Chinese culture and activities were again permitted. [30] Venetian explorer, Marco Polo is credited with the earliest known record of a Muslim community around 1297 AD, whom he referred to as a new community of Moorish traders in Perlak, Aceh. [23], Subsequently, Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian, animist communities and unbelievers bought peace by agreeing to pay jizya tax to a Muslim ruler, while others began adopting Islam to escape the tax. "Kropak 406; Carita Parahyangan dan Fragmen Carita Parahyangan", Makalah disampaikan dalam Kegiatan Bedah Naskah Kuna yang diselenggarakan oleh Balai Pengelolaan Museum Negeri Sri Baduga. [27] There were also significant changes to the relationship during the New Order. Indonesian Christianity consists of Protestantism and Catholicism, the former being the majority. Because Confucianism was not one of the state-recognised religions, many converted to Christianity. Religious minorities, especially those who face additional societal barriers, are experiencing rising levels of intolerance, communal violence and restrictions on fundamental freedoms in Indonesia. [12][13] Based on data collected by the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP), there are about 245 unofficial religions in Indonesia. [73], There are also some international Hindu reform movements, including the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, Sathya Sai Organization,[7] Chinmaya Mission, Brahma Kumaris, Ananda Marga, Sahaja Yoga, and Haidakhandi Samaj. In recent years it has happened that Indonesians who published atheist worldviews on social networks were threatened by their local community and arrested by the police on charges of blasphemy; charges that can lead to imprisonment. [118][119] A positive form of relations has also appeared in society, such as the effort from six different religious organisations to help the 2004 tsunami victims. He claimed that Subud is not a new teaching or religion, but only that the latihan kejiwaan itself is the kind of proof that humanity is looking for. [20] The traders established Buddhism which developed further in the following century and several Hindu Buddhist-influenced kingdoms were established, such as Kutai, Srivijaya, Majapahit, and Sailendra. There are a number of minor religions as well, including Sikhism and ancient native belief systems. In 1978, the Minister of Home Affairs issued a directive asserting there are only five religions, excluding Confucianism. 34/2021 on the Utilization of Foreign Employment, Copyright © Van der Schaar Investments B.V. Delft The Netherlands. [50], Protestants form a significant minority in some parts of the country. Read more about Christianity in Indonesia. The province of East Nusa Tenggara, where the island of Flores and West Timor are located, is the only province in Indonesia where Catholics are the majority (about 54.14% of the total population). During the New Order, President Suharto proposed the Anti-Chinese law which prohibits anything related to Chinese culture, including names and religions. Kejawèn is generally characterised as mystical, and some varieties were concerned with spiritual self-control. These spirits are believed to inhabit natural objects, human beings, artefacts, and grave sites of the important wali (Muslim saints). Several Baghdadi Jews also settled. [40], Shia Islam played an important role in the early period of the spread of Islam in North Sumatra and Java. [38] the orders of Sufism are considered essential. Before Hinduism and Buddhism arrived in the Archipelago, the indigenous population practiced forms of animism. In this way the decree discriminates against non-monotheistic religions including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Bahaism, Zoroastrianism and hundreds of local religions and spiritual movements in Indonesia. Religious Holidays in Indonesia. One century later the impressive Borobudur temple was built by the Sailendra dynasty in Central Java, while in the 15th century the grand Hindu-Buddhist Majapahit empire ruled a large part of the Archipelago. [66] It also incorporated native Austronesian elements that revered hyangs, deities and spirits of nature and deceased ancestors. The history of Buddhism and Hinduism in Indonesia is highly intertwined. For example, the dispute over a Bethel Injil Sepenuh Church (GBIS) in Jakarta was due to land dispute dating back to 1957, while the Indonesia Christian Church (GKI) Taman Yasmin dispute in Bogor was due to the municipal government plan to turn the church's area into a business district. [21], Islam was introduced to the archipelago in the thirteenth century. Over 200 million Islamic adherents populate Indonesia, 99 percent of whom are Sunni. The Dutch East India Company (VOC) regulated the missionary