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Update my browser now Spain station reflects experiences that shaped an era From the Radio World Who’s Buying What page: In Valencia, Spain, Onda Meliana is the brainchild of Antonio “Toni” Coso the station features ’80s and ’90s dance hits Coso affectionately calls it the “Radio Dance Club.” The station is now celebrating 30 years of broadcasting on the Spanish Mediterranean Coast Coso says the station’s music reflects the experiences sensations and sounds that shaped an era there Onda Meliana has been using the OMB Broadcast line of transmitters He purchased both an OMB EM500 500-watt compact transmitter and an OMB EM250 250-watt compact transmitter The station is also running through a new OMB COMLIM70 six-band audio processor which Coso said has brought a notable difference in sound quality OMB said the Onda Meliana offerings are two of more than 9,000 FM transmitters it has sold since the company was born 40 years ago in Spain It also maintains commercial offices in Miami [See Our Who’s Buying What Page] Nick Langan The author is a content producer and staff writer for Radio World He has a lifelong passion for long-distance FM radio propagation and is a faculty advisor for 89.1 WXVU(FM) which he completed for his Villanova University graduate thesis For more stories like this, and to keep up to date with all our market leading news, features and analysis, sign up to our newsletter here Tags ⋅ Who's Buying What ⋅ OMB Broadcast England and Wales company registration number 2008885 The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) is pleased to welcome Meliana Halim as its new Manager Oceania across Australia and New Zealand Meliana will be managing the MICE portfolio helping to maintain the destination’s reputation as Asia’s most prized and award-winning business and conference hub will include implementing and developing business strategies for the MICE segment These initiatives have been designed to raise awareness and drive consideration of Singapore as a destination that is constantly evolving with new while still retaining its unique cultural charm Her appointment comes as STB Oceania launched a new initiative at their MasterMICE networking events in Sydney and Melbourne last week. The new award scheme offers MICE intermediaries star points based on bookings and group numbers “I am excited to join the Singapore Tourism Board family and to be able to work together with hoteliers airlines and DMCs in encouraging MICE and Business Traveller groups to visit Singapore It has been a goal of mine to be part of a Tourism Board and as Singapore is such a vibrant and exciting destination I can’t wait to meet everyone and get started!” said Meliana Meliana brings over 15 years of travel and tourism industry experience to the Oceania team including existing relationships with wholesalers National Tourism Organisations (NTOs) and trade shows Meliana was the Senior Sales Manger for Australia at Warwick Hotels & Resorts B2C and groups for their six South Pacific properties. Meliana also spent time at Air Pacific (now Fiji Airlines) as their National Sales Manager for MICE and groups commented: “Meliana is a great addition to our local Singapore Tourism Board team MICE is an important focus for us and we believe Meliana has the skill set contacts and passion to help us grow our MICE footprint even further across the ANZ market and help keep Singapore top-of-mind as Australia’s choice business events destination.” When I first started reading Mytrae Meliana’s “Brown Skin Girl,” I thought it would be just another love story about an Indian-born girl who falls in love with a white this autobiographical novel captivated me as not only a story above love “Brown Skin Girl” is indeed an “Indian-American woman’s magical journey from broken to beautiful,” as its subtitle reads Meant to be about the author’s telling of her own life the novel expresses the story about Meliana and her traditional South Indian family’s move from India to the United States in the 1980s where she falls in love with an American man while in graduate school and is banished back to India to live in her familial home as punishment raw and jaw-dropping navigation through abortion and breaking away from oppressive cultural traditions all with the solace of her one true passion: music A post shared by Mytrae Meliana (@mytraemeliana) on Feb 9 the characters that take center stage in this tale are Meliana’s love interest Evan is a breath of fresh air who allows Meliana to realize her musical potential and gain confidence as a first-generation immigrant in a predominantly white community in North Carolina my heart warmed when Evan and Meliana were able to reunite not without facing difficulties along the way and (unintentional) emotional abuse that many South Asian parents dole out to their children The manner in which Meliana described their cold and seemingly incomprehensible behavior towards the author including the imposition of their faith in Chinmayananda onto Meliana could make even the most unemotional individual soften with sympathy I wanted to reach through the pages of the book and save Meliana from the pain she felt but the most I could do was continue my eager reading—and it was well worth it A post shared by Mytrae Meliana (@mytraemeliana) on Jan 29 as centuries of British rule rises up in my throat The way Indians bow and scrape before foreigners as the protagonist “Brown Skin Girl,” helps us realize that we are meant to love the brown skin we are born in “Brown Skin Girl” is a heroic triumph for the human – no – the brown girl experience It is honest and touching and vocalizes themes and messages that many of us may have difficulty expressing It is the type of thought-provoking content that the brown Tina Lapsia is an attorney working and living in NYC. She is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania Law … Read more › The Spark is a curated newsletter full of dinner-table worthy topics promo codes and the spiciest memes straight to your inbox Ladki Power is Brown Girl Magazine’s first-ever apparel line designed intentionally to empower South Asian folks living in the diaspora Brown Girl Magazine is a multimedia company based in New York City with global reach dedicated to South Asian self-expression we empower and engage those who identify as a part of the South Asian diaspora with a hyphenated identity A curated newsletter full of dinner-table worthy topics When an ethnic Chinese woman in Medan named Meliana was sentenced on 21 August* to 18 months on blasphemy charges for complaining about the volume of the call to prayer (azan) in the mosque next door More than 50,000 people joined an online petition to free her Officials of the two largest Muslim social organisations saying a complaint about the volume should not constitute blasphemy who himself has frequently inveighed against the high volume of mosque loudspeakers said the complaint should not have been criminalised. There is no end to the litany of cases that should never have come to trial in which judges have ignored evidence and left a trail of innocent victims in their wake If so many people were appalled by the sentence how could Meliana have been charged in the first place There are several possibilities: intimidation of local officials by Islamist vigilantes; the weakness of the courts; religious polarisation in Medan; and the growing influence of local ulama councils even if the strength of the protests at her treatment mean that she eventually gets acquitted on appeal It began on 22 July 2016 when Meliana complained that the azan at the local mosque had grown louder and was hurting her ears The mosque administrators described what she said and the way that she said it as an insult Meliana’s husband went to the mosque to apologise Yet word spread falsely over social media that Meliana was calling for the azan to be banned we tried to ask them to disperse and not to use violence We will look into this and find the perpetrators When eight perpetrators were tried and found guilty in January 2017 and the alleged mastermind got two months and eighteen days – nowhere close to Meliana’s eventual sentence for an act that had involved no violence and should never have been considered a crime The chronology of Meilania’s case was against her She was formally declared a suspect in March 2017 after Islamists had successfully mobilised in the hundreds of thousands to bring down the Jakarta governor The anti-Ahok campaign had shown that government officials would rather arrest and convict a public figure on blasphemy charges than risk the security consequence that might follow from the Muslim street by giving him a fair trial The lessons could not have been lost on local officials in Medan in the final stages of a local election campaign for governor of North Sumatra in which the slate that eventually won followed the playbook of the anti-Ahok activists urging Muslim voters to reject kafir (infidel) candidates It did not help that the rival slate was headed by Ahok’s former deputy was inevitably linked to Ahok in the public mind The political atmosphere was decidedly not in Meliana’s favour Then there is the question of the truly appalling state of Indonesia’s courts one institution that reform has hardly touched Corruption and abuse permeate the judicial system in Indonesia making Indonesia’s perception of itself as a country abiding by the rule of law (negara hukum) a sad illusion Had the judges in Meliana’s case been better or braver the senior judge in Meliana’s case was one of four Medan judges arrested by the Anti-Corruption Commission in a suspected bribery case that had nothing to do with blasphemy but he and two others were later released.) The Meliana case