Barnabas Fund, 19 November 2019
Authorities in Indonesia seem to be combatting hard-line Islamist ideology by replacing school textbooks containing radical material.
Until about a generation ago Indonesian Muslims and Christians lived peaceably side by side as equals. However, in many parts of the country this no longer holds true and Christians, at least 15% of the population, have been facing discrimination, harassment and violence.
It is thought that 19% of civil servants in Indonesia favour establishing an Islamic state. Some 18% of private employees and 23% of students shared this view.
Earlier this year, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the world’s largest moderate Muslim movement, made an unprecedented decision to abolish the legal category of “infidel” for non-Muslims, sweeping away Islamic doctrines used by extremists to justify terrorism.