About Indonesia

Indonesia? Where is that?

Glad you asked! Indonesia is one of the world’s 4th largest country by population, and yet it’s a country that many have not heard much of. It is the world’s largest island country, with with more than 17000 islands. A lot of tourists have heard of Bali, but may not realize that Bali was one of the many islands in Indonesia.

Here is where Indonesia is located on the world map:

As you can see, Indonesia is actually quite large, although its territory is mostly water and limited land mass.
Below is a comparison on the area of Indonesia compared to United States, courtesy of CIA fact book.

What Wikipedia has to say about Indonesia:

The Republic of Indonesia is a country in Southeast Asia, between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It is the world’s largest island country, with with more than 17000 islands, and at 1,904,569 square kilometres (735,358 square miles), the 14th largest by land area and the 7th largest in combined sea and land area. With over 261 million people, it is the world’s 4th most populous country as well as the most populous Muslim-majority country. Java, the world’s most populous island, contains more than half of the country’s population.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

Indonesia consists of hundreds of distinct native ethnic and linguistic groups, with the largest—and politically dominant—ethnic group being the Javanese. A shared identity has developed, defined by a national language, ethnic diversity, religious pluralism within a Muslim-majority population, and a history of colonialism and rebellion against it. Indonesia’s national motto, “Bhinneka Tunggal Ika“ (“Unity in Diversity” literally, “many, yet one”), articulates the diversity that shapes the country. 

At least 750 distinct people groups live on the 6,000 inhabited islands of Indonesia. More than 80% of the population associates with the Muslim faith, and only 15% identify themselves as Christians. Animism or belief in mysticisms, magick, and spirits, strongly influences the religious practices of tribal people, whether Muslim or Christian. 

Indonesia is also the largest Muslim country in the world. Although the majority of the population practices Islam, it does have 6 approved religions: Islam, Christianity, Catholicism, Hindu, Buddhism, and Confucianism. Since the country is not ruled by muslim shariah law, one is free to choose from 6 approved religions in accordance to their own constitution. However, that converting from Islam to any other religion is often frowned upon, and can lead to persecution from family and friends.

The following excerpts are taken from opendoorsusa.org:

How Christians are suffering

Many converts from Islam experience persecution from their Indonesian families. The intensity of the persecution varies and is mostly in the form of isolation and verbal abuse. Only a small percentage of converts face physical violence for their Christian faith. The level of persecution also varies by region. Places like West Java or Aceh–where radical Islamic groups are strong and exert heavy influence on society and politics–are hot spots for more intense persecution toward Christians. In addition, once a church is seen to be proselytizing, as many evangelical and Pentecostal churches do, they soon run into problems with radical Islamic groups. Typically, non-traditional church groups also experience difficulties securing permissions to build churches. Even if they manage to fulfill all legal requirements—including winning court cases—local authorities still ignore them. There have been reports of Catholic churches having difficulties obtaining building permission as well. Over all, the situation for Christians has continued to deteriorate in recent years.

However, many converts from Islam experience persecution from their Indonesian families. The intensity of the persecution varies and is mostly in the form of isolation and verbal abuse. Only a small percentage of converts face physical violence for their Christian faith. The level of persecution also varies by region. Places like West Java or Aceh–where radical Islamic groups are strong and exert heavy influence on society and politics–are hot spots for more intense persecution toward Christians. In addition, once a church is seen to be proselytizing, as many evangelical and Pentecostal churches do, they soon run into problems with radical Islamic groups. Typically, non-traditional church groups also experience difficulties securing permissions to build churches. Even if they manage to fulfill all legal requirements—including winning court cases—local authorities still ignore them. There have been reports of Catholic churches having difficulties obtaining building permission as well. Over all, the situation for Christians has continued to deteriorate in recent years.

Pray for Indonesia

• Pray God would do an amazing work in Indonesia—home to the largest percentage of Muslims in the world—and reach many more people with the gospel.
• Pray for Christian children in public schools within strong Islamic regions who often experience discrimination.
• Pray that the government would take substantial steps toward promoting tolerance and religious freedom across the country.
• Pray for Christian converts from Islam who are pressured to renounce Jesus. Ask God to give them courage and perseverance.
• Pray that the government leaders would do all that’s in their power to prevent and punish violence by radical Islamic groups.