Aceh Besar – The Greater Aceh regency government in Aceh province has again banned people from celebrating Valentine’s Day because it is deemed to conflict with Syariat Islam (Islamic law).

Dwi Putra Kesuma, Sawangan – Opposing the presence of the Ahmadiyah religious sect, a number of people demonstrated and called for the Ahmadiyah headquarters on Jl Raya Sawangan in the Jakarta satellite city of Depok to be torn down.

Rusdy Nurdiansyah, Depok – Depok Mayor Muhammad Idris is furious about and deplores the same-sex violence committed by Reynhard Sinaga in Manchester, England. Sinaga has been found guilty and sentenced to life imprisonment after committing sexual violence against 159 men.

Masriadi, Lhokseumawe – Lhokseumawe Mayor Suaidi Yahyais has asked to all cafe, restaurant, hotel and internet cafe owners in the city to limit working hours for women employees to 11 o’clock at night.

Zunita Putri, Jakarta – The country’s peak religious body, the Indonesia Ulama Council (MUI), supports a program by Demak Regent Muhammad Natsir who issued a circular banning socialising in the lead up to Magrib and Isya evening prayers.

Jakarta – 212 Alumni Brotherhood legal division head Damai Hari Lubis says that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo should immediately sack Defense Minister (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto.

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan became the target of subtle insinuations by Jakarta Archbishop Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo after he visited the Cathedral in Central Jakarta for Christmas evening mass on Tuesday December 24.

He insinuated that Baswedan “turned up all of a sudden” in the middle of the Christmas church mass.

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan attended the Great 212 Reunion at the National Monument in Central Jakarta on the morning of Monday December 2. Baswedan, who wore an official government uniform, arrived at around 6 am.

The crowd greeted Baswedan’s arrival with shouts of “President, president”.

Jakarta – The deputy chairperson of Prabowo Subianto’s Greater Indonesia Movement Party (Gerindra), Fadli Zon, insists that his party rejects Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) because it conflicts with social norms.

Muhammad Ridwan – The Setara Institute for Democracy has released the results of research ranking the level of religious intolerance in Indonesian provinces. The results showed that West Java recorded the largest number of violations against religious freedom or belief between 2014 and 2019.

Jakarta – A representative of the Islamic-based Justice and Prosperity Party (PKS), Jazuli Juwaini, has asked Defense Minister (Menhan) Prabowo Subianto to pay more attention to missionaries or religious leaders in Papua.

Reza Gunadha and Novian Ardiansyah – The 212 Alumni Brotherhood (PA 212) is calling on Prabowo Subianto to repatriate Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) leader Muhammad Rizieq Shihab within 100 days after being inaugurated as the new Defense Minister (Menhan) by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo.

Jakarta – A 212 Holy Warriors Action (Aksi Mujahid 212) to Save the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia on Saturday in Jakarta has demanded that President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo resign from the presidency and criticised government policies which adversely affect society and the Islamic community.

Resky Novianto, Jakarta – Indonesia is still a country which unfriendly to minorities such as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) people. An organisation which focuses on the rights of LGBT people, Rainbow Current (Arus Pelangi), has recorded 1,840 cases of persecution against LGBT people between 2006 and 2018.

Jakarta – Protesters have admitted that they were promised money if they took part in enlivening a protest action critical of the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) in front of the KPK’s Red-and-White building in Jakarta on Saturday September 14.

Jakarta – The Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) emphatically opposes the Draft Law on the Elimination of Sexual Violence believing that it contains Western feminist ideas which are anti-religion and has the potential to legalise Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) activities.

Jakarta – Jakarta Governor Anies Baswedan took part in dawn prayers during a commemoration of Indonesian independence and the 21st anniversary of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) at the Rawa Badak Stadium in Koja, North Jakarta, on Saturday August 24.

Jakarta – The creation of NKRI bersyariah – the Unitary Islamic State of the Republic of Indonesia – one of the recommendations of the 4th Ijtimak Ulama or assembly of Islamic clerics has attracted controversy and opposition.

Zunita Putri, Bogor – The Ijtimak Ulama IV or the 4th Assembly of Islamic Clerics has issued a number of recommendations on the current situation in Indonesia. The assembly has also invited the Islamic community to create a Unitary Islamic State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI Bersyariah) based on Pancasila.

Deti Mega Purnamasari, Jakarta – Democracy in Indonesia has declined for the first time since the beginning of the reformasi era – the political reform process that began in 1998. The cause of the decline in democracy is of high levels of discrimination against minorities.