How Islam came to dominate Indonesia Unlike other parts of the world, Islam spread in Southeast Asia without a major conquest. "Indonesia ensures respect for all religions, and this has led to a strengthening democracy." In fact, this harmonious relationship reflects the peaceful manner in which Islam was originally introduced to Indonesia, a country which has grown to represent the largest Muslim population in the entire world. [Read more: Islam in Asia] Ricklefs (1991) identifies two overlapping processes by which the Islamisation of Indonesia occurred: (1) Indonesians came into contact with Islam and converted, and (2) foreign Muslim Asians (Indians, Chinese, Arabs, etc.) settled in Indonesia and mixed with local communities. The 1965 attempted coup, which resulted in hundreds of thousands of deaths, has long been blamed on the still-banned Indonesian Communist Party, historically supported by China, and this further strengthened anti-Chinese sentiment. Many Chinese converted to Islam in order to better blend in. Islam in Indonesia Contributed by Prof. Dr. Nazeer Ahmed, PhD Modern Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world. Together with Malaysia and the Philippine islands, this area is home to over 250 million Muslims. Indonesia: Treatment of Indonesians who have converted to Christianity; the number of Indonesian Christians; whether Sharia law applies, and if so, how; whether there have been any fatwas in this regard; whether the radical Muslim community loses interest once a Muslim has converted to Christianity and has lived as a Christian for some time The Changing Face of Indonesian Islam Hijrah movements are flourishing on Indonesian campuses, worrying some proponents of Indonesia's more moderate traditions. By Carter Banker December 24, zCs4E.

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