work so it could serve its own interests and focused it to the eastern, Animist part of the archipelago, including Maluku, North Sulawesi, Nusa Tenggara, Papua and Kalimantan. As the various regions in Indonesia are marked by separate histories and therefore absorbed different influences, the outcome regarding the Islamic faith has been different as well. Through it we can go on a leisure trip together. [99][100], Sikhs migration to Indonesia began in the 1870s (guardians and traders). One clear example of the lasting impact of European influence and Dutch colonial power on Indonesian society is the presence of around 23 million Christians currently living in Indonesia. There are various sites on Sumatra and Java where you can find Buddhist remnants from between the 2nd - 15th century. [53] However, in 2009 elections, the PBB ranked only 10th, while parties characterised by moderate and tolerant Islamic interpretations had more significant success, such as the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) coming in 4th with nearly 8% of total votes. Several Ahmadi mosques were burnt in 2008. This resulted in some administrative districts permitting only five religions on the KTP, a restriction that have been programmed into computer databases.[82]. Some clerics invoke the first Pancasila principle to argue that it is illegal, while legal scholars say that the principle was adopted as a compromise between secular nationalist, Muslim and non-Muslim founders, and not intended to ban atheism. Some Jews even converted to Christianity or Islam during the Japanese occupation when Jews were sent to internment camps, and the Indonesian National Revolution when Eurasians were targeted. [77], Confucianism originated in China and was brought to Indonesia by Chinese merchants as early as the 3rd century AD. [62] The largest Hindu temple in Indonesia, Prambanan, was built during the Majapahit kingdom by the Sanjaya dynasty. [97][98] Since 2014, the situation has improved in the form of government plans for possible recognition (there was an erroneous opinion on already held the official recognition of the Bahai in 2014). Semarang (Central Java): 2.067 million. It was not until the early 1900s that Confucianists formed an organisation, called Khong Kauw Hwe (THHK) in Batavia. The Indonesian constitution guarantees all people in Indonesia the freedom of worship, each according to his or her own religion or belief. [113], Although the government recognises several different religions, inter-religious conflicts have occurred. Today, most of the population native to North Sulawesi practice some form of Protestantism, while transmigrants from Java and Madura practice Islam. 14/1967, which effectively banned Chinese culture, including documents printed in Chinese, expressions of Chinese belief, Chinese celebrations and festivities, and even Chinese names. It also contains a collection of deities but in the manifestation of only one Supreme Deity known as the Brahman. Today, most Buddhists are Chinese Indonesians and, to a lesser extent, among the Javanese and Balinese. [2] Most Buddhists are concentrated in Jakarta, although other provinces such as Riau, North Sumatra and West Kalimantan also have a significant number of practitioners. Holidays and Observances in Indonesia in 2021. Starting from the 16th century Islam became the dominant religion on Sumatra and Java. [37] The main divisions of Islam in Indonesia are traditionalism and modernism. [1], Overview of the religion share in Indonesia, Religious composition by ethnic group (2010 Census), Cite error: The named reference "RELIGION" was defined multiple times with different content (see the. Muslim 86.7%, Protestant 7.6%, Roman Catholic 3.12%, Hindu 1.74%, other 0.8% (includes Buddhist and Confucian), unspecified 0.04% (2018 est.) It was the first historically recorded Indianised kingdom in the archipelago, created by an Indian trader following marriage to a local Sundanese princess. Adherents of Protestantism mostly live in North Sumatra, West Kalimantan, Central Kalimantan, South Sulawesi, West Sulawesi, Central Sulawesi, North Sulawesi, East Nusa Tenggara, North Maluku, Maluku (province), West Papua (province), Papua (province). Until the present day most inhabitants of this island (known as 'island of the Gods') practice Balinese Hinduism. [61], Hindu culture and religion arrived in the archipelago around the 2nd century AD, which later formed the basis of several Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms such as Kutai, Medang, and Majapahit. [57], As of 2010, 3% of Indonesians are Catholics, nearly half the number of Protestants at 7%. 