Written by Maurisa Zinira

Various studies on democracy show that the quality of democracy in Indonesia has declined. Even though this setback is a global phenomenon, in which a number of countries are also experiencing the same crisis, such a worsening situation in Indonesia is saddening. Saiful Mujani and R. William Liddle in their article “Indonesia: Jokowi Sidelines Democracy” argue that the decline was caused instead by agents/actors themselves, not by external structural factors. They even firmly said that Joko Widodo, the president of Indonesia, was responsible for weakening Indonesia’s democracy considering some observable democratic deterioration during his presidency. read more

A “Launching-cum-Kick Off Meeting” was held on December 14, 2022, to mark the establishment of an invigorated Regional Office of Geneva-based Globethics in the Graduate School of Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM). An MoU was signed earlier this year on July 18 between UGM and Globethics with the hopes to promote faculty/student mobility, collaborative research, joint conferences/workshops, publications and other international collective efforts.

The host of the event, Dean of the UGM Graduate School Professor Dr. Siti Malkhamah, stated the necessity to infuse “ethics and value education” throughout the higher education institution and curriculum. With the more than 20 study programs in the Graduate School as well as the 18 Faculties and one Vocational School in UGM, the collaboration will surely be mutually beneficial. Meanwhile, the Globethics International Board Member and Regional Director, Dr. Dicky Sofjan, who is also a Core Doctoral Faculty in the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) presented the case on the “Ethical Deficits” in Indonesia. Dr. Sofjan said that the collaboration can bring UGM as an institution, Faculty members and students to be more engaged on the diverse range of issues pertaining to ethics, both inside and outside of the university context. read more

Written by Jekonia Tarigan

Marriage is central to Indonesia’s social fabric and critical in defining socially legitimate relationships. However, marriages often face the threat of divorce due to various factors.[i] As a Muslim majority country, the Indonesian state’s marriage legislation concerns various aspects of classical Islamic law that have the potential to adversely impact women in the realm of divorce. Muslim family law is a crucial determinant of women’s rights in many Muslim settings. Muslim family law is commonly interpreted to stipulate a family structure in which husbands are breadwinners and household leaders, while wives are responsible for the domestic realm and may be expected to obey their husbands. However, the norms and practices in majority Muslim societies have changed, with increasing numbers of women pursuing higher education and careers. Interestingly, today, divorce cases are increasing in Indonesia. read more

Written by Athanasia Safitri

The persistence of ulema-state alliances in the contemporary Middle East has been a debate in our modern days, both religiously and politically. It raises questions as to whether it is still relevant in the context of the situations that are happening these days, and whether it plays any significant role in the development (or underdevelopment) of most Muslim-majority countries. There has been a large implication of authoritarianism in these countries which emanate problems not only compared to the Western countries but also with the terms of world averages. Ahmet T Kuru, Professor of Political Science at San Diego State University, shared his thoughts as an alternative argument in examining the participation of Muslim scholars in the state government. He wrote a book entitled Islam, Authoritarianism, and Underdevelopment: A Global and Historical Comparison (2019), which argues that neither Islam itself nor Western colonialism holds responsibility for the high levels of authoritarianism and low levels of socioeconomic development in these countries. read more

Written by Jekonia Tarigan

There are various social issues in local and global contexts that should be of concern to the theological thinking of every religion, one of which is the issue of oppression and poverty. It is hoped that theological thoughts directed at social concerns will encourage innovative action to create the common good.[[i]] Theology does not always have to start with digesting the thought of St. Augustine, Karl Barth, or Karl Rahner, but listening to the cry of people who are suffering, poor, oppressed, and marginalized. Following Gayatri Cakravorty Spival, the margin ‘is not a place of weakness or self-deprecation, it is a place pulsating with critical activity, it is alive with argument, controversy, and creative discourse.” That is where theology begins. At its best, theology is done by people at the margins. They are the ones most in need of, and are most eager to challenge and change the status quo from the structures that oppress to those that liberate. This argument and question was presented by Rev. Dr. Shanta Premawardhana at the October 26 Wednesday Forum, a weekly discussion forum organized by the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies and the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies. Premawardhana is the president of the OMNIA Institute for Contextual Leadership. He currently serves as a member of the board of trustees of the Parliament of the World’s Religions, the board of governors of the National Council of Churches, USA, and the board of directors of Common Cause Illinois. read more

Written by Jekonia Tarigan

The ecological crisis that humans are facing today is rooted in the way humans perceive him/herself, and how they relate, and treat other entities or other creatures, organisms, and the plant. In examining this problem Whitney Bauman argues that it is pivotal to be involved in the discussion by promoting ethical thought and perspectives of a post-human world from animist and new materialist perspectives that depend on a planetary spirituality. This argument was presented at the November 9, 2022 Wednesday Forum, a weekly discussion forum organized by the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies and the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies. Bauman is an associate professor of religious studies at Florida International University in Miami, Florida. He is also co-founder and co-director of Counterpoint: Navigating Knowledge, a non-profit based in Berlin, Germany that holds public discussions over social and ecological issues related to globalization and climate change. His areas of research interest fall under the theme of “religion, science, and globalization.” His publications include Religion and Ecology: Developing a Planetary Ethic. read more

