Tag: Indonesia

From Surabaya to Cirebon, in Rembang and Jakarta, I was the first Jewish person ever encountered by nearly everyone whom I met. 

Indonesia can use Islam as a source of diplomatic “soft power” diplomacy by promoting moderate, tolerant, humanitarian Islam.

Amid the pomp and ceremony of Jokowi’s inauguration for a second term as President, many analysts conclude that despite trouncing his opponent, Prabowo Subianto, by an 11-point margin in April, the irony is that Jokowi has never appeared weaker – increasingly beholden to powerful vested interests and remnants of the oligarchy with their own agendas.

Indonesia’s struggle to combat Islamic extremist terrorism and the ideology that fuels it requires a multi-layered approach, encompassing military, law enforcement, political and religious/cultural spheres.

Although Indonesia’s election was decisively won by a moderate Muslim, incumbent President Joko Widodo, the divisive campaign and its aftermath revealed underlying currents that may portend trouble for the long-term.

Survey results show nearly 45% of 1,116 Indonesian respondents say they receive fake news and hoaxes every day, and that some 30% of respondents say they have difficulty checking the truth of such reports.

Young people constitute aged from 17 to 35 years represent more than half of all potential Indonesian voters. But in the previous presidential and parliamentary elections of 2014, high percentages of those under 30 didn’t exercise their right to vote. 

The app issue occurs in the context of an ongoing debate about the Islamisation of national political debates.

The dust finally seems to have settled on Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s recent Middle East announcements and it is now possible to take a clear view.

AIJAC guest Brig. Gen. Yossi Kuperwasser of the Jerusalem Centre for Public Affairs discusses embassy moves to Jerusalem and Israeli-Palestinian relations.