1–23. sfnm error: no target: CITEREFEnsiklopedi_Kepercayaan2010 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFAritonang;_Steenbrink2008 (, The 1990 census recorded 87.21% Muslims, 6.04% Protestants, 3.58% Catholics, 1.83% Hindus, 1.03% Buddhists and 0.31% as "Others". They include: The non-official number of ethnic believers is up to 20 million. Composition of Indonesia's Six Official Religions, Source: Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik), Population Census 2010. Moreover, Roman Catholic priests were sent to prisons or punished and replaced by Protestant clergy from the Netherlands. The underlying claim was that five decades of Saudi Arabia’s religious influence in Indonesia was responsible for all these things. [96], The community is subject to a measure of government discrimination. On 27 January 1979, a presidential cabinet meeting decided that Confucianism is not a religion. On May 8, 2020, Indonesia’s Ministry of Manpower issued Regulation No. They adopted a syncretic version of Islam, [33] while others left and concentrated as communities in islands that they could defend, for example, Hindus of western Java moved to Bali and neighbouring small islands. Religions in Indonesia developed regionally rather than nationally because modern day Indonesia was neither unified nor independent until 1949. [8] There are also pro-Sharia movements in other parts of the country with overwhelming Muslim majorities. The government continues to prosecute blasphemy allegations and to impose disproportionate prison sentences. [14], Indonesian law requires its citizens to have a KTP that identifies them with one of the six religions, but they are able to leave that section blank. Although not acknowledged by the government there also still exist forms of animism in several parts of Indonesia. Unfortunately, religion has also been the cause of much violence throughout the history of Indonesia. This loosely organised current of thought and practice was legitimised in the 1945 constitution and, in 1973, when it was recognised as Kepercayaan kepada Tuhan Yang Maha Esa (Believer of One Supreme God) that somewhat gain the status as one of the agama. Frederick, William H.; Worden, Robert L., eds. There are many different religions, but the most popular is Christianity, followed by an … [45] The community has had an influential history in Indonesia's religious development, yet in modern times it has faced increasing intolerance from religious establishments and physical hostilities from radical Muslim groups. It is a religious holiday that commemorates the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven. Being deemed divisive, the 1961 census data regarding religion was not published. [41] Currently, there are approximately 1-3 million Twelvers in Sumatra, Java, Madura and Sulawesi islands, and also Ismailis in Bali, which approximates more than 1% of the total Muslim population. The meeting, attended by ASEAN countries, Australia, East Timor, New Zealand and Papua New Guinea was intended to discuss possible cooperation between different religious groups to minimise inter-religious conflict in Indonesia. Both are supported by Indonesia's two largest Islamic civil society groups Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, respectively. Unlike other religions, Confucianism evolved more into loose individual practices and belief in the code of conduct, rather than a well-organised community with a sound theology—akin to a way of life or social movement than a religion. Moreover, perpetrators or instigators of such violent acts sometimes receive very short prison sentences only. [117] On the issue of the Ahmadiyya , Indonesia has failed to act and uphold their human rights. By the end of the fifteenth century, 20 Islam-based kingdoms had been established, reflecting the domination of Islam in Indonesia. [7] Indonesia does not recognise agnosticism or atheism, and blasphemy is illegal. These include the belief in one Almighty God (Brahman), belief in the souls and myriad of local and ancestral spirits and karma or the belief in the law of reciprocal actions, rather than belief in cycles of rebirth and reincarnation. Moreover, certain hardcore Muslim groups have been able to influence political and judicial decision making through (the threat of) violence. By far the majority of the Indonesian population is Muslim. [31] Over the 15th and 16th century, the spread of Islam accelerated via the missionary work of Maulana Malik Ibrahim (also known as Sunan Gresik, originally from Samarkand) in Sumatra and Java and Admiral Zheng He (also known as Cheng Ho, from China) in north Java, as well as campaigns led by sultans that targeted Hindu-Buddhist kingdoms and various communities, with each trying to carve out a region or island for control. Around 95% of Indonesians are Native Indonesians, with 40%Javanese and 15% Sund Atheism is not an option and constitutes a socially unacceptable