![]() A transgender Islamic boarding school in the city of Yogyakarta was forced to close down in February after years of existence, following intimidation from hard-line Muslims. There were controversies over gay emojis. ![]() Defend the Nation, a paramilitary training program that claims some 1.8 million participants, declared homosexuality as one of the nation’s enemies, along with communism and illegal drugs. Development Program not to carry out LGBT community programs in the country. Since January, people from across all sections of Indonesia life, from government officials, politicians, local media, Muslim leaders to even psychiatrists, have joined the chorus of homophobic condemnation, including calls to criminalize and “cure” LGBT people from mental illness. In recent months, Indonesia has seen an alarming rise of anti-LGBT sentiment, which Human Rights Watch, in its August report, calls “an unprecedented attack” on the rights of sexual minorities that was stoked by the government. ![]() Its two largest Muslim organizations, the traditional Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and the modernist Muhammadiyah, which have a combined membership of some 80 million, are touted as examples of moderate Islam.īut recent events belie the ideal image of the world’s biggest Muslim democracy. Indonesia prides itself not only for being a country with the world’s biggest Muslim population, but also for its tolerant brand of Islam. ![]() In his visit at the White House last October, he told President Obama that Islam in Indonesia is “moderate,” “modern” and “tolerant.” Indonesia “is a country where Islam and democracy can go hand in hand,” he said during a speech at the U.K. ![]() In his overseas trips, Indonesian President Joko Widodo has one favorite topic to discuss with his fellow leaders: Islam and democracy in his country. An alarming rise of anti-LGBT sentiment in Indonesia belies the ideal image of the world’s biggest Muslim democracy ![]()
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