Indonesia: Diversity under threat | DW Documentary

[Music] we love wearing makeup it's make me safe comfortable and make more close to our God getting I'm a bad girl nothing I'm infidel getting um I'm a bad influence [Music] an American dealer and a llama gamma it is forbidden for a couple who are not married to be together that is the reason this is Archer this is not our culture disease against our Islam rule also data WR we will keep fighting until there is justice in Indonesia God willing unfortunately Indonesia is not immune from this global trend of rising intolerance and yes there is a rising intolerance [Music] [Music] we're about to embark on an investigative journey through Indonesia home to 270 million people more Muslims live here than in the entire Middle East in fact it's the most populous Muslim country in the world Indonesia is also the largest island nation on the planet with hundreds of different languages and cultures it's a true melting pot of people and religions following three decades of dictatorship Indonesia is in westernize proof that Islam and democracy are compatible the Western media have likened current president Joko Widodo to former US President Barack Obama but Indonesia like other Muslim countries is struggling with the role of Islam in modern society Islamist forces are intent on turning a country of diversity into a theocracy to date terrorist attacks have primarily targeted the Christian minority several hundred Indonesians have joined the self-styled Islamic state what we want to know is will the country withstand the pressure of the fundamentalists where is Indonesia heading our che province is located on the island of Sumatra it's the only province of Indonesia where Islamic law known as Sharia is enforced Sharia law is based on the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet Muhammad this is a B Wahid one of the leading figures in the Islamist movement in our che got or nah we don't pray our soul will not be happy because we're not expressing our gratitude to the Creator we wouldn't exist without someone there to create us so nothing is more important than to be grateful to our Creator this is why praying is more important than anything else even than our own lives even than our children family [Applause] avi Wahid is leader of the arch a branch of the Islamic Defenders Front nationwide the hardline organization is believed to have around 200,000 active members they've been responsible for repeated attacks on religious minorities as far as ABI Wahid is concerned Indonesia should be ruled by a religious head of state Aquila clay lava Mossad yeah yes the Caliphate was the pinnacle of Islam in fact Akshay was at its height during the period of Islamic laws so it would be ideal if we returned to the Islamic system everyone is protected nobody is oppressed when did the Second World War occur after the Caliphate when the world was not ruled by Muslims there were Wars and there was slaughter everywhere the central government in Jakarta is wary of banning the Islamic Defenders Front due to the widespread grassroots support for its populist propaganda ABI Wahid is proud of his group and its supporters for managing to bring down a high-profile politician in November 2016 the Islamic Defenders Front LED mass protests that turned violent in Jakarta the demonstrators vented their fury against our hawk then the governor of Jakarta and a Christian with Chinese roots a hawk was accused of having insulted the Koran he was removed from office and given a two-year sentence for blasphemy president Joko Widodo failed to take action to support his old political ally oedema pocket ah why did we protest against our hawk Karuna because our hawk defamed the Koran believe me m'lady can we didn't go to the rally because he is of Chinese descent or because he is Christian we went because he insulted our Quran which is the holy book of Islam kitab soo-ji the Muslims to Allah samyama Paquita team that is why we are against a hawk we will fight against anybody who insults our religion I calmly take a like I get that [Music] after evening prayers ABI Wahid takes us to one of his Quran schools in addition to religious studies the pupils here are subjected to political preaching Wahid informs his young charges that the Palestinians for example have the right to conduct a holy war against Israel [Applause] they sing God is great before he issues the call to arms [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] the next morning we accompany ABI Wahid as he brings the two oldest of his six children to the madrasah an Islamic school here to the curriculum focuses on the Quran and the teachings of the Prophet back at his home his wife Devi hosts us for tea the couple got married in 2006 daddy says ABI is the man she'd always dreamed of she only started wearing the niqab a couple of years ago for herself and her husband say kneecapping in this apathy they also want to become like one of our prophet's wives they wore the full-body veil idolized the wives of the Prophet as the leaders of all Muslim women by following their lead we will go to heaven because they went to heaven by following their example we'll be in heaven with them and will also become angels someone yeah then keep that image ad be the daddy sort of girl the couple speaks openly to us we ask about their personal stance on polygamy polygamy - in my opinion polygamy is permitted by the Quran and Islam and with good reason I don't really know how to put this bad things we all know that there are men with a high sexual desire that's why Islam provides this rule so in order to avoid adultery Islam