Digital Economy: Will Indonesia Soon Have Its Own Silicon Valley? [54], Catholicism arrived in the archipelago during the Portuguese arrival with spice-trading over the 14th and 15th century. 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. [56], Other than Flores, Central Java also have significant numbers of Catholics. [24] Protestantism was first introduced by the Dutch in the 16th century with Calvinist and Lutheran influences. Unfortunately, religion has also been the cause of much violence throughout the history of Indonesia. However, there are also many moderate or cultural Muslims in Indonesia who are Muslim according to their identity cards and who identify with the Muslim culture due to their family background but who rarely pray, rarely visit the mosque, and rarely read the Quran. In 2015, the Supreme Council for the Sikh Religion in Indonesia was founded. [101] Numbering about 7.000 (or between 10.000 and 15.000[7]), Sikhs are not officially recognised by the government, resulting in adherents referring to themselves as Hindus on the KTP. [50], Protestants form a significant minority in some parts of the country. It was the first historically recorded Indianised kingdom in the archipelago, created by an Indian trader following marriage to a local Sundanese princess. Citizens in western Indonesia are mostly Muslims with Christians a small minority, while in eastern regions, the Christian populations are similar in size or larger than the Muslim population. [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. [11] According to a 2017 decision of the Constitutional Court of Indonesia, "the branches/flows of beliefs" (Indonesian: aliran kepercayaan)—ethnic religions with new religious movements—must be recognised and included in an Indonesian identity card (KTP). 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. [49] Although these two branches are the most common, a multitude of other denominations can be found elsewhere in Indonesia. Population of Indonesia: Results of the 1990 Population (Jakarta: Biro Pusat Statistik, 1992), p. 24, as cited by. 5/1969 was passed, restoring the official total of six religions. Christianity was brought by German Lutheran missionary Ludwig Ingwer Nommensen who is known as the apostle to the Batak people and started the Batak Christian Protestant Church (Huria Kristen Batak Protestan). Recognizing six official religions, and around 245 non-official religions, Indonesia is a melting pot of cultures. In 2010, the Religious Affairs Ministry listed 243,199 mosques throughout Indonesia, around 78 percent of all houses of worship. In 2000, Indonesia decided to separately categorise Confucianism only during the enumeration process, but did not actually list this option on the printed form. In many cases, some of the followers of these native beliefs might convert to Christianity or Islam, at least registered as such on their KTP while still upholding and performing their native beliefs. This consequently intensified Indonesia's contact with the religious centers in … It is located in Jakarta and will be led by Rabbi Tovia Singer. [46], There is, however, indications that religious conflicts regarding the building of places of worships have more to do with business interest than in religious issues. In Indonesia, conservative Muslim political parties and radical Islamic groups exert significant influence, resulting in Sharia-inspired policies and public opinion that opposes Christianity.While the government tightens the country’s blasphemy laws, most problems for believers come from confrontations with radical Islamic groups. The sultans declared Islam as a state religion and pursued war against each other as well as the Hindus and other non-Muslim infidels. Christianity is the second-largest religion in Indonesia, albeit relatively small compared to the Islam. Protestantism is mostly a result of Dutch Reformed and Lutheran missionary efforts during the country's colonial period. Jakarta (Jakarta Province): 10.135 million. By far the majority of the Indonesian population is Muslim. [35], The vast majority of Indonesian Muslims (about 99%) practice Sunni Islam of the Shafi‘i school. The intention was to move millions of people from overcrowded and populated Java, Bali and Madura to less populated regions, such as Ambon, Lesser Sunda Islands and Papua. Religions > All: This entry includes a rank ordering of religions by adherents starting with the largest group and sometimes includes the percent of total population. [102], Apart from the orthodox, Sikhism in Indonesia represented the Sikh reformist movement Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB). 126 Ahmadis have become refugees within their own country in the four years before 2012. [45] A separatist group, Lahore Ahmadiyya Movement for the Propagation of Islam, known as Gerakan Ahmadiyah-Lahore Indonesia (GAI) in Indonesia, has existed in Java since 1924 and had only 708 members in the 1980s.