also underscores another disturbing development in Indonesia: the extent to which local ulama councils (majelis ulama Indonesia MUI) have acquired political power to the point that some officials treat their opinions (fatwa) as tantamount to law The judges in her case cited a 24 January 2017 ruling of the North Sumatra MUI stating that Meilania’s actions had been blasphemous rather than assessing the case solely on its legal merits The tendency to cede authority to local MUIs is having disastrous effects elsewhere in the country as they rule against vaccinations and on other issues that should be the sole preserve of governments to handle In the case of a vaccine against measles and rubella which kill thousands of Indonesian children annually the MUI in the Riau Islands initially ruled that Muslims were forbidden to use it because it contained pork products Eventually the national MUI stepped in at the Ministry of Health’s urging and issued a fatwa that given the need was dire and there was no purely halal vaccine available it was permissible for Muslims to inoculate their children But many Muslims in Riau and elsewhere will be left with the impression that it is better to reject immunization than to accept a non-halal product This is one consequence of repeated capitulation to religious authorities on subjects where non-religious standards should hold sway the standard should be the equality before the law of all citizens under the Indonesian constitution The protests against her sentencing are heartening but the courts seem to be moving in the opposite direction * Date corrected following publication The Interpreter features in-depth analysis & expert commentary on the latest international events, published daily by the Lowy Institute I went there with Musdah Mulia, a prominent female Muslim scholar, who challenged the Blasphemy Law (Law 1/PNPS/1965) at Indonesia’s Constitutional Court in 2009-2010 telling her she did nothing wrong and should not be in prison Meliana shares a cell of about 30 square metres with about 15 women There is enough room to sleep but not to move around Meliana is one of an increasing number of people caught up in the Blasphemy Law in what has historically been considered one of the world’s most tolerant Muslim countries need the help of supporters in other countries Meliana’s journey to prison began one Friday in July 2016 when she complained about the volume of the call to prayer from a neighbouring mosque privately asking the mosque caretaker’s daughter if it could be lowered Rumours quickly spread that she was demanding that all Muslims stop their calls to prayer in her hometown A week later, Muslim mobs attacked her house burned and ransacked at least 14 Buddhist temples A local militiaman filed a police report against her Police apparently tried to slow down the case, hoping that it would go away when tensions eased. But some Muslim groups continued to pressure the police and prosecutors to charge her under the Blasphemy Law. Prosecutors arrested and detained her on 30 May 2018, almost two years after she moved to Medan. On 24 August, the Medan District Court sentenced her to 18 months in prison for blasphemy The Blasphemy Law punishes deviations from the central tenets of Indonesia’s six officially recognised religions – Islam Buddhism and Confucianism – with up to five years in prison It was only used in eight cases in its first four decades but convictions spiked to 125 during the decade when President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was in power Another 23 people have been sentenced since President Joko Widodo took office in 2014 Indonesia’s Constitutional Court rejected three petitions to revoke the Law between 2009 and 2018 declaring that religious freedom was subject to certain limitations to preserve public order were to be defined by “religious scholars” Islamist militant groups have pushed hard for these trials Blasphemy cases are effective tools to mobilise and agitate Muslims They seek to expand political power via mass rallies and they promote the use of shari’a The blasphemy cases against religious minorities as well as state-sponsored discrimination against women and lesbian have contributed to the continuing decline in Indonesia’s reputation as a tolerant Muslim country told us that the family had lost their salted-fish shop and had to abandon their house in Tanjung Balai Their oldest son did not continue to university They have had to use their savings to keep their youngest son in a private school in Medan who is also a senior member of Nahdlatul Ulama Indonesia’s largest Muslim social organisation is committed to keep fighting against religious discrimination in Indonesia But people like Meliana and Ahok need support from Indonesian authorities and from abroad The Indonesian government should promptly revoke the Blasphemy Law and drop the cases against those charged under it And countries like Australia that espouse religious freedom should keep up the pressure on Indonesia to revoke the law and send their diplomats and political leaders to visit prisoners like Meliana and Ahok China’s Crackdown on Tengdro Monastery and Restrictions on Communications in Tibet Detention and Prosecution of Tibetans under China’s “Stability Maintenance” Campaign Get updates on human rights issues from around the globe Human Rights Watch is a 501(C)(3) nonprofit registered in the US under EIN: 13-2875808 Leer en español Venezuelans were the first to receive Biden's humanitarian parole so their experience has become a bellwether — and a reminder that the administration may have underestimated demand Some migrants call it a "miracle" ticket out of their awful crisis growing impatient as their applications linger for months are setting out on the dangerous journey to the southern border — exactly what the program was designed to prevent the 7-year-old was determined to kibitz with the cashier as she bought a treat her family could rarely find or afford back in Venezuela: chocolate milk As Nia bid the man a slow but correctly pronounced “goodbye,” her mother beamed down at her while holding Nia’s infant brother The three of them arrived here from Valencia after being approved for the Biden Administration’s new humanitarian parole for migrants fleeing economic collapse and dictatorships in Latin America The program lets them come to live and work in the U.S if they have a sponsor here to support them — and if they stay at home to apply for it and stay away from the U.S.’s overwhelmed southern border “just to stay alive” in Venezuela while confronting both its humanitarian crisis — the worst in modern South American history — and its brutally authoritarian socialist regime it’s the political persecution," especially for lawyers like her who are not tied to the regime and don’t play ball with official corruption READ MORE: Can Biden's new carrot-and-stick immigration policies ease the U.S. border crisis? Bruguera also wanted to avoid the perilous trip so many Venezuelans make on foot usually through the dense and dangerous Darién Gap jungle between Colombia and Panama — especially after she saw the menacing conditions shown in social media posts from friends who had made that journey Bruguera and her husband were just about to take their own family through the Darién to the U.S the announcement came that Venezuelans would be the first invited to apply for the Biden parole It was the start of a project meant to stop Venezuelans and other migrants from flooding the U.S southern border — a crisis that just keeps bringing down Biden’s approval ratings knowing I wouldn’t have to take my children to the U.S “I still cry thinking about that relief I felt when I heard it.” Bruguera signed up for the parole within weeks of its launch She secured a sponsor — a friend who lives in Doral the parole program was expanded to include Cubans Haitians and Nicaraguans — and started accepting a total of 30,000 applicants per month Burguera considered herself chronologically way ahead in the line But her approval didn’t come until the end of April READ MORE: How to apply for the Biden administration's humanitarian parole Now she said she’s still waiting for her husband who finally secured a sponsor last spring and applied for the parole on May 4 “The program is the best hope we’ve had in years,” she said Bruguera’s pain is a sign the humanitarian parole program has been so popular the Biden administration may have significantly underestimated the demand for it “Just look at the four nationalities that qualify for this humanitarian parole and their country conditions,” said Venezuelan-American immigration attorney John De la Vega of Miami “I knew it was going to be millions of applications and they were not going to be able to adjudicate all this.” Almost 270,000 migrants had received the parole by the end of September — more than a quarter of them Venezuelans More than 240,000 of them have arrived in the U.S But De la Vega, citing recent media reports based on Biden Administration documents points out that may be only about 10% of those who’ve actually applied for it And because only half the applications are being processed chronologically — that leaves many early applicants feeling distressed “So we have Venezuelans since October of 2022 — there’s people who applied within 48 hours of this program starting — and they have not received an answer,” De la Vega said The problem is that it’s just massive logistics and I don’t think they have the amount of officers to be able to do it.” The Department of Homeland Security points out it is meeting its monthly target of approving 30,000 applicants But it says it needs more resources to expand that goal official told WLRN: “Our immigration system is outdated [and] we need Congress to act in