Written by Jekonia Tarigan
Religious education is one of the important elements in the national education system in Indonesia because it is seen as playing an important role in building the morality and mentality of students at every level of education. Along with the strengthening of recognition of adherents of the existence of indigenous religions in Indonesia through the Constitutional Court Decision Number 97/PUU-XIV/2016 and also the issuance of the Minister of Education and Culture Regulation Number 27 of 2016 concerning educational services for indigenous religions in education units, slowly indigenous religion’s adherents began to receive rights in the field of education. However, in recent days, there has been concern from the indigenous religion community because in the latest National Education System Bill in 2022, inclusive education for indigenous religions’ adherents has received less attention. This was the topic of discussion at the Kamisan Daring Forum on September 1, 2022, a forum that was organized by the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS), and the National Commission on Violence Against Women. (Komnas Perempuan), the Satunama Foundation, and several other organizations. On this occasion, one speaker was present, namely Andri Hernandi, who represented the Indonesian Followers of Kepercayaan Assembly (MLKI). Then there were three respondents, namely: Prof. Dr. Muhammad Adlin Sila (Expert Staff of the Minister of Education and Technology for Institutional and Community Relations); Dr. Samsul Maarif, Director of the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS) UGM; and Dr. Hastangka, Lecturer at Mercu Buana University Yogyakarta and researcher at the Indonesian National Research and Innovation Agency (BRIN). read more

Written by Jekonia Tarigan

The Minister of Education and Culture Regulation Number 27 of 2016 has so far been the basis for efforts to facilitate religious adherents to get the right to religious education and trust. However, there are still many obstacles in the implementation of this policy.[i] This obstacle can be seen from the institutional aspects, service aspects, and aspects of understanding concerned stakeholders. Now there has been a draft law on the national education system that has received a lot of attention because it is suspected that it is increasingly closing the space for education in inidigenous beliefs, which is very much needed by adherents of indigenous religions. This issue served as the topic of discussion at the Kamisan Daring Forum on September 8, 2022. This forum was organized by the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS), and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), the Satunama Foundation, and several other organizations. There are three speakers in this forum: Agustino Damanik (Student at the University of North Sumatra and adherent of Parmalim, Rara Wulan (South Kalimantan Indigenous Religion Counselor), and Benjamin Jalalois, the Principal at Rindi Umululu State High School (SMAN) 1, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT). read more

Written by Jekonia Tarigan
Early age is an important period for the development of a child. This begins in the prenatal period in which the brain, as the center of intelligence, develops rapidly.[i] For this reason, women play an important role in the formation of children, and this is especially so in the lives of adherents to indigenous religions whose values need to be continuously regenerated. This was the topic for discussion at the Kamisan Daring Forum on September 22, 2022. This forum was organized by the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS), the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS), and the National Commission on Violence Against Women (Komnas Perempuan), Satunama Foundation, and several other organizations. On this occasion there were three women who were the speakers: the first was Herta Simanjuntak, representing Puanhayati North Sumatra; the second, Agung Citra Official, representing Puanhayati Central Java; and the last was Ni Luh Ariani, representing Puanhayati Bali. read more

Written by Jekonia Tarigan
In the ancient Bugis creation myth, the creator is an androgynous god who gives birth to a male sun and a female moon. Quarrels occur between the two, and they will not live together. Meanwhile, both were capable of self-fertilization, the sun was unable to reproduce, and it was the moon that gave birth to the stars, certain metals (gold, iron), and the first generations of plants, animals and other ‘terrible’ creatures. A reconciliation between the sun and the moon took place shortly after the last of the various creations appeared. This led to the division of power and the union of the two, from which came the gods celebrated at I La Galigo. The Bugis cosmogonic myth counts the web among ‘terrible’ creations, all of which are full of divine powers.[i] However, the prolificacy of conservative Islam has affected non-normative gender and sexuality groups’ experience and construction of identity, as it has impacted the Bissu community in South Sulawesi. The Bissu can be categorized as pan-indigenous, including gender, sexual, and/or spiritual identity. Within indigenous communities with androgynous concepts in their cosmology, the Bissu have culturally specific ceremonial and social roles in the Bugis culture. The question then is, how the Bissu have encountered confrontation and acceptance within their queer indigenous body and spiritual space and how it has impacted their ability to partake and learn their religion and culture? This question became the main issue of the presentation and discussion of the Wednesday Forum on October 12, 2022, a forum organized by the Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) and the Center for Religious and Cross-Cultural Studies (CRCS). The presentation was delivered by Petsy Jessy Ismoyo, a PhD Candidate at ICRS. She is also a lecturer at the International Relations Study Program, Universitas Kristen Satya Wacana. Currently, she joined Secularity, Islam, and Democracy in Indonesia and Turkey (SIDIT), Humboldt University of Berlin, as part of a fellowship with the Institut für Auslandsbeziehungen (IFA). read more