July 14, 2015 edition
Noor Huda Ismail
The Jokowi administration hopes Nusantara Islam (IN) will be the key to success in the state's de-radicalization efforts, which have often been labelled as a series of failures. De-radicalization efforts thus far have been considered ineffectual for two reasons. First, efforts were unable to eliminate the threat of terrorism since the first Bali bombing in 2002, and second, the program has not prevented hundreds of Indonesians from travelling to Syria and Iraq to fight with IS and An Nusro.
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More Column articles in other editions
July 7, 2015 edition
June 30, 2015 edition
Dian Ayu Yustina*
Recent shifts in the global economy has put considerable pressure on the rupiah. Issues ranging from the potential rise in the US dollar interest rate, China's weakening growth to the uncertainty of Greece's debt negotiations, have all weakened the rupiah. We have seen the currency dropping to Rp13,367 per US dollar, its weakest level since the 1997-98 Asian financial crisis.
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June 23, 2015 edition
Dewi Anggraeni*
I see manifestations of racist sentiment regularly. No, I don't mean the vulgar 'Go back to where you come from' or the 'You speak very good English. Where did you learn it?' types. I mean the kind of racist sentiment stirred by the resentment of having to involuntarily change the way one has lived for decades, and not knowing how extensive the change was going to be. In places where there has been a large mix of races seen for a long time, the original local residents are much more blas. Maybe they see that the development has not caused them too much inconvenience, let alone grief. And more importantly, they are involved in the change itself, so they know at least roughly what direction it is taking.
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May 19, 2015 edition