Glodok was once the vibrant heart of this capital city’s Chinese community. Yet, a full decade since Chinese New Year became a public holiday in Indonesia, Jakarta’s historic Chinatown is a faint shadow of its once-bustling self. To be sure, there are sp

Devotion: Balinese Hindus pray to the goddess Quan Im, who is believed to be the immortal Princess Kang.Millenia ago a Singaraja- based Chinese merchant’s daughter caught the eye of Bali’s King Sri Jayapangus. Despite a ban on intermarriage in Bali durin

As millions of Chinese-Indonesians celebrate the 15 days of Lunar New Year festivities that began on Monday, they should observe a moment’s silence to remember former President Abdurrahman Wahid, whose decree allowed them to again mark the occasion publi

The Indonesian Protestant Church Union, locally known as PGI, counted 54 acts of violence and other violations against Christians in 2011, up from 30 in 2010. The number of such incidents against religious minorities in general also grew, from 198 in 201

The bumper sticker, which read “we need a friendly Islam, not an angry Islam,” was reportedly a souvenir from the family of late former President Abdurrahman Wahid. As GKI Yasmin spokesman Bona Sigalingging told the Jakarta Globe, the stickers were passe

Moderate muslim groups In Indonesia are supporting a Presbyterian church which was not allowed to hold Christmas Day services in the city of Bogor. Hardline Islamic groups opposed to the presence of a Christian church demonstrated outside the closed chur