modernizing [it] to ensure [we] can efficiently support the demand.” Venezuelans have been returning to the Darién jungle Panamanian authorities say most of the migrants making that trek the past few months have been Venezuelans — and one big reason according to Venezuelans like a woman named Norbelis “It felt as though the brakes had been put on my [parole] application,” Norbelis who asked us not to use her full name because her immigration status is pending Norbelis was also among the first last year to sign up for the U.S the single mother left her teenage son behind and set out alone for the U.S She called her four days in that zone “some of the hardest of my life — like confronting death rain-slicked jungle hill and almost fell to that death southern border this past summer and was later let into the country temporarily as an asylum seeker The former bank accounts manager now cleans hotel rooms in Tampa — without a work permit Norbelis argues thousands of Venezuelans who sought the parole but haven’t received a response are doing what she did — the very thing the program was meant to discourage 'I can’t keep waiting for the miracle of a better life — I have to go out and get the miracle,'" she said Venezuelan-American community leaders are urging the Biden administration to find faster ways to process applications that have sat on the shelf the longest “We have been in contact asking them to see what they can do about this backlog especially the ones that are waiting since last year,” said Adelys Ferro who heads the nonprofit Venezuelan-American Caucus But expats who work directly with the most recent Venezuelan migrant arrivals in South Florida say that’s unlikely to ameliorate the situation “As long as the situation keeps getting worse in Venezuela — and it is — there’s never really going to be enough the Biden Administration can do to keep Venezuelans pouring out of the country in this direction,” said Patricia Andrade who heads the migrant aid nonprofit Raíces Venezolanas Miami in Doral immigration experts now estimate some 7 million Venezuelans more than a fifth of their country’s population have fled their country in less than a decade — making their exodus even larger than the refugee flights from war-torn Syria and Ukraine That’s the main reason Biden last month extended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) — which protects migrants already in the United States from severely crisis-torn countries from being deported — to Venezuelans who have been in the U.S Under the President’s new Venezuelan TPS directive Norbelis now has a legal path to staying in the U.S temporarily even if she didn’t wait for the response to her parole application But this month the Biden administration seemed to concede Andrade’s point when it struck a deal with Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro to have Venezuela start receiving deportation flights of Venezuelans from the U.S — as a further way to reduce the swell of of Venezuelans at the border On the same day the administration made that announcement it also admitted — not coincidentally — it was allowing a large stretch of border wall to be built because Congress had already allocated the funds for it Attorneys general from more than 20 Republican-led states A federal judge in Texas is now hearing arguments believe the judge will ultimately rule in Biden’s favor But he fears that won’t solve the underlying problems “I think it will survive,” De la Vega says if the government doesn’t improve their methods to adjudicate these humanitarian paroles — I don’t want this to be another immigration disaster for this administration.” Biden administration officials insist the reason they had to create the humanitarian parole program in the first place was that immigration in the U.S The stakes are high for migrants desperate to escape Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela — and for President Biden's re-election campaign. In the WLRN News series Waiting for America, we take a deep look at a humanitarian parole program for people from crisis-torn countries in Latin America and the Caribbean — a key Biden administration immigration policy — one year later. Disclaimer: This page may contain affiliate links. CoinMarketCap may be compensated if you visit any affiliate links and you take certain actions such as signing up and transacting with these affiliate platforms. Please refer to Affiliate Disclosure The live Official Melania Meme price today is $0.327101 USD with a 24-hour trading volume of $20,075,963 USD We update our MELANIA to USD price in real-time Official Melania Meme is down 1.38% in the last 24 hours with a live market cap of $179,904,915 USD It has a circulating supply of 549,998,504 MELANIA coins and the max Meliana was sentenced to 18 months in prison for insulting a religious symbol Rioters involved in attacks on Buddhist temples and other symbols of Chinese culture received prison sentences of just 1-4 months Indonesia’s controversial Blasphemy Law (Law 1/PNPS/1956) claimed another victim a 44-year-old ethnic Chinese Buddhist woman from Tanjung Balai was sentenced to 18 months in prison by the Medan District Court for complaining about the volume of the call to prayer at her neighbourhood mosque The case first came to national attention in mid-2016, when rioters attacked several Buddhist temples in Tanjung Balai a small city south of the provincial capital of Medan The incident was initially reported as an ethno-religious conflict sparked by a Chinese Indonesian woman’s comments which were viewed as insults directed at a religious symbol The case then evolved into a blasphemy case after rioters were sentenced in early 2017 The Paramadina Center for the Study of Religion and Democracy (PUSAD Paramadina) sent a team of researchers to the field to interview key stakeholders Here we recount the series of events that led to conflict and look at how a neighbourhood dispute turned into a riot and finally resulted in a blasphemy conviction Meliana never suspected that her few words of complaint could spark a riot she complained to the owner of a food stall about the volume of the speaker at the Al Maksum Mosque across the road from the house she had rented for eight years in Tanjung Balai Meliana told local organisation the United North Sumatra Alliance (Aliansi Sumut Bersatu) that her complaint was simple: “Uo,” she said “the speaker from the mosque never used to be so loud Uo said that she responded by saying that she would relay Meliana’s concerns to her father Kasidi told three members of the mosque’s board (Dewan Kemakmuran Masjid The men then went to her house to confront her about it the men accused Meliana of trying to ban the mosque from sounding the call to prayer went across the road to the mosque to apologise to Kasidi and other members of the mosque board News of the incident soon reached the local neighbourhood chief the neighbourhood chief contacted the local community policing unit (Bhabinkamtibmas) and asked Meliana and the mosque board to come to the Tanjung Balai Kota I neighbourhood office where they would try to mediate a solution a crowd had gathered outside the neighbourhood chief’s office A member of the mob tried to enter the office to attack Meliana so police decided to transport Meliana and her husband to the Tanjung Balai Selatan Subdistrict Police Station for their own safety Our interviews with rioters revealed that messages had circulated suggesting that a Chinese person was “going berserk” at the neighbourhood chief’s office and that she had tried to prohibit the mosque from sounding the call to prayer Rumours and speculation continued to spread One local gathered outside the neighbourhood office told one of the rioters that “A Chinese person wearing shorts came to the mosque and when the call to prayer sounded she was furious and demanded that the volume be turned down because it was disturbing her Meliana and her husband were moved to the Tanjung Balai District Police Station where police attempted to negotiate a solution with the head of the local branch of the Indonesian Council of Ulama (MUI) the head of the local branch of the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) But members of the mob travelled to the station They attempted to push their way in but were prevented by police reportedly attracted the attention of the local community it’s not right for someone to try to ban the call to prayer.” Rudi and his friends grabbed a megaphone and set up camp on the so-called “PLN Roundabout” on Jalan Sudirman They made continued attempts to whip up anger shouting to the crowd: “Today we will not be stepped on by the Chinese they have tried to prevent a mosque from sounding the call to prayer.” They also recruited friends over the phone and the regional secretary of the Al Washliyah organisation who they knew could mobilise a significant crowd where several police were already at the ready One of the members of the crowd threw a Molotov cocktail at the front of the house Local residents quickly extinguished the flames but the crowd was not satisfied then encouraged the crowd to head to the Huat Cu Keng Temple damaging several ethnic Chinese residences along the way The Tanjung Balai deputy police chief and several personnel from the Tanjung Balai Selatan Subdistrict Police station arrived soon after and were able to prevent further damage repeating the claim that a Chinese woman had tried to prevent the call to prayer and calling on the Buddhist temple to take responsibility for the actions of one of its followers The crowd also called on the police to process the woman for blasphemy The Tanjung Balai deputy police chief confirmed that Meliana had already been taken to the police station for questioning and if there was evidence of blasphemy