INDEPENDENT ISLAMIC STATES

Indonesia

Official Name: Republic of Indonesia (ID)

Capital city; : Jakarta

Important Cities: Cayapura, Surabaya, Bandung, Medan, Semarang, Palembang,

                                    Ujug Pandang, Malang, Padang, Surakarta, Pontianak.

Area: 1,904,443 km2

Population        : 270,000,000 (2020). 31 per cent of the population live in cities.[1]

Number of People Per Km2: 98

Average Human Lifespan: 56

Ethnicity: The ethnic composition of the Indonesian people is Javanese: 33 per cent speak Bahasa, the official language of Indonesia. 90 per cent are Muslims. Sundanese: 15.70 per cent. Malaysia - They speak a language called Sundanese, which belongs to the Polynesian language group. 98% of them are Muslims. Madurans: 6.65 per cent. They live mostly on the island of Madura. They speak a language close to Javanese and called Madura language. 95 per cent of them are Muslims. Malays 5 per cent. 99 per cent are Muslims. Minangkabular: 3.77%. 98% of them are Muslims. Bugis: 2.66 per cent. Most of them live in South Sulawesi. They speak a language called Basa Ogi, which has its own special alphabet. 95% are Muslims. Açelis 1.65 per cent. They are an ethnic group known for their commitment to Islam. All of them are Muslims. Benjar Kuntan people: 1.35 per cent. 90 per cent are Muslims. The official language of the state is Bahasa Indonesia. However, more than 250 regional languages are spoken among the population. English is also a recognised language.

Religion: The state recognises Islam, Christianity, Hinduism and some natural religions as official religions. However, 87 per cent of the population is Muslim. Muslims are generally Sunni, Hanafi. The remaining 4.5 per cent of the population is Christian, 4.5 per cent Brahmanist, 1 per cent Hinduist and 0.8 per cent Buddhist.

Geographical Situation: Indonesia, one of the Southeast Asian countries, is a country of archipelagos located in the Indian Ocean south of Malaysia. The total of the islands that make up the country is up to 3 thousand. The most populous island is the island of Java. The capital Jakarta is also on this island. The largest lake is Lake Toba on the island of Sumatra. There are many small and large rivers on the islands. 11% of its territory is agricultural land, 6% is grassland and 64% is forest. Indonesia has a rainy climate. In the capital Jakarta, the average annual temperature is 30 degrees and the average annual rainfall is 1755 mm.

Mode of Government: Indonesia is governed by a multi-party democratic system. However, a dictatorship regime prevails in the country. According to the constitution in force since 17 August 1945, the president should be elected every five years, but Suharto's presidency has been renewed every five years since 1967. There is a bicameral parliamentary system. The first chamber consists of 1000 members and the second chamber of 500 members. Elections are held every five years to determine the members of parliament. There is heavy pressure on political parties. In 1985, the Community Law was imposed by force, making the "pancasila" (five basic principles), which contained Suharto's personal opinions, the only valid ideology of the state. Demonstrations against the Community Law were suppressed with bloodshed and brutality. Suharto's regime is supported by the military and a group of people, especially on the island of Java, who have been alienated from Islamic understanding and who call themselves Abangan. The Abangan are given privileges in the state cadres and the army.

International Organisations: It is a member of international organisations such as the UN, OIC (Organisation of Islamic Cooperation), OPEC, APEC  ASEAN, IMF, Islamic Development Bank.

Political Parties: The parties authorised to engage in political activity in Indonesia are: The United Development Party of Professional Groups (GOLKAR): It is a party that defends Suharto ideology and has a westernist and secularist approach. It holds the power in the country. The electoral system is organised to ensure the success of this party.

United Development Party: A conservative party that tries to present an Islamic identity but in reality has a weak Islamic orientation.

Democratic Party of Indonesia: A liberal pro-Western party. The only party that can actually have a real presence in the country is the ruling GOLKAR. The other two parties are allowed to operate as witnesses to the claim that a multi-party system prevails in the country. In all elections, however, GOLKAR wins more than twice as many seats in parliament as the other parties combined.

