Unraveling the Mysteries of Ancient Arabia
Although millions of Muslims around the world visit Saudi Arabia to perform haj and umrah (minor haj) every year, not many of them know...
Grassroots Peacebuilding in Indonesia
Addressing communal violence requires a strategic collaboration of diverse actors in the state (government) and society (civil groupings). Without state-society synergy, attempts at peacebuilding...
Violence and Vengeance: Religious Conflict and Its Aftermath in Eastern Indonesia
In 1999, just months following the downfall of Suharto dictatorial regime, and continuing for more than three years, the Moluccas, stretching from North Maluku...
Democracy and Islam in Indonesia
Written by a group of specialists on Indonesian politics and Islam, the book Democracy and Islam in Indonesia (edited Mirjam Kunkler and Alfred Stepan)...
Crossing the Kingdom: Portraits of Saudi Arabia
Danforth’s book, entitled Crossing the Kingdom: Portraits of Saudi Arabia, is both interesting and illuminating. There are at least two tendencies of existing academic...
Contemporary Developments in Indonesian Islam
There is no doubt that this fine book, Contemporary Developments in Indonesian Islam (edited by Martin van Bruinessen) is a timely anthology on the...
Uniting against Extremist Terrorism
After the raid on two “kingpins” of Malaysian-born terrorists operations in Indonesia, namely “The Demolisher” Dr. Azahari Husin (2005) and “The Financier” Noordin M...
Interfaith Provocateurs for Peace
On September 11, 2011, when the United States commemorated the tenth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, communal violence between Christians and Muslims broke...
Nelson Mandela, South Africa, and Indonesia
The world mourns. Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s beloved first black president, anti-apartheid hero, and one of the world’s greatest champions of peaceful resistance, died...
Local Leader Serves as Role Model for Peaceful, Pluralistic Indonesia
Ibrahim Soulisa (a pseudonym) is neither a famous Muslim leader, a televised Islamic preacher, nor a celebrated religious commentator. Soulisa is just a village...
King Abdullah and Quest for Reform in Saudi Arabia
The “dark side” of Saudi Arabia is widely known: “exporter” of global terrorism, source of Islamic fanaticism and militancy linked to Wahhabi teachings, lack...
In The Spirit of Tolerance, Merry Christmas to my Christian Friends
As many other Muslims in Indonesia, I was born and raised in a Muslim family. My father, who died in January 2011 at the...
Engaging Extremists Key To Peace
For many people, the Rev. Paulus Hartono, a Mennonite church minister in Solo, Central Java, might be seen as a “deranged Christian.” While most...
Does Religion Matter in Violence?
In response to a spate of religious violence that broke out in some parts of Indonesia, such as the recent attack on the Shia...
Calling for a Religious Dialogue
At first, I was beaming with proud to hear the “good news” that Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Suryadharma Ali would accept the proposal...