[45]. In-depth columns and analyses of Indonesia's sectors, companies and commodities, Updates on political, economic and social matters, For investment ideas and how to realize them, March 2021 Report: Political, Economic & Social Update Indonesia, Indonesian Rupiah, Stocks & Bonds Under Pressure due to Developments in the USA. Several Baghdadi Jews also settled. Before 1945, there were about 2.000 Dutch Jews in Indonesia. The results stated that 86.7% of Indonesians are Muslims, 10.72% Christians ( 7.6% Protestants , 3.12% Roman Catholic) , 1.74% Hindu , 0.77% Buddhists, 0.03% Confucians and 0.04% Others . In the latest population census data, 87 percent of Indonesians declared themselves to be Muslim, followed by 9.87 percent who were Christian. For a detailed account regarding violent Islamism in Indonesia visit our Radical Islam section. Before Hinduism and Buddhism arrived in the Archipelago, the indigenous population practiced forms of animism. The only exception being the island of Bali. 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. This festival is celebrated around the month of August. 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. In fact there are many Chinese who actually practice Taoism and Chinese folk religion but are classified as Buddhist as the Indonesia government does not recognize these streams. Statistically, 7% of the total population declared themselves Protestant in a 2010 census. Read more about Christianity in Indonesia. [115], The government has made an effort to reduce the tension by proposing the inter-religion cooperation plan. [53] In Indonesian society, Muslims and Christians live in social harmony. However, Suharto acknowledged that the Chinese Indonesians had a large amount of wealth and power, despite consisting only 3% of the population. This may seem to be a harsh assessment of the world’s third most populous democracy and reputably one of the most tolerant Muslim nations. On 27 January 1979, a presidential cabinet meeting decided that Confucianism is not a religion. Although not acknowledged by the government there also still exist forms of animism in several parts of Indonesia. 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. [121] The Joko Widodo administration responded by banning the Indonesian chapter of Hizb ut-Tahrir. Tangerang (Banten): 2.001 million. [48][58] In the present day, Catholic traditions close to Easter days remain, locally known as Semana Santa. 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. Several Ahmadi mosques were burnt in 2008. 34/2021 on the Utilization of Foreign Employment, Copyright © Van der Schaar Investments B.V. Delft The Netherlands. [93], Jews in Surabaya maintained a synagogue for many years, with sporadic support from relatives and co-religionists residing in Singapore. There are six official religions recognized by the government — Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. 2021-02-15: Indonesia Might Yet Amend 2021 Public Holidays; 2020-12-01: Indonesia Cancels 3 Public Holidays In December 2020; 2020-11-28: Indonesian President Jokowi Officializes December 9 Public Holiday; 2020-11-24: Indonesian December 2020 Public Holidays Update; 2020-11-23: Indonesia Could Shorten December 2020 Public Holidays Eastern Orthodoxy is represented by the Indonesian Orthodox Church (Moscow Patriarchate), which until 2019 was part of the Russian Orthodox Diocese of Sydney, Australia and New Zealand (Russian Orthodox Church Outside Russia),[60] and then comes under the unified spiritual leadership of the Diocese of Singapore (Russian Orthodox Church). By far the majority of the Indonesian population is Muslim. Until the present day most inhabitants of this island (known as 'island of the Gods') practice Balinese Hinduism. During the New Order, President Suharto proposed the Anti-Chinese law which prohibits anything related to Chinese culture, including names and religions. Between 1997 and 2004 (during and after the fall of Suharto) a number of areas in Indonesia were attacked by gruesome incidents of violence labeled ‘religious conflict’. Bandung-Jatinangor: Fakultas Sastra Universitas Padjadjaran, hlm. [37] The main divisions of Islam in Indonesia are traditionalism and modernism. They include: The non-official number of ethnic believers is up to 20 million. [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. Hello friends this channel is a very important project for me. Most Chinese Indonesians follow a syncretic flows with Chinese beliefs, such as the Three teachings (Tridharma) and Yiguandao (Maytreya). Hinduism includes lots of religious practices, which differ in practice, and consist of different philosophies and sects. In one incident in Madura, local villagers surrounded Shia houses and demanded they desist religious activities, but the crowd was dispersed by local leaders and clergy. Only 0.7 percent of the Indonesian population - or 1.7 million individuals - are Buddhists. 