Free Republic

An Indonesian court has sentenced the minority Christian governor of Jakarta to two years in prison for blaspheming the Koran at a trial that undermined the country's reputation for practicing a moderate form of Islam.

...Saudi Arabia has, for decades, been making investments of a different sort—those aimed at influencing Indonesian culture and religion. The king’s current visit is the apex of that methodical campaign, and “has the potential to accelerate the expansion of Saudi Arabia’s cultural resources in Indonesia,” .. Since 1980, Saudi Arabia has devoted millions of dollars to exporting its strict brand of Islam, Salafism, to historically tolerant and diverse Indonesia. It has built more than 150 mosques (albeit in a country that has about 800,000), a huge free university in Jakarta, and several Arabic language institutes; supplied more than 100 boarding...

Jakarta - US President Donald Trump will attend three important summits in Asia this November, as a sign of firm and unwavering commitment to building strong foundation shared between US and Asian nations, Vice President Michael Pence confirmed. President Trump is planning to attend the US-ASEAN summit and the East Asia summit in the Philippines, as well as the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Vietnam. "Our relationship without any doubt has benefited both ASEAN and America, diplomatically, economically and from the standpoint of national security," he said while visiting the headquarters of Association of Southeast Asian Nations in Jakarta,...

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) - Vice President Mike Pence praised Indonesia's democracy and moderate form of Islam after meeting Thursday with the president of the world's most populous Muslim nation. The comments, though routine, had significance for Indonesian President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo, who a day earlier suffered a serious political setback when a political ally was defeated by Islamic conservatives in the election for Jakarta governor. The divisive campaign undermined the image of Indonesia abroad as a generally tolerant Muslim nation. ---snip--- Indonesia is on Trump's trade hit list of nations that he considers the U.S. is losing out to in...

JAKARTA, Indonesia — Jakarta’s first Christian governor in generations lost his re-election bid on Wednesday, according to unofficial results, after a heated sectarian campaign that underscored the influence of hard-line Islamists in the world’s most populous Muslim nation. Although the results were not final, early counts showed a decisive victory for Anies Baswedan, a Muslim candidate whose supporters portrayed the race as a referendum on the power of Islam in shaping the politics of Indonesia’s capital.(snip) The incumbent governor, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, was known for tough anti-corruption drives and challenges to hard-line Muslim groups that have taken on an increasingly...

My River flows for you my children and not by any works of your hands but it is by my Grace , if nothing else was done by you " Behold I AM complete in my sacrifice for all " ,therefore die to self and just allow Me to be your first fruit in and through all for I AM your very breath and spirit ! Now just abide in Me " The Vine" and allow Me to love on you where you are right now by just releasing your yoke of works to Me for I AM your Glory...

Tens of thousands of Indonesians gathered at the national mosque in the capital on Saturday for mass prayers urging people to vote for a Muslim governor of the city as the country prepares for regional elections next week. The crowds overflowed from Istiqlal Mosque in the heart of Jakarta into the surrounding streets. Clerics gave sermons calling on people to protect Islam and vote for Muslim candidates. Police denied hard-line groups permission to march through the city. […] Protests against the minority Christian governor of Jakarta drew hundreds of thousands of people to the city’s streets in November and December...

Indonesia's military chief says Australia has apologised over "offensive" training materials used at an army base in Perth. General Gatot Nurmantyo accepted the apology from the chief of Australia's army, the Indonesian military said. Indonesia last month said it had put all defence co-operation on hold, before clarifying the suspension was for one language-training programme. The nation said the materials referenced several sensitive topics. They were "soldiers in the past, East Timor, Papuan independence and 'Pancasila'", a reference to Indonesia's founding philosophy, Gen Nurmantyo said last month.

With more than 16,000 students, Universitas Pelita Harapan is one of the largest Reformed Christian universities in the world. Started just 22 years ago, the university offers a law school, medical school, engineering school, and teachers college—all from a distinctly Reformed worldview. “We don’t even have that in the United States or Europe,” said Ric Cannada, chancellor emeritus for Reformed Theological Seminary. “Here it is in Indonesia. Isn’t it just like the Lord to do something like this in the least likely place—the country with the largest Muslim population in the world?” Though Christians compose only 10 percent of Indonesia’s...

“PANCASILA”, a word that embodies the Indonesian national philosophy, is at the centre of a high-profile spat between Australia and its close neighbour. Many Australians may be scratching their heads at the Indonesia’s reaction to an apparent play on words making fun of their national ideology, but one expert has explained why it’s so offensive. According to Indonesia’s Kompas newspaper, the country suspended relations with Australia in early December after an Indonesian special forces trainer who was teaching at an Australian military facility in Perth discovered writing that insulted Pancasila, the national philosophy. Associate Professor Greg Fealy of the Australian...

