In Muslim Indonesia, tiny Jewish community lives on

Indonesian Rabbi Yaakov Baruch at a synagogue in Tondano, North Sulawesi. A photo of Jewish leader Menachem Mendel Schneerson is seen in the background. (AFP)
Updated 28 April 2017
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In Muslim Indonesia, tiny Jewish community lives on

TONDANO, Indonesia: In a remote corner of the Indonesian archipelago, a modest synagogue stands in a tiny Jewish community that has found acceptance despite rising intolerance in the world’s most populous Muslim-majority country.
The red-roofed building on Sulawesi island is the only synagogue in the nation of 255 million people. Here, unlike other parts of the country, the Jewish community feels safe to practice its faith openly.
“We can wear the kippah (Jewish skullcap) in the mall or anywhere we want, it’s not a problem,” Yobby Hattie Ensel, a Jewish leader from the nearby city of Manado told AFP.
In Tondano, the Shaar Hasyamayim synagogue sits close to several churches and residents of different religions live, work and worship alongside each other without incident.
Indonesia has long been praised for its moderate, inclusive brand of Islam — and this enclave of diversity is a testament to that.
But across the archipelago, intolerance has risen in recent years as more conservative forms of Islam have become popular, driven by increasingly vocal hard-line groups.
Outside the safe haven on Sulawesi, those who refuse to hide their faith have faced hostility.
Yaakov Baruch, an Orthodox Jew who runs the Tondano synagogue, revealed how he was threatened with death in a busy Jakarta mall as he walked along with his pregnant wife.
“From a few floors up, they shouted at me ‘crazy Jew’,” he told AFP, adding the group of men then ran toward him and demanded he remove his skullcap. “They said to me: ‘We don’t want you to use your kippah in this country. If you continue to use it, we’ll kill you’.”
In 2013, the country’s only other synagogue in the city of Surabaya was demolished. It had been the site of anti-Israel protests for years, and was sealed off by hard-liners in 2009 and left to decay.
Indonesian Rabbi Benjamin Verbrugge concedes any flare-up of tensions in the Middle East provokes hostility toward the local faithful.
“Problems between Israelis and Palestinians are a liability for me — when someone is stabbed there, it makes me uneasy here,” he said.
Faced with such open hostility, the Jews in the capital worship in secret.
Last month, Verbrugge, head of the United Indonesian Jewish Community (UIJC), held celebrations for the festival of Purim, traditionally one of the most joyous days in Judaism’s calendar, hidden in a small hotel room with a handful of fellow worshippers.
The UIJC estimate there are around 200 practicing the faith in the country, believed to be the descendants of traders from Europe and Iraq who came to Asia to trade. The organization was set up to bring the nation’s Jews together.
The Jewish population in Indonesia is believed to have peaked at around 3,000 in the years before World War II, according to Rotem Kowner, a professor from the University of Haifa in Israel.
The fact that those remaining are scattered across the archipelago means Verbrugge has to defy rules that forbid Jews from using electrical gadgets on the Sabbath to lead group prayers online via the LINE messaging app.
The small community also faces more practical challenges, such as the fact kosher food is not widely available in Indonesia, said Phinechas, a local convert to Judaism. “I try my best to be a good Jew but I can’t manage it 100 percent,” he added.
Faith-based tension has been mounting in Indonesia, undermining its pluralist reputation.
Christian churches and mosques where Muslim minorities pray have been closed due to pressure from hard-liners.
Successive governments have been criticized for failing to tackle the radicals for fear of being accused of attacking Islam.
Due to their small number and the fact most live in the shadows, the nation’s Jews have not been a major focus of hard-liners’ anger in Indonesia and have largely escaped the serious attacks directed at other minorities.
But having a low profile also brings problems. According to the law, freedom of worship is guaranteed for all religions, including Judaism, but in practice Jews cannot be honest about their faith.
Authorities allow Indonesians to put six different religions on their all-important ID cards — Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Buddhism, Hinduism and Confucianism.
ID cards are vital for accessing government services, and for doing things such as registering marriages and births, meaning most Jews lie and put “Christianity” on the documents.
The Religious Affairs Ministry said in 2013 people who do not follow one of the six authorized faiths can choose to put nothing on their cards, but Indonesian Jews AFP interviewed had all put “Christian” to avoid drawing attention to themselves. Despite the challenges, Indonesian Jews nevertheless insist they are an integral part of the nation.
Baruch said: “(The) Jewish community of Indonesia, we were in this country far before the country was born. It means we are part of this country as well.”