recommends polygamy and your calendar polygamy no a coiler with perhaps a hint of embarrassment we asked Davi whether she would really tolerate I'll be having a second wife she addresses her answer directly to him if you have a strong reason go ahead no problem but as long as I'm still able to give you what you want you should think hard about it I can't say no I can only say I'm not ready yet visa get Bella back to market they belong exactly PI Dublin CA Abbey Wahid shows us his gallery of heroes including two dictators Muammar al-gaddafi of Libya and Saddam Hussein of Iraq in his eyes righteous champions of Islam he also idealizes the militant Palestinian group Hamas in a home where pictures of radical Islamists adorn the walls we probably shouldn't expect a frank political discussion people the onus the Zionist is the real terrorist in the world is was formed by Zionist Israel to cause conflict amongst Muslims to create a war within Islam the Islamic Defenders Front exists to act against all the slanders against Islam this is banda aceh a capital of the province not so long ago everything here lay in ruins after the tsunami of December 2004 wiped away entire communities across Southeast Asia in Indonesia it struck a region that had already been plagued for decades by a bloody civil war involving a separatist group seeking independence for akshay province [Music] the tsunami killed almost 130,000 people in H a province alone we meet up with human rights activists rye high-fat Rhian a stranded ship the tsunami had swept this two-and-a-half thousand ton vessel three kilometers inland but tsunami also had a huge political impact helping to put an end to the war for independence but it also introduced Sharia to the province this is the political bargaining cities because at a fist the conflict during 30 years so the government of Tunisia thing this sought to solve the actual conflict is sorry hello so they give that so the one give is as a present to make the people of IJ not see freedom again bacha was an independent Muslim Sultanate until 1903 it has always been more conservative than most of the provinces constituting Indonesia here a majority approves of Sharia law public whippings have now become commonplace with only a few people opposing the practice I'm a mother there is not good to show the charger in front of the kid it's soo will bring them to thing like that and this is in front of public space right it's not good because this is the torture this is not our culture this is not just against human right this is against our Islam role also [Music] 98% of the population of Archaea province are Muslims Islam has always been the primary compass for life here but the increasingly strict interpretation and implementation of Sharia law has made everyday life difficult especially for women the woman cannot sit in the coffee shop at the evening and I think this is a [ __ ] regulation [Music] they control the woman because they want to hit I think to cover the an ability to perform the good maintain of the IJ welfare there's a point I think we have another policy in a a like health and education and every and another not talk about the woman because they think woman issue become popular issue [Music] [Music] we experienced a friendly curious reception from the locals at the same time we notice how sensitive they are when it comes to issues of religion and freedom [Music] the few thousand Christians among the population feel increasingly marginalized and tend to keep to themselves [Music] we now take a ferry from Banda Aceh to sabang a small group of islands off the coast of Sumatra we'd heard that life there is more relaxed compared to the rest of our chain don't hate me the Indonesian government would like to attract more Western tourists to the largely untouched islands of our Chi barça's to Dottie is a hotel owner and a survivor of the tsunami the tidal wave she says has left deep scars here too after tsunami people change little bit because the thing is a punishment that God punished them because they misbehave they didn't pray enough they didn't we have following the rules enough Society has become more conservative since the tsunami for Bacchus the opposite was the case she broke with religious customs and suffered for it it was hard for me to to be myself and being judged and I get a bit depressed you know because he was I have to like to do what I don't want to do and I have to please others and and then I don't place myself it's not easy [Music] barça's takes us to a wedding she stands out despite the headscarf that she is wearing just for the occasion [Music] [Music] getting I'm a bad girl nothing of infidel the thing I'm I'm a bad influence I removed this car after I get to know the world that is not it I just don't like the fact net force meaning I hate it I mean when someone force me to do things but we need from my heart what I want to pray at break when I want to go for a cover but I don't like I'm stubborn as well so it might be the reason [Music] the aftermath of the tsunami also saw the arrival of various international aid organizations in the region thanks to her English speaking skills bulk as soon found work that contact with foreigners ended up changing her life she fell in love with a disaster aid worker from Switzerland they got married and had a child today the woman who once attended an Islamic school as a child sees herself as a citizen of the world she divides her time between sabang and Switzerland and between Sharia law and Western abundance back home she runs a hotel that has won many awards most of her guests are foreigners while most of her employees