she would be processed He continued to try to calm the crowd and Aldo and others agreed to leave The Al Washliyah regional secretary called on his followers to head to the Tri Ratna Temple causing damage and setting the temple alight The crowd also split up and headed to several other temples around the city The police gathered local government officials and representatives from the local MUI and Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) with the head of the MUI calling from the police car for Muslims to return to their homes The Police’s Mobile Brigade (Brimob) was dispatched at 2.30am and the situation was finally brought under control by 4.30am and social organisations in Tanjung Balai were destroyed as a result of the mob’s actions The damage bill was estimated to be hundreds of millions of rupiah The presence and preparedness of security forces was a major factor in the damage caused The mob’s attempts to damage the Bhakti Meitreya and Ariya Satyani temples failed because of their proximity to navy and water police bases where officers were on hand to hold off the crowd few police were stationed at the Tanjung Balai District Police Station The district police chief was attending an official function in Parapat The Tanjung Balai Brimob force had been deployed to Kabanjahe (about 200 km away) to deal with a land conflict earlier in the day as had the nearby Tebing Tinggi District Brimob The Tanjung Balai deputy police chief was left to deal with the rioters with little support His priorities were split between attempting to mediate a solution between Meliana and the mosque board and directing his personnel to control the crowd Police clearly failed to anticipate and prevent the mobilisation of the crowd Whether it was a matter of discounting the seriousness of the growing mob or whether they were intimidated by the size of the group police took no action to prevent the riot instigators from gathering a crowd at the roundabout well-known activists in the region and have connections to local politicians They have experience in mobilising the community in mass demonstrations for a variety of causes one crucial action taken by the head of the Subdistrict Criminal Investigation Unit on the night of the incident He pursued the rioters and quietly arrested nine of those responsible for damaging property This allowed police to quickly investigate and arrest 20 more suspects If not for the actions of the criminal investigation head the process could have dragged on for months and many of the perpetrators could have escaped punishment efforts were made to restore peace in the community National Police Chief Tito Karnavian travelled from Jakarta to Medan and met a broad range of community members He directed the provincial police chief to lead investigation and community rehabilitation efforts The North Sumatra Provincial Police led the investigation process and even formed a cybercrime unit to trace the spread of hate speech on social media Provincial police were stationed in the Tanjung Balai District Police Station on rotation to assist with developing the case against the conflict instigators A member of the Tanjung Balai District Police said that they gathered so much evidence that they “could have arrested hundreds of suspects” In the end they chose to focus on 22 suspects but police acknowledged there was no special consideration in selecting these 22 suspects beyond the fact that they were the easiest to identify The Tanjung Balai District Court on 31 January 2017 convicted eight of these defendants finding them guilty of offences including property damage They received sentences ranging from just one to four months in prison many of the community and religious leaders we spoke to said that they hoped that this would be the end of the case especially representatives from the United Independent Community and Students Alliance (AMMIB) a body that was set up mainly to assist those accused of damaging property continued to agitate for Meliana to be charged with blasphemy Meliana’s case is particularly interesting because not one community member was willing to report her to police for her supposedly insulting comments Kuntoro reportedly felt very uncomfortable about doing so The Tanjung Balai branch of MUI also initially refused to issue a fatwa on Meliana’s case But organisations like the Islamic Community Forum (Forum Umat Islam AMMIB even protested outside and blockaded the Tanjung Balai MUI office the North Sumatra provincial MUI published Fatwa 001/KF/MUI-SU/I/2017 which stated that Meliana had defamed Islam by equating a mosque with a place capable of causing a disturbance One member of the North Sumatra MUI explained its decision to publish the fatwa this way: “Fourteen Muslim campaigners have been sentenced and we have accepted it but why hasn’t the source of the problem faced the law?” This was all unfolding at about the same time as the massive protests against former Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama in Jakarta just weeks after the largest protest against Ahok FPI leader Rizieq Shihab visited Medan to speak at an event supported by the National Movement to Safeguard the MUI Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) and the North Sumatra Anti-Blasphemy Movement (GAPAI) There is a strong chance that his presence encouraged local police to continue to process Meliana’s case Police revealed that they did so despite the fact that they had difficulty building a case against her because the statements of three key witnesses North Sumatra Provincial Police named Meliana a suspect She was accused of violating Articles 156 and 156a of the Criminal Code (KUHP) on blasphemy Our research revealed several important points not covered by most reports on this case Although the violence was not planned long in advance Conflict provocateurs drew on established networks to mobilise a crowd amplifying a neighbourhood complaint to provoke the rage of a large portion of the city They were effective because of the lack of communication between different religious and ethnic groups The political drama in Jakarta also perpetuated tensions in Tanjung Balai the tension in Tanjung Balai was used to increase pressure in Jakarta The conflict escalated rapidly between 29-30 July whose specific aim was to free those accused of perpetrating the riots and send Meliana to prison most media outlets depicted Meliana as triggering a spontaneous outbreak of violence through her comments The media should be more careful in reporting on this type of event and describe the role of all actors agitating for violence or whipping up hate The case also shows how the Blasphemy Law has clearly become a tool in religious conflict It does nothing to prevent conflict as some government and religious figures claim If it is too politically difficult to get rid of the Blasphemy Law which appears to be the case given the failure of past attempts the government must come up with a way to to prevent it being constantly manipulated as a tool to target religious minorities The Tanjung Balai Police had sufficient resources to anticipate violence But they failed to implement any preventative measures Rather than standing up to the organisations and individuals pushing for blasphemy charges they forced a Bhabinkamtibmas official to file the blasphemy complaint need to be provided with more resources and training so that they are better equipped to prevent these kinds of tensions escalating into larger scale conflict the government needs to promote communication and opportunities for regular meetings between groups of different religious and ethnic backgrounds but is crucial for helping communities to better manage tensions – like a simple noise complaint – without it leading to violence This post is based on a report produced by PUSAD Paramadina. A longer version of the post was published on Tirto as “Rekayasa Kebencian dalam Kasus Meiliana di Tanjung Balai” on 24 August Email: indo-at-melb@unimelb.edu.au We acknowledge and pay respect to the Traditional Owners of the lands upon which our campuses are situated During the 2017 gubernatorial election in Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama (or Ahok) was found guilty of blasphemy and sentenced to two years in jail in the lead up to Indonesia’s 2019 presidential election there was another high profile blasphemy conviction was sentenced to eighteen months’ jail for complaining about the volume of the mosque loudspeakers in her neighbourhood in North Sumatra Meliana’s appeal was rejected by judges of the North Sumatra High Court This case is indicative of the rising number of blasphemy prosecutions that are occurring as religion becomes increasingly politicised in democratic Indonesia The eight rioters were arrested and convicted receiving jail terms of one to four months After investigating the riot, the local police described Meliana as the provocateur and formally accused her of blasphemy in August 2016 the director of the Criminal Investigation Agency of the Indonesian National Police (Bareskrim Polri) stated that Meliana’s request that the volume of the mosque’s loudspeakers be reduced did not amount to blasphemy six months after Meliana complained about the noise from the mosque the police were yet to lay a charge for blasphemy did release a statement attributing Meliana with responsibility for provoking the riot the leader of the FPI Rizieq Shihab visited Medan to drum up support for the Islamic movement inspired by the anti-Ahok rallies the MUI of North Sumatra finally released a fatwa This fatwa became the basis for the police continuing their investigation and bringing the case to court It also became the main evidence used by the judge in finding Meliana guilt of blasphemy but the charge was eventually revoked because of pressure from locals Vice President Jusuf Kalla – an NU advisory board member – has also recommended moderating the volume of adzan Yet this suggestion is hardly ever taken up by mosques and many still use high volume loudspeakers Meliana’s conviction has added to a growing number of blasphemy cases More than 130 people have been convicted of blasphemy since the beginning of the democratic era in 1998 a ten-fold increase from the previous authoritarian period Indonesia’s blasphemy law (article 156a of the Criminal Code) defines blasphemy as an act which ‘has the character of being at enmity with abusing or staining a religion adhered to in Indonesia’ when this is done with ‘the intention to prevent a person adhering to any religion based on belief in the almighty God.’ Notably although the definition theoretically includes an act blaspheming one of the official religions in Indonesian other than Islam –Protestantism Buddhism and Confucianism – in most of the recorded cases people have been convicted of blaspheming Islam three main kinds of actions had led to blasphemy prosecutions cases related to different interpretations of religion when a member of a religious minority promotes an idea that the majority considers deviant cases where the defendant has insulted a part of a religion or a religious symbol as Ahok was found to have done when he quoted a Qur’anic verse and insinuated that the verse has been used by his political opponents to deceive voters The third case is related to the proselytisation Meliana’s case can be understood as a new kind of blasphemous act Since blasphemy is not comprehensively defined the decision may become a new precedent for interpreting other complaints about noisy mosque loudspeakers as blasphemy it should be kept in mind that such legal problems would be unlikely to emerge separately from the politicisation of religion as part of a strategy to mobilise conservative Muslims in the contests over power and 2017 rights activist and representatives of the Ahmadiyya community petitioned the Constitutional Court to repeal Law No.1/PNPS/1965 as the basis of the current blasphemy law a provision which extends the criminal prohibition on blasphemy has been included in the mass organisation law passed by President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) which could allow for the criminalisation of members of an organisation that indirectly engages in blasphemy The latest draft of the Criminal Code amendment also expands the blasphemy offence their support for the blasphemy law is also unsurprising given the support they receive from the so-called ‘212 Alumni’ the collection of hardline Islamic groups that participated in the protest against Ahok on 2 December 2016 The stance of the candidates who are running in the 2019 presidential election may well indicate that Indonesia’s blasphemy law is likely to continue to be regularly used in future Given that the use of the blasphemy law indirectly allows politicians to mobilise support from conservative Muslims more are likely to be charged with the offence in future blasphemy convictions and discrimination against minority groups are also likely to increase Rafiqa Qurrata A’yun (rafiqa.qa@ui.ac.id) is a lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Indonesia Receive Inside Indonesia's latest articles and quarterly editions in your inbox © Copyright Indonesian Resources and Information Program (IRIP) 1983 - 2025 We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the stolen lands on which Inside Indonesia is based and we pay our respects to Elders past and present We recognise that sovereignty was never ceded Revoke New Provisions Violating Basic Rights In September President Joko Widodo ordered parliament to postpone voting on the draft Criminal Code to allow more time for review While that raised hopes the six new blasphemy provisions would be revised Indonesian officials argued that expanding the blasphemy law from one provision to six, articles 304 to 309, will clarify the elements of the crime These elements include defaming a religion disturbing a religious ritual or making noise near a house of worship and insulting a cleric while leading a ritual These four articles violate the right to freedom of religion or expression and will be used to discriminate against religious minorities Two other articles deal with stealing religious artifacts and damaging a house of worship provisions that are unnecessary since stealing and damaging property are already criminal offenses The new provisions are also discriminatory in that they only cover the six officially recognized religions in Indonesia: Islam Hundreds of other local religions and beliefs are excluded Past misuse of the blasphemy law shows that expanding the law is not the answer have been convicted under the blasphemy law since it was passed in 1965 It is most commonly used against people who are deemed to have criticized Islam These include former Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Purnama who was sentenced to two years in prison on blasphemy charges in 2017 after a politically motivated smear campaign In 2016, a Buddhist woman, Meliana, complained about the volume of the call to prayer from a neighboring mosque in Tanjung Balai Her private request prompted Muslim mobs to attack her house Meliana was convicted and imprisoned for blasphemy against Islam Ahok and Meliana would still be liable for prosecution under the revised offenses Indonesia’s new Criminal Code provides an important and long-awaited opportunity to modernize the country’s penal laws and ensure they meet international human rights standards but it should be clear that revoking the much-abused blasphemy law is crucial to achieving that goal It has been a rough few months for Indonesia’s already beleaguered legal system: two cases highlighting how minority groups continue to be disenfranchised across the archipelago nation. In May, Meliana, a Chinese-Indonesian Buddhist was released on parole having served a year of an 18-month sentence for blasphemy in North Sumatra Her “crime” had been to remark that the sound of her mosque’s local speakers seemed to have increased in recent months. (Co-author Ranto Sibarani was Meliana’s lawyer during her trial.) The other is that of Baiq Nuril Maknun, a Muslim who worked at a school on the island of Lombok and had recorded lewd remarks and unwanted sexual advances from her boss on her mobile phone Nuril was sentenced to six months in prison under Indonesia’s oppressive Electronic Information and Transactions Law (UUITE) Indonesia’s parliament unanimously granted her amnesty in July She was the first non-political prisoner to receive amnesty in Indonesia’s history. Both Indonesia’s blasphemy law and its UUITE law pre-date the term of Indonesia’s President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo but they have truly come into their own during his years in power since 2014 It is illustrative of a worrying trend in the harassment of minority groups While the uptick in sentencings both under the blasphemy law and the UUITE law show rising intolerance this same intolerance has been directed against the President himself Such instances of prejudice have compounded acute tests in the country’s legal system which is already known for endemic corruption and draconian sentencing policies. he faced a string of attacks: that he’s of ethnic Chinese descent hard-line Muslim groups such as the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI) continued to provoke and confront him about his perceived lack of religious fervour It is clear the justice system has lost confidence when it comes to ruling justly and without fear as cases are increasingly politicised and framed along religious and racial lines As a direct consequence of smears against Jokowi amid increasing religious and racial hostility legal controversies in recent years have followed a now familiar trend Whenever there is a dispute between a member of the Muslim majority and a minority group (including a female Muslim in a dispute with a male Muslim) the case becomes seized by public attention with people afraid of backing a minority individual or group over the majority for fear they too will be accused of being “anti-Islam” The intimidation has also spilled into the legal system Hard-line Islamic groups have proven deft in organising huge protest rallies most obviously in the campaign against the former governor of Jakarta who was sentenced to two years in prison for blasphemy over disputed comments he made about the Koran The Islamic Defenders Front was central to this conviction and its followers have repeatedly taken to the streets and courtrooms across the country in other cases They have shown that they can mobilise in large numbers with the sole purpose of intimidating and interfering in the legal process and scoring political points it is clear the justice system has lost confidence when it comes to ruling justly and without fear as cases are increasingly politicised and framed along religious and racial lines. Both the Meliana and Nuril cases demonstrated that women are also targets and so a “safer” candidate for a pardon than a non-Muslim Had Chinese-Indonesian Buddhist Meliana received a pardon the backlash would likely have been severe neither woman was absolved of the alleged crime This is despite a clear lack of evidence in both cases that either woman had committed the crime of which she was accused and ultimately sentenced. The fault is not with the foundations of the legal system itself Indonesia’s 1945 constitution states the principle of equality before the law for all individuals and provides for the protection of religious freedom while Indonesian law is similarly clear about the