Although Indonesia has the highest population of Muslims in the world, it is amazing to see how loosely some Muslims follow the teachings of Islam. My neighbors basically told me that whatever you wanted to obey or not obey was fine, it is a personal choice. Many here seem to share his opinion, and a recent news article highlighted this.
The big Islamic Council here in Indonesia recently made national headlines by issuing a fatwa which, among other things, prohibits smoking in public for all Indonesian Muslims. I don't know the percentage of men that smoke in this country, but I would say it has to be close to 90%. Almost all the guys smoke, all the time. Smoking is equated with being male...
So when they say that you are not allowed to smoke in public, it's almost equivalent to saying that you are not allowed to breathe in public. Unsurprisingly, there has been little change... everyone is still smoking.
You can see an article about it here.
On the Edge
A few things about Kaelen... she is smiling and goofy and silly all the time, EXCEPT for when anyone is taking a picture. Then she...
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The military stationed in and around our city recently put some of their equipment and vehicles on display at the local park. Interest... -
A few things about Kaelen... she is smiling and goofy and silly all the time, EXCEPT for when anyone is taking a picture. Then she...