ideology in Indonesia (however there is no law that bans atheism). Although there were many varieties circulating in 1992, Kejawèn often implies pantheistic worship because it encourages sacrifices and devotions to local and ancestral spirits. [116], Nevertheless, the 2010 report to the United States Congress by the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom noted attacks against the Shia communities in Indonesia, particularly in East Java and Madura. [6] Consequently, atheists in Indonesia experience official discrimination in the context of registration of births and marriages and the issuance of identity cards. It is interesting to note that the government's stance on Confucianism has been ambiguous. Beth Shalom closed in 2009 after radical groups protested against Israel's assault on Gaza that year. Hinduism is the most dominant religion in India. Despite constitutionally guaranteeing freedom of religion,[10] the government recognises only six official religions: Islam, Christianity (Protestantism, under the label of "Kristen", and Roman Catholicism are treated separately), Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Encyclopedia of Protestantism, p. 824. cf. In 2015, the Supreme Council for the Sikh Religion in Indonesia was founded. In 2016, at a campaign stop during the capital city's gubernatorial election, Ahok stated some citizens would not vote for him because they were being "threatened and deceived" by those using the verse Al-Ma'ida 51 of the Qur'an and variations of it. [35], The vast majority of Indonesian Muslims (about 99%) practice Sunni Islam of the Shafi‘i school. Similar to Buddhism, not everyone will agree that Confucianism is a religion (many prefer to think of it as a belief or philosophy). During the VOC era, the number of Roman Catholicism practitioners fell significantly, due to VOC policy of banning the religion. The government officially recognises the two main Christian divisions in Indonesia, Protestantism and Roman Catholicism, as two separate religions. From this data we can see how the people of Indonesia are. Conversely, it is assumed to be a polytheistic religion that believes in a … Because of this, followers of these beliefs such as Dayak Kaharingan have identified themselves as Hindu as a result to avoid pressure to convert to Islam or Christianity. For example, there are many strict Muslims who focus on the mosque, scripture and ritual and therefore Islam plays an important role in their daily activities and lives. Indonesia's Buddhist communities are concentrated in Riau, the Riau Islands, Bangka Belitung, North Sumatra, West Kalimantan and Jakarta. Jakarta / Fri, July 31, 2020 / 09:04 am. As of 2010, Indonesia boasted a population over 239 million. This practice was applied in many places, including the national registration card, marriage registration, and family registration card. [91], The early Sephardi Jews establishment in the archipelago came from Portugal and Spain in the 17th century. [63], Hinduism in Indonesia takes on a distinct tone from other parts of the world. Population of Indonesia: Results of the 1990 Population (Jakarta: Biro Pusat Statistik, 1992), p. 24, as cited by. Indonesians are citizens or people of Indonesia, regardless of their racial, ethnic or religious background. The latter, led by General Prabowo Subianto, was in favour of Islamisation, while General Wiranto was in the former in favour of a secular state. Although a process of PAN-Islamization has been continuing for a number of centuries up to the present, Indonesia has not lost its diversity of Islamic varieties. In 1979, Soeharto retracted official recognition of Confucianism. It was later designated a heritage site by the Surabaya government, but was demolished in May 2013 without warning as part of a mysterious real estate deal. According to The Indonesian Central Bureau of Statistics, it is projected that Indonesia’s productive population (age 15 to 64) will be 179.1 million people in 2020 and millennials (age 21-36) are contributing to around 63.5 million people. Several Muslim parties formed with Sharia as their ideology and the Crescent Star Party (PBB) came in sixth place in the 1999 elections. We can see what the morals in Indonesia are from the religion that people believe in. Four diverse and contentious sultanates emerged in northern and southern Sumatra, west and central Java, and southern Kalimantan. De jure, there were conflicting laws, because higher laws permitted Confucianism, but lower ones did not recognise it. [115], The government has made an effort to reduce the tension by proposing the inter-religion cooperation plan. Some lived in Semarang and Surabaya. December 24-27, 2020 – Shared Public Holiday for Christmas and Christmas Day . [32] Islam in Indonesia is in many