Recently, there has been renewed speculation - and even more serious evidence -that certain Muslim circles in Southeast Asia have not abandoned their intention to turn Indonesia into a Sharia state, with the subsequent creation of a "new Asian caliphate." According to their plans, it could include Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei, Singapore, the southern parts of the Philippines, Thailand and Myanmar. According to Western intelligence agencies, the role of the main "engine" and direct executor of such intentions now belongs to the Jama'a Islamiya terrorist organization operating in Southeast Asia, which is closely linked to the infamous Al-Qaeda. Jama'a Islamiyah's criminal activities have already caused considerable loss of life, sowed fear in the region and made the whole world talk about another unpredictable front in the fight against terrorism - in Southeast Asia. Plans to establish a "state of Islam" in Southeast Asia emerged more than half a century ago. So, it is known that even before the declaration of independence of Indonesia in August 1945, its future first President Sukarno and his associates - supporters of secularism, who advocated the secular nature of the republic, had to wage an ideological struggle with the supporters of the idea of the "Islamic state". At that time, the committee drafting the current Constitution adopted the Jakarta Charter as a concession to Islamist sentiments, which primarily proclaimed the principle of faith in God and the mandatory observance of Sharia law by all Muslims in the country. True, adherence to religion was required to be observed without violating the principles of" just and civilized " humanity. The country's Constitution guarantees its citizens freedom of religion and worship. But even in this interpretation, a number of Indonesian Muslim figures tried to use the provisions of both the Jakarta Charter and the Constitution to justify the country's transformation into a Sharia state. After the coup d'etat of Septembe ... Read more