Indonesia has suspended all military cooperation with Australia, the ABC reports. The move was reportedly made over 'offensive' training materials on display at an Australian SAS base in Perth. Major General Wuryanto has not confirmed the reason for the suspension, saying it was for technical matters, and that there were "ups and downs in every cooperation between two national forces". According to Indonesian newspaper, Kompas, an Indonesian Special Forces instructor took offence to some “laminated material” at the Perth base.

A Catholic group has filed charges against an Islamic leader for insulting Christianity based on a sermon he gave urging Muslims not to allow Christians to greet them "Merry Christmas."

What is happening? Jakarta’s governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama, better known by his nickname Ahok, will face the first day of his trial on charges of blasphemy on Tuesday. Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, angered religious conservatives after he referenced a verse from the Islamic holy book, Al-Maidah 51 of the Qur’an, on the campaign trail in September. Ahok rather boldly told voters they should not be duped by religious leaders using the verse to justify the claim that Muslims should not be led by non-Muslims.An edited version of that speech was later posted online with several words omitted, making...

Bomb plot by Indonesian terrorists targeted at Jakarta Presidential Palace: Police Jakarta police spokesman Awi Setiyono showing a photograph of the "rice cooker bomb". Jakarta police spokesman Awi Setiyono showing a photograph of the "rice cooker bomb".ST PHOTO: FRANCIS CHAN JAKARTA - The woman arrested by Indonesian anti-terror police in Bekasi, West Java on Saturday with a home-made bomb, had planned to strike at Istana Merdeka in Jakarta on Sunday (Dec 11). The police said the female suspect, identified only with the initials DYN, was given the 3kg "rice-cooker bomb" by two accomplices to mount a suicide-bombing in the capital....

The capital of the world’s biggest Islamic country was the scene Friday of the latest in a series of mass demonstrations by Muslims demanding that the Christian governor of Jakarta be punished for “blasphemy.” More than 22,000 police officers were deployed to maintain control of the “Defend Islam” rally, which drew an estimated 150,000 people. The protesters already chalked up one victory earlier this week, when the Attorney General’s Office announced that it will proceed with a trial against Gov. Basuki Tjahaja Purnama. Unappeased, they continue to demand his immediate arrest. The U.S. Embassy closed its consular section Friday and...

<p>Indonesian police arrested a third Islamic State-linked militant Sunday accused of plotting to bomb the Myanmar embassy in Jakarta, as anger grows at a violent military crackdown on Rohingya Muslims.</p> <p>The militants -- all from a domestic cell affiliated with the Syria-based jihadist group -- had amassed enough explosives to create bombs more powerful than those used in the 2002 Bali bombings, which killed 202 people, police say.</p>

Full Title : Muslim Man Looking For A Christian To Kill Goes To A Church, Finds A Two-Year-Old Christian Girl And Burns Her Alive With A Firebomb Four children were injured in the savage attack on the church. The Muslim who did the attack was wearing a shirt saying “Jihad- A way of life” when he threw the bomb at the toddler: Indonesian police said Monday that one of four young children injured by an Islamic militant’s attack at a church on the island of Borneo has died. East Kalimantan police spokesman Fajar Setiawan said 2-year-old Ade Intan Marbun died...

slamists misquoted a September speech in which Mr. Purnama cited the Quran and started a social-media campaign against him. He has since apologized, and a police investigation is expected to clear him. But the accusation led to Friday’s rally, at which participants openly incited violence against the Governor. Some protesters burned cars and looted shops. Mr. Purnama, who has been the target of assassination plots in the past, is running for re-election in February. His chances are good since he remains popular with Jakarta’s population, especially the middle class. Originally Deputy Governor, he took over when his predecessor, Joko Widodo,...

Democratic Party Conducts Outreach through Leader of Terrorist Group Debbie Wasserman Schultz and company's disturbing embrace of radical Islam. December 7, 2015 Joe Kaufman In a push to do outreach to the local Muslim community, the Florida Democratic Party has officially recognized the American Muslim Democratic Caucus (AMDC), a group based in South Florida with members around the state. While this might look innocuous on its face, AMDC is headed by a woman, Ghazala Salam, who is the leader of a terrorist organization and has deep ties to various radical Islamic institutions. Salam is the Community and Government Relations...

The Missionary: http://www.nachumlist.com/deadpool.htm In January 2007 Senator Obama decided to run for the Democrat Party's Candidacy for President of the United States. But he did not make up his mind until after Lois Anderson, a Presbyterian missionary from Pennsylvania (USA), had been shot dead by the side of a highway outside of Nairobi, Kenya. Back in July 1961 Lois was in the airport getting ready to start her journey back to the U.S. when she encountered a very pregnant American woman desperate to catch a flight to the U.S. She said her name was Mrs.Obama with an odd first name,...