Current Events
Indonesia is mostly composed of Shia Muslims, however, it is not a Muslim state. There is free religion in this diverse country but it has not yet been directly integrated into the government. In the last three years, Indonesia has seen drastic changes within its political structure, leading to an increase in support for the government within the local populace. With this support, more political players with different …show more content…
There is a high threat of terrorism in Indonesia. These groups specifically target Westerners or Western interests to include tourist destinations. In January 2016, the Islamic State (IS) took credit for a bombing in downtown Jakarta (BBC, 2016). The attack is believed to be a lone-wolf type of attack caused by someone that idolized the group rather than the group sending someone to conduct it. It is not believed that there is IS presence in the country as of yet, however it is possible that IS will decide to integrate the existing terrorist group into their organization as a way to gain financial support and presence in this …show more content…
The IS will conduct recruitment operations and show more presence in the country, creating stronger ties to the extremist groups already present in the country. IS will use the opposition Muslims have against Westernization to their advantage. Due to Indonesia’s growing economy (Kissi, 2016) the United States will continue to provide logistical support to the country. Indonesia’s government will continue to struggle with incorporating religious views into decisions as well as being supported by people with different beliefs. Political players with different ethnic backgrounds will be hesitant to step up and speak on their