This Week's NATIONAL ETIQUETTE AWARD goes to... Indonesia!

Indonesia Page in Wikipedia

World Factbook: Indonesia

Tourism Indonesia

The Ultimate Indonesia Homepage

I hereby grant the National Etiquette Award to Indonesia, as it is the custom in that country to remove shoes when entering homes.

Most of us heard the news about the earthquake in Indonesia. Another big natural disaster.

Indonesia is made up of many islands, some large and some small.

The people of Indonesia are mostly Malay in ethnicity. They are predomminantly Muslim, though Bali is mainly Hindu. The Islam of Indonesia is more liberal than that of the middle east. It has been influenced in part by some pre-Islamic traditions. However, more militant and conservative interpretations of Islam are spreading in Indonesia. The terrorist bombing in the Bali nightclub in 2003 was a shock to the world.

Christians in Indonesia are mostly among the Chinese minority, though there are Christians among the Malays and tribal peoples.

The economy of Indonesia has not always been all that stable and the Tsunami of 2004 set it back somewhat. However, the country has considerable natural resources, as well as tourism.

Indonesia is a country in which Christians suffer persecution. For more information about the suffering church worldwide please visit these sites:

Barnabas Fund

Open Doors International