February 14, 2017 edition
THE government has proposed standardizing Friday prayer khatib (preachers or persons delivering sermons) to the House of Representatives (DPR). The proposal, said Minister for Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, is based on reports about certain preachers who might pose a threat to the unity of the muslim community. "We could use the most moderate standards," said the minister.
Lukman said Friday sermons would be used to discredit people, undermining the sermon's essential function to provide religious counsel. "This can potentially create disunity, especially in the midst of Indonesia's diversity," he said.
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February 7, 2017 edition
January 31, 2017 edition
THE clash between the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) and the Indonesian Marginal Society Movement (GMBI) last January has put GMBI's patron Inspector-General Anton Charliyan under the spotlight. FPI demands Anton's removal from his post as West Java's police chief.
The conflict began when the two mass organizations clashed at the gate of the West Java Police Headquarters on January 12. Both groups were present to address conflicting interests. Hundreds of FPI members clad in white garb came to escort their leader Rizieq Syihab, who was being questioned for allegedly desecrating the national ideology, Pancasila. GMBI, together with the Buah Batu Corps and Jaring, were there to demand that police legally process the FPI leader.
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January 24, 2017 edition
January 3, 2017 edition
December 27, 2016 edition