Obama Family Enjoys Down Time in Bali Before Heading to Jogja, Jakarta Later This Week

Jakarta Globe, Dames Alexander Sinaga & I Nyoman Mardika, June 26, 2017

Former US President Barack Obama and his family were spotted rafting on
the Ayuung River in Badung, Bali, on Monday (26/06), after arriving on the
tropical island over the weekend. (Antara Photo/Wira Suryantala)

Denpasar. Former US President Barack Obama and his family were spotted rafting on the Ayung River in Badung, Bali, on Monday (26/06), after arriving on the tropical island over the weekend.

Obama was seen wearing a white t-shirt, sunglasses and a red velvet jacket. The family's rafting session ended at the rear of the Four Seasons Resort in Sayan Village in Ubud, where the Obama family is currently lodging.

On Sunday, the family visited the Jatiluwih rice field terraces in Tabanan, which has been categorized as a world heritage site by Unesco.

The former president donned a casual blue polo shirt, while former First Lady Michelle was spotted in a baseball cap and vest, with her jacket tied around her waist.

The couple's youngest daughter Sasha wore a bright yellow baseball cap and white vest, while eldest daughter Malia was not seen.

On Sunday (25/06), the family visited the Jatiluwih rice field terraces in Tabanan,
which has been categorized as a world heritage site by Unesco. (Antara Photo)

"Obama met with local farmers. They also took some photos and had a chat," Jatiluwih Tourism operations manager I Nengah Sutirtayasa said, as quoted by Beritasatu.com.

The arrival of the 44th US president in the village also coincided with the 2017 Jatiluwih Agriculture Festival.

Earlier this weekend, the Obama family visited the Agung Rai Museum of Art (ARMA), where they were greeted with a traditional Balinese dance. The museum was first established in 1996 in a bid to preserve and develop Balinese art and culture.

Obama, who lived in Jakarta for a few years during his early childhood in the late 1960s, is scheduled to visit Yogyakarta and Jakarta later this week, where he will speak at the 4th Indonesian Diaspora Congress.

Obama kicks off tropical holiday in Indonesia

Yahoo – AFP, June 24, 2017

Soldiers gather for security prepartions in Denpasar on Indonesia's resort island
of Bali, on June 23, 2017, ahead of a visit by former US president Barack
Obama (AFP Photo/SONNY TUMBELAKA)

Barack Obama kicked off a 10-day family holiday in Indonesia that will take in Bali and Jakarta, the city where he spent part of his childhood, officials said on Saturday.

The casually dressed former president arrived in the resort island of Bali with his wife Michelle and their two daughters, a local military commander said.

"They arrived late last night and went straight to the hotel in Ubud," a local military commander, I Gede Widiyana, told AFP.

Obama woke up early and did some exercise in the lush green riverside resort, Widiyana said, but it was not known how the family would spend their time in the quiet and artsy Ubud area.

Next week, the family is slated to depart for Yogyakarta, where they are expected to visit ancient Borobudur temple. They will spend two days there before flying to Jakarta.

Obama spent four years until 1970 as a boy in the then sleepy capital of Indonesia after his divorced mother married an Indonesian.

Many Indonesians felt a strong bond with Obama because of his exposure to Indonesia and its culture, even making him a two-metre (six-foot) bronze statue that was placed in his former school.

The statue of "Little Barry" -- as Obama was known to his Indonesian school friends -- depicts the boy Obama dressed in shorts and a T-shirt with a butterfly perched on his hand.

Indonesia's foreign ministry said Obama's visit to holiday in Indonesia came after several invitations from President Joko Widodo.

While in the capital, Obama will meet Widodo on June 30 and give a speech at an Indonesian diaspora convention the next day.

Former United States President Barack Obama with his wife Michelle and

 daughters Malia and Sasha arrived in Bali on Friday (23/06) to stay in 

Indonesia until early July. (Reuters Photo/Yuri Gripas)

Related Article:

After Bali Obama Will Visit Yogyakarta and Jakarta

California man visits Disneyland 2,000 days in a row

Yahoo – AFP, 23 June 2017

California man visits Disneyland 2,000 days in a row

Los Angeles (AFP) - As one of the world's largest entertainment companies, Disney is used to adoring fans but one man has topped them all, visiting its California theme park 2,000 days in a row.