are single women so many woman suffer and in my place especially where we can we can't even talk I can't even make decision about my own marriage I cannot even make decision of my study and because we're a woman everything we said is a no-no and I think I'm extreme in this because I have been pushed down and been hiding hidden under the IDI under the cupboard or under the like a dead case you know but I want to open it up now because I think it's so important that I could help other woman to feel like they are not alone you know and they are not wrong and they are good enough bulky says she hasn't turned her back on Islam only on the version of it propagated as the right and only one by the fundamentalists there is a lot of tolerance in our Quran so I share that with my friends here it's a choice also and it's not a religion it's a problem the problem is the people yeah we arranged a meeting with the Islamic religious police their job as guardians of moral order is to protect virtues and punish Vice from consumption of alcohol to gambling and inappropriate physical intimacy such as extramarital sex and same-sex relationships all of which are considered violations of Arch's Sharia laws the men seem suspicious of our questions especially when we ask about their duties they're aware of critical coverage in the Western media but they do ultimately allow us to join them on patrol they confirmed to us that the hotel run by bulk as ddotty has been under observation for some time but today they're checking locations known to be frequented by lovers as clandestine meeting places an American dealer and a llama gamma it is forbidden for a couple who are not married to be together that is the rule in Islam they sometimes seek an opportunity to violate Sharia law if they have sex they get flogged if it's only kissing they don't then we only issue a warning we bring them to the office we call their parents you explain what happened and ask the parents to take care of their children so that they don't repeat the same mistakes that what sort of we had on muwah D and his colleagues go out on patrol three times a day most of their tip offs come from the population from parents neighbors friends and strangers who feel resentful or envious seven Gavigan I'm proud of my work even if we only get a modest income we don't expect a big salary I believe that what I'm doing will be rewarded by God we leave on che province and board a plane to the capital Jakarta today is a sprawling metropolis with a population of over 30 million it's the center of Indonesia's political and economic activity [Music] preparations are underway for national heroes day a celebration of the men and women who fought for indonesia's independence from Dutch colonial occupation in the mid 1940s among those commemorated is Sakana the first president and founding father of modern Indonesia after the Second World War he declared his support for democracy and the separation of religion and state in 1965 the army officers Suharto seized power which resulted in a campaign of mass killings Suharto's overthrow in 1998 was seen as a liberation for pro-democracy advocates and Islamists alike as in other parts of the country the influence of Islam is also on the rise in the capital these women are lawyers doctors and entrepreneurs by profession they call themselves the niqab squad I feel like I'm infeasible woman you know many people cannot see what I can see all I feel like that and it's it's made me safe you know it's makes me more comfortable safe as a woman everywhere I go like not I no longer feel like the center of attention the more a woman learns in Islam the more she'll learn to avoid being judged by her appearance if everyone adores her she's at risk of being a temptation and some I came back with Carmindy attack of nearly fitness and youth indeed Ahriman rayon tea founded the nicob squad in 2016 she formerly worked in the glamour of the fashion industry her first marriage was to a comedian her second to an actor but after both marriages failed she says she embraced God and the niqab when we are wearing makeup when we muhammad sallah someone said that it's Sunnah so when we do this we get more reward I have did so many sense so I need more even and I wear this so I hope Allah will give more II was formed from for me and her interpretation of the Sunnah the Islamic code of behavior includes the face veil even though it's not traditional in Indonesia the niqab squad wanted to be more widely accepted in society the women focus on the poorest they see themselves as benefactors on behalf of Allah twice a week they bring food parcels to garbage collectors who live under a bridge and the person I'm afraid they mmm but we try to talk with nicely and the mission of the discipline is to help many people to be better muslima I remind them to pray Salah and what's our fasting in Ramadan Anika is the next process to be the better the contrast with our next appointment couldn't be more striking here we meet a woman whose life has been constantly shaped by political developments yeni Wahid is the daughter of the first president after the Suharto dictatorship her grandfather was the country's first minister of Religious Affairs and her great-grandfather the founder of the world's largest Islamic Association it's very important for me to connect with people and so that I can convey my my message that it is possible for us Muslims in Indonesia to adhere to send religious beliefs but at the same time being progressive in our in our conduct in life yeni wa hid is usually busy rushing from one appointment to the next she Seldon number of political posts