History: Islam entered Indonesia at an early stage. Because some people from the Indonesian island of Sumatra had settled in the Gulf region before Islam, stayed here for a long time and became Muslims after the arrival of Islam. These Sumatran Muslims, who later took part in the conquest of some towns, had contact with their own people in the following years and made them aware of Islam. According to historical records, Islam first entered the Indonesian islands during the time of Umayyad caliph Suleiman bin Abdulmalik, that is, in the 1st century AH. Muslim merchants also played an important role in the spread of Islam in the islands. However, Islamisation did not proceed very fast. It was much later that state administrations were taken over by Muslims. Islam first began to gain power in Sumatra, the largest of the islands that today make up Indonesia. In the north of the island, a Muslim state called Pedir Sultanate was established in the 15th century. This sultanate later joined the Sultanate of Aceh. Aceh Sultanate was established as an Islamic state in 1514. According to historical records, the founder of this state was Ali Mugayat Shah. The Sultanate of Aceh had close relations with the Ottoman Empire and towards the end of the 16th century, it was attached to the Ottoman sultan as it represented the caliphate. The colonisers started to disturb the Sultanate of Aceh from its early days. However, the Acehnese put up a very successful struggle against the colonisers. In 1599, a famous Dutch commander was killed by the Azaleans. This was a good blow for the Dutch and the colonial powers refrained from attacking the Açaleans again until 1873. However, after the Dutch captured the Kingdom of Menangkabau in Sumatra in 1821, they made all preparations for war and gave an ultimatum to the Sultanate of Aceh on 26 March 1873. In this ultimatum, they asked the Sultanate to remove the crescent and star representing Islam from its flag and to cut off its relations with Istanbul, the centre of the caliphate. The Dutch threatened to declare war if their demands were not accepted. The Sultanate of Aceh refused, stating that accepting these demands meant changing their religion and accepting to convert to another religion. Thereupon, the war started with the attacks of the Dutch and lasted until 1904. After 1904, the Netherlands subordinated Aceh to the governor-general appointed for the island of Sumatra. In Java, one of the islands that make up today's Indonesia, Islam began to exist after 1400. At that time, there were some kingdoms on the island under the rule of Hindus and Brahmanists. In 1478, Sultan Raden Patak overthrew the Javanese Macapahit Hindu Kingdom and established an Islamic State. Later, this state was divided into the kingdoms of Demak, Giri and Sheribon, also ruled by Muslims. In 1604, the Muslim Kingdom of Mataram was established on the island and took the whole island under its rule and converted it to Islam. This state survived until 1704. In 1704 the Mataram State was divided into the kingdoms of Surakarta and Cokyakarta. The Dutch intensified their attacks on the island of Java from 1800. Then General Suharto took over. Suharto's practices and policies did not differ from those of his predecessor Sukarno. He, too, continued to persecute and oppress Muslims in co-operation with the communists and Christian missionaries.

Internal Problems: The people of Aceh opposed Indonesian colonialism, which they saw as a continuation of Dutch colonialism, and struggled to establish their own independent state. For this purpose, Acehnese people established an organisation called Aceh Sumatra National Liberation Front. This front declared the independence of Aceh Sumatra with a declaration issued on 4 November 1976 and announced the establishment of an independent government under the leadership of Dr. Tungku Hasan di Tiro, the leader of the front. However, the Indonesian government, relying on its foreign support and military power, did not recognise the right to life of this government. The Acehnese do not embrace Indonesian nationalism and desire to have a government shaped according to their own beliefs. This issue is a constant headache for the Indonesian government. External Problems: Indonesia did not agree to give the states of Sarawak and Sabah on the island of Borneo to Malaysia. This issue was also instrumental in the war between the two countries in the past. Today, although this issue seems to have been somewhat ashed, it continues to be an issue between the two countries.

