July 12, 2021
A handout photo. Indonesian student Christopher Reinhart touches a Buddhist stupa at the Borobudur temple in Central Java.
Christopher Reinhart
Indonesia , the world’s most populous Muslim-majority nation, is seeking to preserve and promote the mystical 9th-century Buddhist Borobudur temple in Central Java amid growing intolerance, raising hopes it could escape the fate of Afghanistan’s Bamiyan Buddha statues.
Minister of Religious Affairs Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said Borobudur occupied a significant place of respect for Buddhists and officials were studying how to promote ceremonies “which can be attended by Buddhists all over the world”, as part of plans to strengthen moderation in the country.