AIYA Links: Idulfitri Edition
Kami di AIYA mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Idulfitri 2013/1434H. Semoga perayaan Lebaran ini aman dan menyenangkan bagi Anda dan keluarga!
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Indonesia’s 200 million Muslims are celebrating the end of Ramadhan with the festival of Eid al-Fitr, known in Indonesia as Idulfitri or Lebaran. We at AIYA would like to wish all of our Muslim friends and their families a safe and happy Hari Raya Idulfitri for 2013.
Idulfitri 2013
- The tradition of gifting small envelopes of money during Lebaran creates a market for freshly-minted banknotes—Indonesia’s central bank has prepared more than Rp103 trillion (A$11 billion) worth of them to meet demand.
- The Financial Times’ Ben Bland (@benjaminbland) reports on how entrepreneurial Indonesians can make up to Rp1 million (A$107) a day reselling crisp new notes at a markup.
- Other Ramadhan pastimes include breaking fast with family and friends at restaurants, and, of course, going shopping—this FT article explains why Ramadhan is good news for Indonesia’s retail industry.
- The ABC’s Helen Brown (@hbrown10) reports on the gargantuan logistical challenge that is transporting over 30 million Indonesians back to their hometowns for Lebaran.
- From the archives: a 2009 New York Times story about how some wealthy Jakartans, unable to handle being at home while their servants are absent, check in to luxury hotels for a Lebaran ‘staycation’.
In other news…
- Minister for Foreign Affairs Bob Carr and Shadow Minister Julie Bishop debated foreign policy at the Lowy Institute this week. Lowy’s Dave McRae (@_DaveMcRae_) wasn’t too impressed by their discussion of Indonesia.
- The Wall Street Journal reports that ‘Investors are souring on Indonesia as growth slows and a contentious election approaches.’
Events and Jobs
- Canberra, 14 August: one of Indonesia’s foremost scholars of radical Islam and terrorism, Solahudin, will be in Canberra for the launch of the English edition of his book The Roots of Terrorism in Indonesia: from Darul Islam to Jema’ah Islamiyah. 5:30 to 7:00pm, Hedley Bull Centre, ANU. Register here before 5:00pm today. Not to be missed.
- Sydney, 16 August: Solahudin will also speak with the book’s translator, Dave McRae, at Gleebooks in Glebe, 6:00pm to 7:30pm. More details here.
- Two great new career opportunities are at the AIYA Job Board: openings for a Southeast Asia Editor at the ABC (Melbourne-based) and a Communications Intern at the UNDP (Jakarta-based.)