Islam in the country: Today, although 87 per cent of the Indonesian people are considered Muslims, this is not the proportion of those who understand and live Islam properly. This is a result of the policy of ignorance, corruption and alienation of the people from Islam, both during the colonial period and after independence. However, those who are devoted to their religion are not few. Especially in recent years, Islamic consciousness has gained more momentum and all mosques have started to be filled with congregations. In addition, there are also organisations and congregations aiming to restore the people to their Islamic identity and to make Islam dominant in the state. In 1921, an organisation called Serikat Islam (Islamic Union) was established against the colonialists. This movement, which started out strong in the beginning, was divided and lost its strength due to the sedition caused by the Dutch. This movement was renamed the Indonesian Islamic Unity Party (PSII) in 1930 and continued to exist as a political party after independence. It remained on the political scene until 1973, when it was closed down by the government. Founded in 1926, Nahdatu al-Ulema (Resurrection of Scholars - NU) initially stayed away from politics and declared that it aimed to fulfil its mission of "commanding good and forbidding evil". It was recognised as a political party in 1953 and continued its political activities until its dissolution in 1984. The 'Muhammadiyah Society', which was founded at the same time as the NU, concentrated on invitation activities. Although it does not have an official identity today, it continues the same activities. During the Japanese occupation, military groups called Hezbollah were formed. They were trained by the Japanese against the Dutch. However, Hezbollah members later also took a stand against the Japanese. After the withdrawal of the Japanese, Hezbollah had an important role in the struggle against the Netherlands. In 1947, the organisation changed its name to Dar al-Islam and its military wing was renamed the Indonesian Islamic Army. The post-independence administration turned against this organisation and completely disbanded it in the 1960s. After the declaration of independence, many political parties of Islamic character were established. The Shura Council of Indonesian Muslims (MASJUMI) is the most prominent of these. This party was founded by Muhammad Nasser, a well-known leader of the Islamic movement, and participated in several coalition governments. However, it was closed down in 1967. Then, in 1968, the Indonesian Muslim Party (PMI) was founded. Suharto also banned the work of this party. Other parties with Islamic aims were also closed down by the government.  Among the Islamic organisations still in existence are the following two: Indonesian Supreme Council for Islamic Da'wah: It was founded in 1967 by Jakartan scholars under the leadership of Muhammad Nasser. It focuses more on dawah, notification and education activities. It has established many educational institutions, schools, institutes and research centres. It also provides scholarships to Muslim university students. Indonesian Islamic Students (PII): The organisation operates especially among university students and tries to give them an Islamic-political consciousness. Having 4.5 million members and seeing the influence of the PII on the youth, the administration put heavy pressure on the leaders of the organisation and asked it to dissolve itself. However, PII is trying to continue on its way despite the heavy pressure. In addition, various community activities are carried out outside the state control. The heavy state pressure on Islamic organisation forces some Muslim dawahis to operate only by preaching in mosques and organising home talks. Public interest in these sermons and talks is great. In particular, the closure of political parties with an Islamic identity encouraged people to attend such sermons and talks. Seeing this, the government imposed censorship on sermons and made it obligatory to have what was to be said analysed and approved beforehand. This time, more emphasis was placed on home conversations and groups called "usre (:family)" were formed. These groups lack centralised authority, but there is co-operation between the usre in a certain region. In recent years, the government has also waged a war against the usrahs. It frequently organises raids on these conversations and refers the participants to court.

     Dr Muhammad Nasser: He was born in 1908. After completing his university education, he completed his master's degree at the Faculty of Education and received a doctorate degree from the Islamic University of Jakarta. He worked in the field of education during the occupation period. After independence, he founded the MASJUMI party and entered the parliament. In 1946 he became Minister of Information and remained in this position for 4 years. He became prime minister in 1950, but had to resign before completing one year due to Sukarno's pressure and continued to be the chairman of MASJUMI. He established close relations with the Muslim Brotherhood and the Jamaat-e-Islamiya in Pakistan. He was imprisoned by Sukarno in 1961. However, he was released after a while due to the public reaction. Muhammad Nasser, who pioneered the establishment of various Islamic organisations in the following years, died in February 1993.

