The Wahid Institute

Can religious education enhance peace, harmony?

For more than three decades now, Indonesia's education system did little to teach an appreciation and respect for our religious and cultural diversity.
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Democracy's gates open in the Islamic world

Islamic democracy gets a bad press in the West yet the democratic impulse runs deep in the Muslim world.
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Tsunamis call for 'jihad'

Osama Bin Laden, the self-proclaimed commander of jihad against United States and their allies, has ignored this humanitarian emergency.
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Viewing religious rituals from cultural persperctive

We might come up with the disturbing fact that religious rituals and practices have always had social and political significance.
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Religious tolerance and the need for understanding

The basic problem, in my opinion, is the potential for disharmony created by the bureaucracy through discriminatory regulations.
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Islam, democracy and their shared founding principles

Rizieq’s and Munarman’s Verdicts

One of the victims of the Monas Tragedy, Ahmad Suaedy, felt the sentence was too short in light of the face that both had been jailed before but had obviously not learnt their lesson.
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Indonesian Radicals on a Ramadan Holiday

The Islamic Defenders Front seems to have lightened up on 'evil' this fasting month. Why?
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Cigarette fatwa trend?

Many ulemas may feel uneasy in facing appeals, including from the National Commission for Child Protection and from Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari, who have asked the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) to issue a fatwa (edict) declaring cigarette smoking haram. It is not an easy request as many ulemas are heavy smokers and the cigarette industry, directly or indirectly, provides great job opportunities.
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Joining the Caravan?: The Middle East, Islamism and Indonesia

There are similarities between the radical Islamic movements in Indonesia and the Middle East.
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Wahid: A 'prophet' welcomed abroad

While within Indonesia, Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid may be ridiculed by both his opponents and former trusted friends and aides, internationally he is still highly respected.
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