https://www.scmp.com/rss/513894/feed Dr A'an Suryana is Visiting Fellow in the Regional Social and Cultural Studies Programme, ISEAS – Yusof Ishak Institute. He is also a lecturer at the Faculty of Social Sciences (FOSS), Universitas Islam Internasional Indonesia (UIII), Depok, Indonesia. en https://assets.i-scmp.com/static/img/icons/scmp-meta-1200x630.png https://www.scmp.com Norshahril Saat,A'an Suryana Norshahril Saat,A'an Suryana Last month, the Indonesian government created a new ministry to oversee both the annual haj, which is obligatory for Muslims to perform at least once, and the voluntary umrah pilgrimages. This ministry, established on August 26, is an upgrade and expansion of the former Badan Penyelenggara Haji (Haj Management Agency), formed only last year. The move was unanimously backed by the People’s Representative Council (DPR) and is meant as a solution to long-standing problems with pilgrimage... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3325373/can-indonesias-new-haj-ministry-fix-its-pilgrimage-problems?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3325373/can-indonesias-new-haj-ministry-fix-its-pilgrimage-problems?utm_source=rss_feed Sun, 14 Sep 2025 02:30:08 +0000 A seeming act of tolerance by a mosque in Central Java did not turn out as planned. In May, 44 monks from Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore were making their way on foot from Pudak Payung village, Semarang to the famous Borobudur. The monks’ 78km (48-mile) journey was an annual Vesak Day ritual. Pilgrims would normally make several stops, for meals and rest. A Nahdlatul Ulama (NU)-affiliated mosque in Bengkal village, Temanggung regency, Central Java, agreed to host them. While this... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3266683/indonesian-mosques-hosting-buddhist-monks-sparks-debate-religious-tolerance?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3266683/indonesian-mosques-hosting-buddhist-monks-sparks-debate-religious-tolerance?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Jun 2024 03:00:12 +0000 Indonesia’s deadly football stadium disaster is a serious wake-up call for the police force to review its crowd control procedures and assess the use of tear gas inside stadiums. On October 1, at least 131 people were killed following a crush in the Kanjuruhan Stadium in East Java, where Arema Malang lost to its long-time rival Persebaya Surabaya for the first time in 23 years. Upset home fans invaded the pitch, triggering a violent police response that involved tear gas – a move banned by Fifa,... https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3195974/indonesias-use-tear-gas-stadiums-needs-end-must-footballs-toxic?utm_source=rss_feed https://www.scmp.com/week-asia/opinion/article/3195974/indonesias-use-tear-gas-stadiums-needs-end-must-footballs-toxic?utm_source=rss_feed Sat, 15 Oct 2022 01:00:16 +0000