Economy: Indonesia's economy is primarily based on oil and natural gas. In 1992, it produced a total of 546 million barrels of oil and 47 billion 927 million m3 of natural gas. After the agreement between OPEC countries in 1993, daily oil production is 1 million 330 thousand barrels. Oil reserves in 1993 were estimated at 8 billion 350 million barrels and natural gas reserves at 1 trillion 374 billion m3 . The share of income from oil and natural gas in the gross domestic product is 14 per cent. However, the livelihood of the vast majority of the population is agriculture, livestock and fisheries. The share of income from these sectors in the gross domestic product is 25% and 55% of the working population is employed in these areas. The main agricultural products are rice, rubber, coffee, sugar cane, coconut, tobacco and various fruits and vegetables. In 1992, 55 million 760 thousand tonnes of rice and cereals, 19 million 230 thousand tonnes of ground crops, 510 thousand tonnes of legumes, 7 million 140 thousand tonnes of fruits, 4 million 725 thousand tonnes of vegetables were produced. In the same year, the country had 11 million heads of cattle, 6 million heads of sheep and 7 million heads of pigs. In 1991, 3 million 186 thousand tonnes of fish and seafood were caught, 75% from the sea and 25% from inland waters. In the same year, the export of fish and seafood products generated a foreign exchange income of nearly 1 billion 200 million dollars. Indonesia is also rich in local resources. Tin, bauxite, iron, copper, copper, nickel, gold ore and building stone are still mined. The share of mining revenues in gross domestic product is 1%. Forest products are also an important source of income.

Currency: Indonesian Rupiah

National Income per Capita: 4,038 USD (2020) [2]

Foreign Trade: The main exports are crude oil, petroleum products, natural gas, wood products, coffee, rubber, coconut and mineral ores. The main imports are machinery, transport vehicles, electrical and electronic equipment and various foodstuffs. Japan ranks first in foreign trade. (Its share in exports is 45 per cent and 23 per cent in imports.) The second ranking countries are the USA, Singapore and the Netherlands.

Industry: Apart from oil refineries, most of the industrial organisations are small and medium industrial enterprises. Factories producing electrical household appliances, motorised vehicles and various consumer goods have been established. Apart from these, there are factories processing agricultural products produced in the country, producing various foodstuffs, soft drinks, cigarettes, textile products, clothing, furniture, cement, paper, yarn, chemicals, plastics, soil and metal goods etc. The share of manufacturing industry in the gross domestic product is 20 per cent.

Energy: In 1991, 44 billion 660 million kw/h of electricity was produced. Electricity consumption in the same year is equal to this figure. 80.5 per cent of electricity is obtained from thermal power plants, 19 per cent from hydroelectric power plants and 0.5 per cent from nuclear power plants. Annual electricity consumption per capita is 238 kw/hour on average.

Transportation: There are 117 airports with scheduled flights, including the capital Jakarta, which is open to international traffic. Sea routes are used for inter-island transport. Indonesia has 2020 ships that can carry cargo over 100 gph, 7.000 km. of railway, 267.000 km. of highways, 118.000 km. of which are asphalted. On average, there is one motorised transport vehicle for 62 people.

Health: Indonesia has 1555 hospitals, 27500 doctors and dentists, 100 thousand midwives and nurses. On average, there is one doctor for 6844 people.

Education: Education is free. There are 148 thousand primary schools, 29 thousand general secondary schools and 3900 vocational secondary schools. 98 per cent of primary school children and 38 per cent of secondary school children can benefit from this education. There are 61 universities and 900 colleges. Apart from these, there are many higher schools established especially by Islamic organisations. Christian missionaries operating in the country also have private schools. Among the university-age youth, the rate of those enrolled in university is 8.5 per cent, while the rate of those over the age of 25 with higher education is 1.2 per cent. The literacy rate is 78 per cent.

Administrative division: It consists of 27 provinces, 3 special regions and 396 districts.

Gross National Product: 114 billion 814 million dollars.

[1]   www.ticaret.gov.tr(October-2021 Access)

[2] www.ticaret.gov.tr(October-2021 Access)