and has been repeatedly touted as a future president of Indonesia right now however her three young daughters take precedence all right love you her next appointment is at the National Women's Forum yeni Wahid assures us the future is female [Applause] [Music] that's a piece of girl on stage she addresses the central issue in her life Indonesia's diversity and how it can benefit the country we understand that there's a diversity that forms a backbone of this country and that diversity has to be respected and if you then if we then adopt an Islamic state as our national identity then there will be a discrimination against non-muslim then the adversity will mean nothing so we respect that we respect that history our great-grandfather our founding fathers they already chose wisely that the platform for this country has to be a secular platform that will allow similar treatment to all citizens regardless of their religious backgrounds or the ethnic backgrounds so this is something that we are going to fight until the last day Jonnie Wahid is generally adored by mainstream media but she also faces hostile voices from political rivals and Islamists I feel like my my religions being walked off of its sacred teachings by people who articulates their way of looking at the religion on the negative way and the God that I believe is a God that is loving a God that will forgive you no matter what your sin is a God that wants the best for Humanity you know a God that is all encompassing and all kind anyway heats criticism of Indonesian society is not solely directed at religious extremists the ruling class at the political and economic level she tells us is also to blame for growing intolerance we asked what she would do if she could change one thing puff the problem will be gone like that corruption corruption is the source of all evil in this country corruption makes people in religious mental powerful corruption makes secular people then donning religious mentals because they are corrupt because they want to control resources so corruption makes people forget about the the plight of the poor people [Music] behind the friendly and tolerant facade of Indonesia it seems tension is growing including in the cosmopolitan capital [Applause] in the fall of 2019 Parliament attempted to disempower the anti-corruption Authority and also passed stricter moral legislation the move triggered the biggest student protests since the end of the dictatorship in 1998 in Takata the resulting clashes left several dead and hundreds injured our next stop is jogjakarta this University City is the country's center of culture and the heart of the protest movement the Indonesian population is relatively young around 40% are under 25 years old and are looking for their place in a society that is changing at a rapid pace we meet with students whose resistance led to the president's suspension of plans for tighter regulations resembling Sharia law as well as plans to disempower the anti-corruption Authority I have the right to be angry as a citizen because I pay taxes because the government has meddled in private affairs my privacy my life has been affected by the government's policies and by corruption coupons hire people who have power of course they drive public opinion by rising intolerance so I don't know to make certain regulation go smooth they don't really care about what happens in the grassroot society what kind of what kind of disaster that will happen because of their political interests they don't really care about that the students are determined to remain vigilant they accuse their politicians of taking a populist stance and of making common cause with Islamists and big business in order to stay in power if need be they assure us they will return to the streets they are proud of their public protests against corruption and nepotism against concessions to Islamists eager to restrict freedoms against intolerance and the growing gap between rich and poor masala theatres on Albania by next time I saw people sleeping on the streets poor people worked for very low wages which leads to the poor living conditions in Cambodia and ito-san that we need a government to act more to change their lives - America a moody and you get the Harrisville need to unite to dismantle political rot in the parliament and at the presidential palace if they want to destroy our nation we have to unite against them the Millennium [Music] [Music] me [Music] a protest song sung by Muslims and non-muslims just like in 1998 when Indonesia rid itself of the dictator Suharto as we say our farewells the students recommend a visit to borobudur or one of the largest buddhist temples in the world just outside of Jakarta [Music] this nation is created by many people come from many backgrounds so when you go to those heritage don't just go there and enjoy the scenery but make it as a reminder for you that our nation is very diverse and in order to make our nation along less you have to maintain a diversity by promoting tolerance [Music] you

Channel: DW Documentary

Views: 1,127,723

Keywords: Documentary, Documentaries, documentaries, DW documentary, full documentary, DW, documentary 2020, Indonesia, island state, Jakarta, Aceh province, President Joko Widodo, radical Islam, diversity, tolerance, democracy

Id: pD58Dj648gM

Length: 42min 26sec (2546 seconds)

Published: Wed May 27 2020

Reddit Comments

[u/Gigazwiebel]

I really liked the documentary. They showed a lot of the political diversity of Muslims in Indonesia and often focussed on the parts which are at odds with western expectation.

[u/32brokeassmale]

religion is holding humanity back.