cases less meticulously practised in comparison to Islam in the Middle East. Title: Indonesia Religious Freedom Landscape Report Author: Timothy S. Shah About: The Indonesia Religious Freedom Landscape Report provides a thorough analysis of the legal, political, and social conditions that shape religious freedom in this country and the prospects for advancing it in the future. The community decreased to 50 in 1963 and to 20 in 1997. Many self-styled shamans in Indonesia are scammers and criminals, preying on gullible and superstitious people who were raised to believe in the supernatural. Although there have occurred some violent incidents between Muslims and Christians, most notoriously the 1999-2002 Muslim-Christian conflict in the Moluccas, as well as the forced closure of several churches over the years, worshipers of both religions generally live in social harmony across the country. There are, however, pockets of Christians scattered throughout the country, particularly in Flores, Timor, northern Celebes, the interior of Kalimantan, and the Moluccas. Various varieties of animism were already practiced in the region before the arrival of Hinduism (Hinduism arrived in the archipelago through a trade network stretching from China to India in the first century of the Common Era). He rescinded the 1967 Presidential Instruction and the 1978 Home Affairs Ministry directive, and Confucianism once again became officially recognised as a religion in Indonesia. In addition, the religion focuses more on art and ritual rather than scriptures, laws and beliefs. [69] The majority of Hindus live in Bali. Hinduism includes lots of religious practices, which differ in practice, and consist of different philosophies and sects. [56], Other than Flores, Central Java also have significant numbers of Catholics. miles). [7][108], Although there is no specific law that bans atheism, legal cases in which atheists have been charged with blasphemy for publicly expressing atheist points of view have raised the issue of whether it is de facto illegal to do so according to Pancasila. There are more than 1,300 ethnicities in Indonesia, making it a multicultural archipelagic country with a diversity of languages, culture and religious beliefs. [23], The Portuguese introduced Catholicism in the 16th century, notably to the island of Flores and to what was to become East Timor. After the fall of president Suharto's New Order regime (which was marked by a strong central government and a weak civil society) radical Islamic voices and violent (terrorist) acts - previously largely suppressed by the government - found their way to the surface in the form of bomb attacks and other threats. Smaller numbers follow other schools (madhhabs),[16][36] and the Salafi movement. [49] Although these two branches are the most common, a multitude of other denominations can be found elsewhere in Indonesia. The Foreign Ministry, along with the most prominent Islamic organisation in Indonesia, Nahdatul Ulama, held the International Conference of Islamic Scholars, to promote Islamic moderation, which is believed to reduce the tension in the country. [84], However, "the branches/flows of beliefs" (Indonesian: aliran kepercayaan), including local new religious movements, are partly recognised according to a 2017 decision of the Constitutional Court. The early maritime empire of Srivijaya on Sumatra served as a Buddhist learning center for Chinese monks in the seventh century. Historically, immigration from the Indian subcontinent, mainland China, Portugal, the Arab world, and the Netherlands has been a significant contributor to the diversity of religion and culture within the archipelago. Associate Professor of Religious Studies & International Studies, Indiana University . Sumatra, Java, Lombok, Kalimantan and Sulawesi also have significant Hindu populations; most are Balinese who migrated to these areas through government-sponsored transmigration program or urbanised Balinese attracted to cities in Java, especially the Greater Jakarta area. Apart from the traditional (mainline) church, the charismatic movement (which - like Pentecostals - puts emphasis on the gifts of the Spirit) has a growing following in the bigger cities of Indonesia. The policy resulted in a mass conversion, with most to Protestantism and Catholicism. [64][67] In many areas on Java, Hinduism and Islam have heavily influenced each other, in part resulting in Abangan and Kejawèn (Kebatinan) traditions. In 1965, Sukarno issued Presidential Decree No. It is located in Jakarta and will be led by Rabbi Tovia Singer. Published by R. Hirschmann , Apr 29, 2020. [51][52][50], Chinese Indonesians are also a significant part of the Protestant population, scattered throughout Indonesia with the majority concentrated in major urban areas.