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When Art Becomes a Sin

Indonesian artist Agus Suwage appears to have involuntarily put his country's values to the test. Is his artistic installation pornographic or are critics just oversensitive? The stakes for Indonesian society are high: freedom of expression or religiously justified censorship? Christina Schott reports

Conservative Victory over Press Freedom

The former editor-in-chief of Indonesian Playboy magazine has begun a two-year prison sentence for "public indecency". And this in a country with the some of the most liberal media laws in Asia – since the toppling of Suharto. By Anett Keller

Shattered Faith in a Peaceful Coexistence

In Indonesia, attacks by the extremist IDF against religious minorities are occurring with greater frequency. But despite religious freedoms enshrined in the constitution, authorities are responding with ambivalence and hesitantly. By Anett Keller

"Freedom of Religion Must Also Apply to Minorities"

Franz Magnis-Suseno is a German-born Jesuit Priest and professor of philosophy in Indonesia. In this interview with Anett Keller, the naturalised Indonesian citizen talks about Indonesia's anti-pornography law, religious tolerance, and the definition of blasphemy

March for Diversity

Human Rights Groups join the protest of Indonesian women against a new tough anti-pornography bill – the opposition to what many in Indonesia call the "Talibanization" of society is strong. Edith Koesoemawiria reports

Indonesia Loses Its Blind Seer

On 30 December last year Abdurrahman Wahid died in Jakarta at the age of sixty-nine. The first democratically elected president following the Suharto dictatorship, he had campaigned for interreligious dialogue and a peaceful Islam. An obituary by Armin Wertz

Dictator or National Hero?

Human rights activists say Indonesian President Suharto was a ruthless dictator, while others credit him with the country's economic upswing. Two years after the death of the long-time ruler, the nation has begun considering his legacy. By Jochen Buchsteiner

Bernhard von Breydenbach's Pilgrimage to the Orient

The late Middle Ages gave rise to a kind of religious tourism. The pious and the adventurous headed east to visit holy sites and exotic locations. One of them was Bernhard von Breydenbach, a Deacon of Mainz Cathedral. By Sandra Schmies

Transcending Prejudice and Ideology

The 34-year-old director Fatih Akin has made a most extraordinary film, "The Edge of Heaven", revolving around the fatefully crossing paths of six individuals from Germany and Turkey. Amin Farzanefar watched the film

An Ancient Game of Architectural "Tit for Tat"

Jonathan M. Bloom, who lectures in the history of Islamic art and architecture at the Boston College of Arts and Sciences, considers the Swiss decision to prohibit the construction of minarets to be a slap in the face of the Muslim community in Switzerland. Eren Güvercin asked him about the origin and history of the minaret