importance of judges exercising impartial rulings 2017 at 10:10 am ET.css-79elbk{position:relative;}POTOMAC MD — The Trump family has selected the new school for Barron Trump in the basement of Pilgrim Lutheran Church on Massachusetts Avenue it has a total enrollment of 580 students in preschool through grade 12 "We are very excited for our son to attend St It is known for its diverse community and commitment to academic excellence," First Lady Meliana Trump said in a statement "We look forward to the coming school years at St he will be required to participate in "service learning activities" in the eighth grade These activities include a two-day field trip to a soup kitchen in Washington in which students make serve and eat a meal with the homeless and listen to their life stories the Trumps will pay the school $40,650 annually Private schools have long been the choice of presidential families for their children only President Jimmy Carter sent his child to a D.C The St. Andrew's website reports that the student-to-teacher ratio is seven to one and that class sizes range from 11 to 15 students One-hundred percent of its graduates go on to attend college The Daily Caller reported the student body consists of 16 percent Episcopalians Twenty-three percent of students are of other Protestant denominations and 21 percent of students had either no religion or did not declare Andrew's mascot is the Rampant Lion and its motto is Auctus Mentis Spiritusque Notable alumni of the school are Pierre Omidyar the 1992 Olympic gold medalist in whitewater canoeing; and Whitney Cummings Article image by Win McNamee/Getty Images News/Getty Images Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. Since Minecraft’s foray into schools in June 2015, a growing body of research has shown that the game has several important benefits to students To help children on the Autism spectrum leverage the learning benefits of this game the Flagship Microsoft Store Sydney recently partnered with Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect) to launch a series of free autism friendly Minecraft workshops With Minecraft now clocking over 100 million monthly active users globally this initiative will offer an accessible experience for children on the autism spectrum to explore create and foster social skills through the magic of Minecraft in an environment that supports them Aspect worked with the Microsoft Store team to develop its autism friendly Minecraft workshops by training staff and providing feedback on the class learning environment. Aspect’s Autism Friendly Australia Project leader said Microsoft approached Aspect after receiving an inquiry from a customer looking for a safe place for their autistic son to play Minecraft “The Microsoft Store team are highly-committed to giving back to the community and creating a safe place to play,” Oastler told The Educator “We believe that there is a growing need for more inclusive and Microsoft has shown commitment to helping us to achieve a more inclusive society.” recalled how her daughter Mariane attended one of the workshops after watching her brother playing Minecraft at home “At the workshop she was able to share her love of Minecraft with her peers and create her own designs working with other gamers,” she The Educator Meliana said the quiet nature of the workshop along with the staff at the Store made the experience much more enjoyable from her perspective “It also made the experience enjoyable for me as there were no distractions or overwhelming moments,” she said “This is an inspiring initiative by the Microsoft Flagship Store that has allowed us to pursue an activity that our child feels passionate about.” ‘A safe structured place to play’ Oastler said the most important educational aspect of the program is its strong focus on inclusion “We know that Minecraft offers children on the autism spectrum a safe structured space to play free of some the constricts of normal social interactions,” he said providing an inclusive and safe space for them to learn about the game seemed like a no brainer to us.” Oastler said Aspect believes that everyone on the autism spectrum should have the same opportunities as everyone else “All it really takes is a little understanding of the different needs of people on the autism spectrum,” he said “The classes being offered by Microsoft Store help to educate and immerse children on the autism spectrum into the Minecraft world in an environment adapted to their needs and taught by trainers who understand them.” community development specialist at the Flagship Microsoft Store in Sydney said gaming has the power to break down barriers and “create unique shared experiences between people from a diverse range of backgrounds.” “At Microsoft we truly believe in empowering every person on the planet to achieve more and our Gaming for Everyone program is a huge part of that,” Erhart told The Educator “Gaming has the power to break down barriers and create unique Erhart said the Minecraft workshops are amongst the most popular when it comes to Microsoft’s in-store events and brings people together over a shared passion for the game “We’re always looking for ways to make our sessions more inclusive and accessible and by partnering with Aspect we are able to personalise the experience for those who otherwise would face challenges in taking part,” she said Erhart pointed out that Minecraft is already used by schools around the country as part of the education curriculum helping children develop inter-personal and logic-based skills “Developing these skills is an important part of a child’s education and the Minecraft workshops designed in partnership with Aspect aim to create a safe and comfortable environment in which children on the autism spectrum can collaborate and bond with their peers over a mutual love of Minecraft,” she said A passionate educator with global experience joins the Junior School to champion student growth The program will help Year 7-9 students develop healthy screen habits and make better decisions online Don't miss the chance to spotlight your school's success and impact Copyright © 2025 KM Business Information Australia Pty Ltd Sign up for our daily Newsletter and stay up to date with all the latest news You are receiving this pop-up because this is the first time you are visiting our site You are using software which is blocking our advertisements (adblocker) we are relying on revenues from our banners So please disable your adblocker and reload the page to continue using this site.Thanks According to estimates from the Valencian Association of Agricultural Producers (AVA-ASAJA) storm Gloria has caused economic losses totaling over 62.6 million Euro to the Region of Valencia's agricultural sector agricultural infrastructure and seasonal vegetables have taken the worst part of a storm that has caused damage by wind carried out by AVA-ASAJA after collecting information from producers and agricultural insurance partners estimates the citrus losses at 46.5 million Euro 39.6 million correspond to fruits thrown to the ground due to strong wind gusts (a total of 132,000 tons) up to 80% of the production that had yet to be harvested has been damaged Floods and water accumulation in the fields account for 4.7 million in losses affecting 500 hectares hail has caused damages in about a thousand hectares with an average of 30% of the harvest affected and 2.2 million Euro in losses Citrus fruits on the ground due to hail in Tavernes de la Valldigna AVA-ASAJA also expects more than 7,000 hectares of vegetables to have been affected by the storm in the Region of Valencia The total value of the losses in the horticultural sector exceed 3.1 million Euro taking into account both the phytosanitary treatments and the necessary replanting (2.1 million Euro) and the damages caused by hail on some 100 hectares (1 million Euro) As far as agricultural infrastructure is concerned the losses are estimated at 11.8 million Euro The storm has partially or totally destroyed some 600 hectares of greenhouses which translates into nine million in damages as well as the replacement of irrigation systems AVA-ASAJA warns that this is just a conservative estimate and that the damages will likely be greater the association is asking the administrations both for direct aid to alleviate the losses of the producers affected For more information: www.avaasaja.org FreshPublishers © 2005-2025 FreshPlaza.com is taking the lead in the nation's Internet banking system with its Sitecore Experience Platform software Invented by a Danish company with the same name Sitecore is experience management software that combines web content management and customer intelligence to create a seamless online customer service experience With more than 850 employees in over 50 countries and revenue above $100 million Sitecore serves global clients such as American Express "We chose Sitecore for its user-friendly and strong analytics features," BCA marketing communications head Esther Meliana said "It is also able to personalize site content for each individual customer." The new online banking system will replace its previously static website The bank admitted that the switch not only made the content update process easier but also makes the site traffic monitoring process more effective and accurate With Sitecore's ability to monitor customer behavior and frequently visited websites BCA is developing a personalized feature that delivers contents based on each customer's interests and requirements Sitecore has successfully managed the Priority website that provides services for BCA's priority customers Meliana mentioned that the bank will be expanding Sitecore usage to other services in the near future "We believe Sitecore provides us with strong