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. Attacks against three churches in Surabaya in May almost doubled Indonesia’s violence score for 2018. [122] Subsequent government attempts, particularly by the country's intelligence agency (BIN), in curbing radicalism has been called an attack on Islam by some sectarian figures. However, the figures are likely higher, since practitioners of Confucianism and Taoism, the latter of which is not considered an official religion, referred to themselves as Buddhists on the census. There are several gurdwaras and schools in Sumatra and Java, for example, in Medan was built in 1911. The Indonesian archipelago has witnessed the rise and fall of powerful Buddhist empires such as Sailendra dynasty, Srivijaya and Mataram Empires. De jure, there were conflicting laws, because higher laws permitted Confucianism, but lower ones did not recognise it. It is still hard and even dangerous to publicly declare one’s religion in Indonesia. These issues have received international attention as several governments, organizations and media have expressed concern over the ensuring of freedom of religion in Indonesia. The history of Buddhism and Hinduism in Indonesia is highly intertwined. The early maritime empire of Srivijaya on Sumatra served as a Buddhist learning center for Chinese monks in the seventh century. On 15 December 1904, a group of 178 Javanese were baptised at Semagung, Muntilan, district Magelang, Central Java, near the border of Yogyakarta. [116] On 6 December 2004, the "Dialogue On Interfaith Cooperation: Community Building and Harmony" conference was opened. In 2006 the government, again, recognized Confucianism as one of the state's official religions. We can see what the morals in Indonesia are from the religion that people believe in. Although Indonesia is not an Islamic state, Islamic principles do influence political decision making. [94], Since 2003, "Shaar Hashamayim" synagogue has been serving the local Jewish community of some 20 people in Tondano city, North Sulawesi, which is attended by around 10 Orthodox Jews (Hasidic Chabad group). The policy resulted in a mass conversion, with most to Protestantism and Catholicism. 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The least popular religion in Indonesia is Buddhist and Confucian with a percentage of 0.9%. There are various sites on Sumatra and Java where you can find Buddhist remnants from between the 2nd - 15th century. [63], Following the downfall of President Sukarno in the mid-1960s and the mandatory policy of having a religion,[75] founder of Perbuddhi (Indonesian Buddhists Organisation), Bhikku Ashin Jinarakkhita, proposed that there was a single supreme deity, Sanghyang Adi Buddha. 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. 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 is often mistranslated into English as "witch-doctor" or "medicine man". The process of Islamization of Indonesia occurred in a series of waves involving international trade, the establishment of various influential Muslim Sultanates, and social movements. 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. Medan (North Sumatra): 2.497 million. Composition of Indonesia's Six Official Religions, Source: Statistics Indonesia (Badan Pusat Statistik), Population Census 2010. The population of Indonesia according to the 2020 national census was 270.2 million. The Batak people from North Sumatra is also one of the major Protestant groups in Indonesia, comprising around 65% out of all ethnic population. [81][80], Following the fall of Suharto in 1998, Abdurrahman Wahid was elected as the country's fourth president. The history of Buddhism in Indonesia is closely related to that of Hinduism, as some empires based on Buddhist culture were established around the same period. Today, most Buddhists are Chinese Indonesians and, to a lesser extent, among the Javanese and Balinese. Chinese Indonesians, who were mostly Confucianists, also faced similar circumstances. Idul Fitri. According to some Chinese sources, a Chinese monk on his journey to India, witnessed the powerful maritime empire of Srivijaya based in Sumatra. Explore various religious groups, demographics, restrictions, and more using our interactive data. Note: the drop in the Catholic population between 1990 and 2000 was due to the secession of East Timor in 1999. Smaller numbers follow other schools (madhhabs),[16][36] and the Salafi movement. It is also one of the oldest religions in the world, having emerged around 3,500 years ago. Illness and other misfortunes are traced to such spirits, and if sacrifices or pilgrimages fail to placate angry deities, the advice of a dukun or healer is sought. 56% live on the island of Java, the world's most populous island. 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. 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. There are currently more than 207 million Muslims living in Indonesia, mostly Sunni Muslims. Indonesia is currently experiencing a demographic bonus which is estimated to end in 2045. In March 2020, during the very early spread of COVID-19 in Indonesia, Hindus modified the rituals of Nyepi (Day of Silence). 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.