India marks inclusion of 12 Maratha forts on UNESCO World Heritage List

Visitors walk along the ruins of the Lohagad hill fort, near Lonavla in the western Indian state of Maharashtra. (File/AFP)
Updated 7 min 38 sec ago
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India marks inclusion of 12 Maratha forts on UNESCO World Heritage List

  • Forts were once used by the Maratha Empire between the 17th and 19th centuries
  • India now ranks 6th globally and 2nd in Asia for the number of World Heritage Sites

NEW DELHI: India’s Maratha Military Landscapes — a network of 12 strategic forts — have been added to the UNESCO World Heritage List, becoming the country’s 44th site to receive the designation.

The forts were used by the rulers of the Maratha Empire, who held power across parts of central, western and southern India between the late 17th century and the early 19th century.

Marathas rose to prominence after the decline of the Mughal Empire, following the death of Emperor Aurangzeb in 1707, the last powerful Mughal ruler, who alone had controlled much of India for nearly 50 years.

The proposal to include the Maratha forts on the UNESCO list was submitted by India to the World Heritage Committee in January 2024.

The inscription, which took place during the 47th session of the World Heritage Committee in Paris on Friday, marked “a significant milestone in the global acknowledgment of India’s rich and diverse cultural heritage,” the Ministry of Culture said in a statement.

The Maratha Military Landscapes of India were nominated under the criteria in recognition of “their exceptional testimony to a living cultural tradition, their architectural and technological significance, and their deep associations with historic events and traditions.”

The fortification network covers 11 forts in the state of Maharashtra — Salher, Shivneri, Lohagad, Khanderi, Raigad, Rajgad, Pratapgad, Suvarnadurg, Panhala, Vijaydurg, and Sindhudurg — and one, Gingee Fort, in Tamil Nadu.

With the newest addition, India now ranks sixth globally and second in the Asia-Pacific region for the number of UNESCO World Heritage sites.

“The fact that UNESCO selected 12 forts from the Maratha dynasty as World Heritage Sites is a matter of great pride for the history of the Marathas, Maharashtra and India,” Prof. Santosh Mahadevrao Ghuge, who heads the Department of History at the Fergusson College in Pune, one of the main cities of Maharashtra, told Arab News.

“The war strategy of the Marathas has unique significance in Indian and world history, and forts have an important place in this war strategy. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Maratha military prowess and the use of forts in warfare enabled the Marathas to defeat the powerful Mughals.”


New Gaza-bound aid boat leaves Italy

Updated 4 min 2 sec ago
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New Gaza-bound aid boat leaves Italy

  • The Handala, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left the port of Syracuse shortly after 12:00 p.m.
  • The former Norwegian trawler will sail for about a week in the Mediterranean in the hope of reaching Gaza’s coast

SYRACUSE, Italy: A Gaza-bound boat carrying pro-Palestinian activists and humanitarian aid left Sicily on Sunday, over a month after Israel detained and deported people aboard a previous vessel.

The Handala, operated by the Freedom Flotilla Coalition, left the port of Syracuse shortly after 12:00 p.m. (1000 GMT), an AFP journalist saw, carrying about fifteen activists.

Several dozen people, some holding Palestinian flags and others wearing keffiyeh scarves, gathered at the port to cheer the boat’s departure with cries of “Free Palestine.”

The former Norwegian trawler – loaded with medical supplies, food, children’s equipment and medicine – will sail for about a week in the Mediterranean, covering roughly 1,800 kilometers, in the hope of reaching Gaza’s coast.

In early March, Israel imposed a total aid blockade on Gaza amid an impasse in truce negotiations, only partially easing restrictions in late May.

The boat will make a stop at Gallipoli, in southeastern Italy, where two members of the hard-left France Unbowed party (LFI) are expected to join.

The initiative comes six weeks after the departure of the Madleen, another ship that left Italy for Gaza transporting aid and activists, including Greta Thunberg.

Israel authorities intercepted the Madleen about 185 kilometers west of Gaza’s coast.

“This is a mission for the children in Gaza, to break the humanitarian blockade and to break the summer silence on the genocide,” said Gabrielle Cathala, one of the two France Unbowed party members set to board the boat on July 18.

“I hope we will reach Gaza but if not, it will be yet another violation of international law” by Israel, she added.

The war was sparked by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel that led to 1,219 deaths, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official figures.

Out of 251 people taken hostage that day, 49 are still held in Gaza, including 27 that the Israeli military says are dead.

Hamas-run Gaza’s health ministry says that at least 57,882 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed in Israel’s military reprisals. The UN considers the figures reliable.


PIF launches Tasama to deliver world-class business services in Saudi Arabia

Updated 9 min 14 sec ago
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PIF launches Tasama to deliver world-class business services in Saudi Arabia

  • Company aims to support public and private sectors
  • It seeks to advance business services as a strategic sector in the Kingdom

RIYADH: Businesses operating in Saudi Arabia — including international firms setting up regional headquarters — are set to benefit from the launch of Tasama, a new integrated business services platform established by a subsidiary of the Public Investment Fund.

