Is Indonesia is a secular country?

Indonesia is a secular democratic country that has a Muslim-majority population. The Indonesian constitution guarantees all people in Indonesia the freedom of worship, each according to his or her own religion or belief.

What does it mean to be a non secular country?

Secular states do not discriminate or favor individuals to groups based on their religious beliefs. Secular governments shall not interfere with religion and its activities, and faith shall not play a role in law and policy-making decisions.

Is Indonesia a secular nation?

Indonesia, being a Muslim majority country, is also a pluralist, democratic and secular nation. The error is in the word “secular.” Indonesia is not an Islamic state, but it is also not a secular state and it never has been. Misunderstand this, and you misunderstand Indonesian politics and religion.

How do Indonesians define themselves?

Most Indonesians don’t define themselves by their faith but by nationalism and regional pride. Religion comes second or third, one reason Muslim-based parties consistently get trounced at the polls, including during April’s legislative elections. When the U.S. stresses Indonesia’s “Islamic” nature, it undermines this hard-won pluralism.

Why did the Indonesian government make religion mandatory?

Following an attempted coup in 1965 that officially blamed the Communist Party of Indonesia (PKI) and an anti-communist purge, the New Order government attempted to suppress PKI supporters by making it mandatory to have a religion since PKI supporters were mostly atheists.

Why are there so many Chinese Indonesians who converted to Christianity?

Chinese Indonesians, who were mostly Confucianists, also faced similar circumstances. Because Confucianism was not one of the state-recognised religions, many converted to Christianity. The history of Islam in Indonesia is complex and reflects the diversity of Indonesian cultures.