analytics that will continue to help us give the best digital customer experience," she said The ballroom of Hotel Mulia Senayan was decorated with the most extravagant of flowers and ornaments to mark the beginning of the idyllic journey of Satrio Wongsowidjojo and Marlene Wilianto The reception was followed by the holy matrimony The evening saw myriad guests who were dressed immaculately and came together to celebrate the lovely occasion Photo 1 of 25 The couple and their extended familyPhoto 2 of 25 The lovebirds' first dancePhoto 3 of 25 Soegiarto Hanafi and SpousePhoto 4 of 25 Agus Makmur and SpousePhoto 5 of 25 Albert Halim and SpousePhoto 6 of 25 Andreas Wihardja and SpousePhoto 7 of 25 Anton Riyanto and Jenny RiyantoPhoto 8 of 25 Arthalytha SuryaniPhoto 9 of 25 Bebe Widjojo Ricky Yananto and Budi IPhoto 10 of 25 Glenn Hajadi and Teresa WibowoPhoto 11 of 25 Hans Huang Jane Kusuma and Deddy KusumaPhoto 12 of 25 Harianto NG Michael W Kurniawan and Henky TantraPhoto 13 of 25 Irsan Surjadi and Spouse Meliana Kuwanarumi and Ami WiliantoPhoto 14 of 25 Johannes Peddy Wongsowidjojo and Jap Fie KianPhoto 15 of 25 Johnny Andrean and SpousePhoto 16 of 25 Melinda Tedja and Alexander TedjaPhoto 17 of 25 Melisa Wilianto Elaine Handoko and Claine HandokoPhoto 18 of 25 Peter Utomo and SpousePhoto 19 of 25 Pohan Budiman Hartono Tanoesoedibjo and Anton SetiawanPhoto 20 of 25 Rudy Akili and SpousePhoto 21 of 25 Sherly Laurens and Anthony YauryPhoto 22 of 25 Alexander Warmin Andina Wongso and Nolan WarminPhoto 23 of 25 Ami Wilianto and Meliana KuwanarumiPhoto 24 of 25 Tommy Sutomo and Inge SantosoPhoto 25 of 25 Vania Elizabeth Helvy Lie The couple and their extended family Mei Leandha TEMPO.CO, Medan - The prosecutors in the case of the murder of journalist Rico Sempurna Pasaribu and his family are seeking the death penalty for the alleged killers They were found to have violated Article 340 of the Criminal Code concerning premeditated murder Coordinator of the North Sumatra Journalist Safety Committee (KKJ) that the prosecutor's demand proves that the defendants did commit premeditated murder since it’s “based on the facts revealed during the trial.” “We ask for the trial next week to be monitored there are parties who have yet to be brought to trial,” said Array The party referred to by Array is Private First Class HB is the most responsible person in the murder of her two parents “We are awaiting the results of the investigation by the 1st Bukit Barisan Military Command we have submitted additional evidence twice together with the Legal Aid Institute (LBH) Medan,' said Array is thankful that the defendants have been charged with death penalty and hopes for the judges to rule in favor of the prosecutors “I hope for the judges to impose death penalty on the three defendants,” said Eva “I’m asking for the panel of judges to use conscience while considering the case don’t let me yet again lose this sense of justice,” she said Eva also urges the 1st Bukit Barisan Military Command to handle her report earnestly Eva has paid a visit to the military command twice with LBH Medan and the North Sumatra Journalist Safety Committee to submit evidence against Private First Class HB in the case of the Tribrata TV journalist murder. said that Private First Class HB is the owner of a shooting fish gambling business reported by the victim there has been minimal progress to indict the soldier. Private First Class HB’s involvement in the death of the Tribrata TV journalist has been disclosed by the police during the crime reconstruction on July 19 The accused showed an alleged article about gambling written by the victim and instructed the defendant to request a deletion from the victim “We urge the 1st Bukit Barisan Military Command to designate Private First Class HB as a suspect He is strongly suspected as the mastermind behind the murder the motive for this premeditated murder has not been disclosed to the public," Irvan said Editor’s Choice: Imparsial Notes 297 Death Penalty Imposed During Jokowi's Reign Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News Prabowo Rejects 'Puppet President' Label, Denies Jokowi's Control Manpower Minister Unveils Reasons Behind Over 24,000 Layoffs by April 2025 Prabowo Claims 99.99% Success Rate for Free Nutritious Meal Program Indonesia and Japan Deepen Strategic Alliance in Clean Energy and Infrastructure Jokowi Responds to Calls for VP Gibran's Impeachment Prabowo Praises Jokowi's Inflation Control in Cabinet Session, Denies Link to Gibran's Presence BPS: Indonesian Economic Growth Slows to 4.87% in Q1 2025 Rupiah Strengthens as US-China Trade Tension Eases BGN Chief Aims for Zero Accidents in Free Nutritious Meal Program Prabowo Holds Plenary Cabinet Session at Palace This Afternoon Yemeni Houthis Announce Airspace Blockade Against Israel Prabowo Urged to Stop Dedi Mulyadi's Policy of Sending Children to Military Barracks Man Sentenced to 53 Years for Stabbing 6-Year-Old Palestinian American to Death French Prosecutor Says Mosque Attacker's Motive Not Linked to Terrorism AJI Calls for Investigation After Police Violence Against Tempo Journalist at May Day Rally TPNPB-OPM Declares War on Indonesian Military in Papua Top 10 Strongest Militaries in the World: United States Remains at the Forefront Tempo Journalist Allegedly Assaulted by Police During May Day Rally in Semarang Netherlands Committed to Supporting Press Freedom in Indonesia UAE Detains Syria's Military Commander Issam Bouidani The Pope's Role in Major Events of the Modern Era Prabowo to Host Cambodian Senate President This Afternoon Sistine Chapel Prepares for the Election of New Pope Anthony Albanese Makes Indonesia His First Visit After Winning Australian Election JYP Entertainment Apologizes for DAY6 Concert Chaos in Jakarta AJI, UNESCO Declare Commitment to Support Digital Security of Student Press Inside Sistine Chapel: 5 Key Facts About the Conclave's Iconic Venue Exposing Trump's Move on Mike Waltz Dismissal What Are the Cheapest Businesses to Start from Home? Here Are the Top 10 Jobs That AI Will Replace: Is Your Current Job at Risk? Hollywood Shaken as Trump Orders 100% Tariff on All Foreign-Made Films Where to Go in May? Here Are the Top 12 Destinations Top 10 Highest-Paying Majors Worth Pursuing in 2025 Six Dead, Dozens Injured in India's Goa Religious Festival Stampede Don't miss any of these traditional and original Nativity representations here we summarize the essential cribs to visit during this holiday season The Valencia City Council recovers in 2024 the nativity scene of the Plaza del Ayuntamiento which will be installed next to the Christmas tree that pays tribute to the victims of the DANA the nativity scene has a Greco-Latin style and will feature figures such as the mule and the ox created by Fallas artists Ceballos and Sanabria This composition was the one that had been exhibited in the Town Hall Square until 2015 when the previous local government decided to relocate it to the Plaza de la Reina The City Council of Valencia exhibits until the 4th in the Crystal Hall its municipal nativity scene with more than 400 figures It can be visited on weekdays from 8:30 am to 7:30 pm and on weekends the visiting hours start at 10 am it will pay tribute to those affected by the DANA and to the volunteers who have helped all the people in need it will also feature the figure of a volunteer with a shovel and mud-stained clothes The monumental nativity scene of Cullera is composed of more than 2,000 pieces You can see it until January in València street It has been assembled by Miguel Ángel Falcó The Barrio de la Roca of Meliana has mounted another year its traditional Nativity Scene The representation is handmade and has more than 7,000 figurines The visit to this traditional Bethlehem can be made during the opening hours of the market and is one of the most beautiful in the city The Nuevo Centro shopping center has a Nativity Scene of 24m2 by the Association of Nativity Scene Makers of Valencia from November 24 to January 5 This representation can be visited until Epiphany during the opening hours of the mall (from 10 am to 9 pm) It also has a large navigable lake that makes it more spectacular Every year you can visit the Neapolitan Nativity Scene of the National Museum of Ceramics and Sanctuary Arts of Valencia Admission is free and it is located on the first floor of the Museum Another year the Albereda of Xàtiva changes again its appearance to welcome Christmas, the Valencian city will become a Monumental Na tivity Scene this tradition has become a tourist attraction because apart from its beauty this Nativity Scene is considered the largest in Spain It can be visited from mid-December to January 6 This nativity scene has more than 300 pieces and 130m2 of surface This nativity scene invites us to enter the village of Bethlehem and live a unique immersive experience to experience the birth in a manger The uncertainly of the rule of law is one major reason Indonesia has failed to harness its diversity as a source of strength thousands took to the streets burning shops trucks and a church in a string of attacks sparked by religious tensions in western Java Indonesia has long denied the existence of tension between ethnic-religious communities in the country As Indonesia reels from the aftershock of the racially-motivated riot last week in Tanjungbalai there are already signs that the incident will be one among many to be swept under the carpet to preserve the facade of ethnic-religious harmony in Indonesia which saw the destruction and torching of 11 Buddhist and Chinese temples alongside a building belonging to a Chinese-community foundation is probably among the worst perpetrated against the minority Chinese Indonesians since 1998 complained to a Muslim cleric about the