Tasama was created through the merger of the Business Incubators and Accelerators Co., previously owned by the Saudi Technology Development and Investment Co. or TAQNIA, with PIF’s Shared Services Center. The company aims to support both the public and private sectors, according to an official statement.

The launch forms part of PIF’s broader strategy to diversify the Saudi economy and deepen its collaboration with the private sector by accelerating the growth of local enterprises and easing the entry of global firms into the Kingdom’s business environment.

It also comes as PIF surpasses $1 trillion in assets, marking a major global milestone. According to Global SWF, the fund is now shifting focus from rapid expansion to a new phase defined by solvency, strategic discipline, and long-term sustainable returns.

“The company seeks to advance business services as a strategic sector in the Kingdom, and to contribute effectively to supporting economic diversification by providing support to strategic sectors,” said Mohammed bin Nasser Al-Jasser, CEO of Tasama.

Al-Jasser added that the company remains committed to “fostering innovation, empowering Saudi talent, and enhancing national competencies,” building on BIAC’s track record across public and private sector partnerships.

He further emphasized Tasama’s ambition to evolve the business services sector, positioning the firm as a “key partner in shaping its future and ongoing progress,” while contributing to the expansion of the Kingdom’s tech ecosystem and broader commercial landscape.

According to the statement, Tasama will offer a full suite of services aimed at boosting operational efficiency, supporting companies through their launch and growth phases, and assisting international firms in establishing their regional bases in Saudi Arabia.

The platform will provide end-to-end support, including accounting, human resources, and procurement services, along with access to digital tools, business incubators, and workspace solutions.

Tasama also plans to expand nationwide, with the goal of becoming the leading provider of business services across Saudi Arabia.

Earlier this month, Global SWF noted that the Kingdom’s sovereign wealth fund — which recently posted an 18 percent rise in assets under management to SR4.32 trillion ($1.15 trillion) in 2024 — is now focused on “solvency over scale” and “substance over show.”

This strategic pivot underscores a broader recalibration of Vision 2030’s investment engine, balancing domestic megaproject development with financial discipline, international outreach, and responsible capital deployment.


MWL introduces updated strategy and framework

The MWL event, held at the league’s headquarters in Makkah, was attended by prominent Islamic figures.
Updated 31 min 55 sec ago
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MWL introduces updated strategy and framework

  • The event, held at the league’s headquarters in Makkah, was attended by prominent Islamic figures
  • Modernization initiative reflects league’s commitment to adapting to the evolving global landscape

MAKKAH: Muslim World League Secretary-General Dr. Mohammed bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa presided over the inauguration of the league’s enhanced strategic plan and updated governance framework.

The event, held at the league’s headquarters in Makkah, was attended by prominent Islamic figures, according to a recent report.

This comprehensive modernization initiative reflects the league’s commitment to adapting to the evolving global landscape and expanding the scope of its mission.

The plan particularly emphasizes expanding international programs to promote the “Charter of Makkah” and the “Charter for Building Bridges Between Islamic Schools of Thought and Sects.”

Al-Issa said the initiative advances the league’s vision, mission, goals, and values through a forward-looking strategy and governance model.

He also reaffirmed that the league’s founding principles, as set out in its statutes, remain steadfast and continue to guide its efforts to develop and modernize in service of the global Muslim community.


Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir, 100, discharged from hospital

Updated 51 min 11 sec ago
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Malaysia ex-PM Mahathir, 100, discharged from hospital

  • Mahathir Mohamad was leader of the Southeast Asian nation for more than two decades
  • He has been hospitalized repeatedly in recent years, most recently in October for a respiratory infection

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has been discharged from hospital, his office said on Sunday, after being admitted for fatigue following a picnic celebration for his 100th birthday.

Mahathir, leader of the Southeast Asian nation for more than two decades, has a history of heart problems and has undergone bypass surgeries. He has been hospitalized repeatedly in recent years, most recently in October for a respiratory infection.

He was under observation at the National Heart Institute in Kuala Lumpur for fatigue-related issues on Sunday, his office said. “Mahathir has been allowed home as of 4:45 p.m. (0845 GMT),” it said in a statement.

A physician who was a member of parliament until 2022, Mahathir drove himself on Sunday to the celebration, which also marked the 99th birthday of his wife, Hasmah Mohd Ali, a day earlier, local media reported.

The reports said he cycled for an hour before appearing tired. His birthday was on Thursday.

Mahathir was prime minister for 22 years until 2003. He returned as premier in 2018 after leading the opposition coalition to a historic win, but his government collapsed in less than two years due to infighting.