WHAT IS YOUR RELIGION?

Indonesia is home to the largest Muslim communities in the world. Although the Indonesian government legally declares six religions, namely Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Hindu, Buddhist, and Confucian, in this largest archipelago country in the world, most people become adherent of Islam. Around 88% of Indonesian are Moslem so Indonesia is famous as the largest Muslim country in the world. With a population reaching more than 220 million people, it means Muslim population in this country's is around 116 million people.

Although in this country Muslims are majority, Indonesia is not an Islamic state. Indonesian Muslims are well-known for their moderation and being tolerant. They welcome anyone in polite-manner.

However, the general level of implementation of religion in Indonesia is not so strong. The majority of Indonesian population is adherents of “Islam abangan ", meaning they are not strictly and consistently implement the teachings of Islam. This is because the Indonesian government requires its citizens to put the status of religion in their identity cards, so often the Islam "abangan" people are called the "Islam KTP ", meaning religion is only used as a complement in ID card without carrying out the identity of its teachings.

The strictest teaching and application of Islam is in the region of Aceh. In this area, special rules apply without exclusion of the State law. The Indonesian government has also provided special autonomy options to this area so that the people of Aceh, most embraced Islam, can implement Islamic religious teachings well.