesia.

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The 17-year-old Ivan Armadi who tried to kill a Catholic priest and detonate a self-made bomb during the Sunday service (28/08) in a church in Medan (North Sumatra) is one example of the Islamic State sympathizers that are present in Indonesia. Although the police investigation indicates that there are no direct links between Armadi and existing militant networks within Indonesia or abroad, the case shows that there are so-called "lone-wolves" in Indonesia who are inspired by radical Islamic doctrine and can learn to make bombs from the Internet.

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The stock exchanges of Indonesia and Malaysia agreed to join hands to develop a World Sharia Stock Market Center. Both sides signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on Tuesday (02/08) at the 12th World Islamic Economic Forum (WIEF) in Jakarta. Both exchanges - the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) and the Bursa Malaysia - are eager to establish a global benchmark for Islamic capital markets. This is part of an effort to broaden the usage and availability of Islamic liquidity and products worldwide.

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Next week Indonesia's financial and stock markets are closed for Idul Fitri (also known as Lebaran or Eid al-Fitr), the celebrations that mark the end of the holy Islamic fasting month (Ramadan). As usual, during the Ramadan month (that started in early June) business activities in Indonesia start to slow and this slowdown will reach its "peak" during the Idul Fitri holiday, a national holiday (from Monday 4 July to Friday 8 July) when some 17.6 million Indonesians who live and work in the bigger cities will return to their places of origin for a couple of days (a tradition called mudik).

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Ahead of the Islamic Ramadan and Idul Fitri celebrations, consumption tends to increase in Indonesia. One of the products that is searched for by Indonesian consumers (those who adhere to Islam) is Muslim fashion such as clothes and the veil. In fact, the Indonesian government wants the nation to become Asia's center for Muslim fashion by the year 2018 and the world's Muslim fashion leader by 2020. Muslim clothes are also envisaged to become a key export product. Currently, Indonesia's Muslim fashion exports are still rather insignificant.

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Indonesia's Financial Services Authority (OJK), the government agency that regulates and supervises the nation's financial services sector, is preparing a new regulation that requires conventional financial institutions in Indonesia to spin off their Islamic financial units before 17 October 2024. Islamic finance or Islamic banking is a type of banking that is in accordance to the principles of sharia (Islamic law). Based on the regulation, those financial institutions that generate at least 50 percent of their capital through Islamic finance have to comply with the new rule.

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