Release International

Religious minorities in Indonesia are breathing a sigh of relief after an Islamist hardliner lost the election for Jakarta's new governor.

Ethnic and non-Muslim groups were concerned that Islamic candidate Adang Daradjatun of the Prosperous and Justice Party (PKS) would win the post -- and push forward the campaign to make Indonesia a Sharia state.

But, in the event, moderate Fauzi Bowo, who was educated by Jesuits, appears to have snatched victory from him. At the time of writing, the official result had yet to be announced but exit polls gave a comfortable lead to Bowo, the former vice-governor. This is the first time Jakartans have elected their own governor -- previously the job of local government.

The new governor will face mounting pressure from radical Islamists to align Java more squarely with the tenets of Islam. Just last week, hundreds of Muslims in the province of West Java took to the streets of Bandung to protest against a visit by Miss Universe 2007, Riyo Mori from Japan, branding her a 'symbol of the world's adultery and pornography'.

Also last week, some 100,000 Islamists packed into a stadium in Jakarta to press for a Muslim caliphate -- a single Islamic state -- across the Muslim world. The organisers were Hizb ut-Tahrir, an Islamic group banned in many countries. It claims to want to establish a caliphate by peaceful means -- but its detractors claim its ideology is similar to jihadists'.

• Pray for Jakarta's new governor Fauzi Bowo. Ask God to give him wisdom as he confronts the city's problems, including inter-religious tensions.
• Pray that Indonesia's government would push harder to preserve a pluralist and tolerant society.

Back to top