unusually loud volume of the loudspeakers used at a mosque near her house The cleric and many in his flock were reportedly incensed by what they deemed as an insult to Islam by a Chinese Indonesian and demanded an apology from Ms Meliana Large crowds then gathered in front of her house When they were prevented from doing so by the locals the masses went around the town attacking and burning buildings that they associated with the Chinese community This quick and absurd escalation of a personal dispute into a blanket targeting of visible Chinese symbols in Tanjungbalai points to a history of long and deep-seated unease between the Malay and Chinese population there some Islamic groups have been campaigning for the removal of a six-metre statue of the Buddha as part of the facade of the Tri Ratna Buddhist Temple for reputedly offending Muslim sensibilities Some people have suggested last week’s incident was the culmination of the dispute as is often the case with hate crimes in Indonesia the government’s instinct is to deny the existence of tension between ethnic-religious communities in the country newly appointed Police Chief Tito Karnavian told the media that “irresponsible and inflammatory” posts on social media were to blame While there is little doubt that social media is a powerful instrument in Indonesia — about 72 million Indonesians use it — to pinpoint it as being responsible for what happened in Tanjungbalai borders on fantasy While it may be true that there were agents provocateurs who incited the masses to riot most of them would have been on site rather than in cyberspace what Mr Karnavian failed to explain was why the police had failed to prevent the tragedy and contain the masses Consistent with other attacks on minority groups in recent memory such as the 2014 violence against a group of Catholics in Sleman on Java Island and the recurring attacks on Ahmadiyya Muslims in various localities the absence of police protection during the riot was staggeringly obvious and yet conveniently overlooked by Indonesian media Comments by Indonesia netizens on the riots — most of whom blamed Ms Meliana for daring to protest against the volume of the mosque’s loudspeaker — provide a clue as to how most Indonesians believe minority groups should conduct themselves in relation with the majority: With a lot of deferential kowtowing Parliamentarian Eva Kusuma Sundari swam against the populist tide when she said that Ms Meliana had committed no crime by complaining about the noise from the mosque’s loudspeakers in his capacity as chairman of the Council of Indonesian Mosques had urged discretion about the “noise pollution” that sound systems from mosques posed “So are we to say that Pak Jusuf Kalla committed a crime (when he encouraged mosques to limit their use of loudspeakers) (So for Ms Meliana) to protest was understandable Ms Sundari also correctly pointed out that a 1978 Minister of Religious Affairs decree had stated that the use of loudspeakers by mosques was permissible as long as it did not disturb others But the fact remains that most mosques in the country violate the directive co-existence between various ethnic and religious groups often hangs by a thread ready to burst into disarray by the slightest act of provocation Another important impediment in the management of pluralism lies with its education system Indonesia’s national curriculum mandates religious studies as an integral part of education rather than promote inter-religious tolerance religious classes more often than not result in the opposite the Ministry of Religious Affairs was forced to recall an officially approved textbook for madrasah schools for containing texts that label popular practices such as grave visits as heretical and the “worship of idols” by other religions such as Hinduism and Buddhism as sinful The incident was not the first instance of its kind and more worryingly there was no investigation into how the text had been approved in the first place Although Indonesia’s Constitution professes the republic to be secular the separation between state and religion is notoriously blurred The populist nature of Indonesian politics today also makes many Jakarta politicians officials and state agencies keen to avoid doing anything that could be seen as “anti-Islam” President Joko Widodo ordered that the responsible parties be brought to justice It remains to be seen how his order will be interpreted by his underlings “harmony” between the diverse groups in the country looks set to continue its charade at the expense of the rights of minority groups Johannes Nugroho is a writer and businessman from Surabaya Todayonline.com and Today Online domains and apps are now part of 'Channelnewsasia.com' domain We know it's a hassle to switch browsers but we want your experience with TODAY to be fast Upgraded but still having issues? Contact us Eating paella in Valencia is a unique experience these are the restaurants that best cook this Valencian dish And while we’re on the subject of paella you’ll want to know where to eat the best paella in Valencia Sequial 20 restaurant in Sueca won the first prize in 2023 at the International Paella Competition in Sueca 💶 16,50 euros (portion of Valencian paella) 💶 14 euros (portion of Valencian paella). View this post on Instagram A post shared by Vicente Navarro Quiles (@restaurante_casaelfamos) In El Famós you can eat a good Valencian paella on the road to Vera with a know-how that treasures more than 130 years of history and 5 family generations This restaurant in El Palmar has once won the International Valencian Paella Competition. In 2018 it was chosen as the best paella in the world Second prize in the last International Competition in Sueca went to chef Binhui Jiang who runs the kitchen of this modest bar in Valencia where paella has become his specialty 💶 14.50 euros (portion of Valencian paella) You’ll find it in Serra, at the foot of the Sierra Calderona and is one of the best, endorsed by Wikipaella, the Bible of Valencian paella. 💶 13,5 euros (portion of Valencian paella, minimum 4 people). 💶 12,5 euros (portion of Valencian paella Founded in 1922, its wood-fired paella is one of the best in town. More than 100 years cooking paella is a sure value. 💶 19 euros (portion of Valencian paella, minimum 2 people). This Alboraya lounge is another summer classic it is a good option to enjoy a paella as it touches on the beach of La Patacona 💶 30 euros (full table closed menu with tapas, paella and dessert). 📍 Partida de l’Ermita, 25 (between Meliana and Foios). View this post on Instagram We return to Valencia city to discover another special place This restaurant in Campanar is an expert in one thing: paella you try their rice dishes and you end up loving it forever 💶 15,75 euros (portion of Valencian paella Sueca is the birthplace of paella, from where much of the Albufera rice And that’s why it also has one of the best restaurants specialized in this dish 💶 14,50 euros (ración de paella valenciana de Sueca) Very close to the Ciutat de les Arts we find this restaurant The metropolitan orchard of Valencia hosts a perfect space for celebrations and meals that you want to extend to infinity Right in the center of Meliana we find a restaurant where they know a bit about paella Their Valencian recipe is the most demanded although they also have other dry and mellow rice dishes In 2022 it received the award for best paella in the Valencian Community This restaurant in the neighborhood of La Canyada a chef trained at the CDT Valencia and a professional with more than 10 years of experience in the dining room sector 💶 16,5 euros (portion of Valencian paella Both inside and outside the city there are blue flag beaches to enjoy a swim and a day at the beach with all the services Valencia is a city that is best experienced in summer The beaches of Valencia and its surroundings are an essential element to endure the hottest months of the year If during next summer you are looking to enjoy the coast near Valencia Further away from the city center, about 15 minutes by car, is the Saler beach, where dunes, slopes and tranquility predominate compared to urban beaches. It looks like a virgin beach because of the dunes and it borders with the Pinedo beach and the Albufera. It has an extension of more than 2.5 kilometers. it is an oasis of peace compared to the crowds of Port Saplaya It is located parallel to the V-21 highway and can be accessed from Meliana and Alboraya is the natural extension of the Malvarrosa so if you don’t like crowds in summer If you are willing to invest a little more time in the journey (about 50 minutes) as it offers the possibility of renting windsurfing equipment. It is also important to note that it is adapted for access and enjoyment of people with reduced mobility during bathing Located just 20 minutes from Valencia on the Albufera road Recatí-Perellonet beach stands out for its blue flag its extension of more than 3 kilometers and its pleasant feeling of tranquility offering all the services one can expect from a beach The Patacona beach connects with the Malvarrosa and is one of the busiest beaches in Valencia throughout the summer An environment full of restaurants and entertainment for the whole family that invites you to relax along this kilometer of beach and more than 100 meters wide on average another of the benefits of La Patacona is its access for people with reduced mobility Flotation devices and a free bathing assistance service to ensure a pleasant bathing experience for a wide range of people A little further away from the urban beaches is the beach of Canet d’En Berenguer Officially it is known as the beach of Racó de la Mar and has an extension of 1,250 meters in addition to about 80 meters wide of fine sand and calm waters