JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network: Preparations to welcome the first year-end holiday season without strict public health rules since the beginning of the pandemic are now in full swing, with the police planning to mobilize personnel to keep people safe during the festivities.
JAKARTA (The Jakarta Post/Asia News Network): The United Indonesia Coalition (KIB), one of the first political party alliances to be formed ahead of the 2024 general election, says it is committed to sticking together until the election while keeping open the option of nominating a popular political outsider as a presidential candidate.
Open search
Photo from official Ansor Twitter account.
Islamic Militias Are Protecting Churches In Indonesia
Christmas is coming and so, in Indonesia, one of the world’s largest Islamic militias is mobilizing. Its members are usually young and fit, dress in camouflage uniforms, have military style training and marches and number in the hundreds of thousands. It has about twice as many personnel as all the Indonesian armed forces combined. These militia members are going to gather outside churches.
This sounds like a terrifying scenario, and in parts of the world it certainly would be. But very few, if any, Indonesian Christians are worried about the annual appearance of thousands of militia members on their doorstep. They are more likely to greet them with tea and cake.