Jeff Reitz marked the milestone on Thursday, using his Disneyland Resort annual pass which had enabled his trek to the park on a daily basis since January 1, 2012.

"What we mostly know about him is that he loves Disneyland," said John McClintock, a spokesman for the theme park.

"When I asked him what he likes about the park, he said he likes all the shows and all the attractions but he did mention that he really likes to listen to the music in the park," he added. "I guess he finds it relaxing."

McClintock said Disney has yet to come across someone as enamored with the park as Reitz, an Air Force veteran in his 40s who usually shows up after work and spends a few hours.

"His girlfriend frequently comes with him but not every day," he said. "That would be true love, wouldn't it?"

Taboo-breaking liberal mosque opens in Berlin

Yahoo – AFP, Yannick PASQUET, June 17, 2017

Lawyer and women's rights activist Seyran Ates opened the
Ibn-Rushd-Goethe-Mosque with words of welcome before Christian and
Jewish guests and a large media contingent (AFP Photo/John MACDOUGALL)

Berlin (AFP) - With a mission to spread a liberal form of Islam, a mosque where men and women pray side by side has opened its doors in Berlin, complete with female imams.

The Arabic phrase "Allahu Akbar" ('God is greatest') resonated through the crowded Ibn-Rushd-Goethe-Mosque Friday as US-Malaysian Ani Zonneveld, one of the world's few female imams, launched the call to prayer.

Then one of the founders of the new place of worship, lawyer and women's rights activist Seyran Ates, opened the event with words of welcome before Christian and Jewish guests and a large media contingent.

"We want to send a signal against Islamic terror and the misuse of our religion," said Turkish-born Ates, 54, dressed in a long white robe. "We want to practise our religion together."

Ates -- no stranger to breaking taboos, having called for a "sexual revolution" in the Muslim world -- vowed she would not allow ultra-conservatives "to rob me of my right to be Muslim".

Kneeling on green carpets, the faithful -- men and women, side by side -- bowed to Mecca for the traditional prayer as the imam spoke in German.

Some of the women wore veils or head coverings, others did not.

'Depoliticise' Islam

The new mosque, the 88th in the German capital, is located in a rented room on the third floor of the Protestant Johanniskirche (St. John's Church) building.

Founded by Seyran Ates, the mosque aims to establish a humanistic, 

secular and liberal reading of Islam (AFP Photo/John MACDOUGALL)

All Muslims -- Sunni or Shia, Alawite or Sufi -- are welcome in the mosque named after one of Germany's greatest writers, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, and 12th century Islamic scholar Ibn Rushd, also known as Averroes.

The seven founding members said they want to open their prayer hall to all groups, including gays and lesbians.

"This mosque allows Muslims to define themselves in a new way," said co-founder and German Islam scholar Abdel-Hakim Ourghi.

He added that "we will try to depoliticise Islam", as the religion was being torn by rival political movements. "Because religion is a private matter."

Police stood guard outside the entrance of the building.

The founders said they had not received any threats or insults, but that they fully expected not everyone would be happy.

Time for change

Germany, with some four million Muslims, has been the target of jihadist attacks, the deadliest last December when a truck tore through a Berlin Christmas market crowd killing 12 people.

Seyran Ates -- who has campaigned against forced marriages,
domestic violence and so-called "honour killings" among Muslim
migrants -- said the project was eight years in the making (AFP
Photo/John MACDOUGALL)

The arrival of more than one million refugees, most from mainly Muslim countries, since 2015 has worsened the fears of some Germans.

Ates -- who has campaigned against forced marriages, domestic violence and so-called "honour killings" among Muslim migrants -- said the project was eight years in the making.

"Many left along the way," she said. "They told us it was dangerous, that they were afraid."

Elham Manea, a Swiss political scientist of Yemeni background, said the time had come for change, with other so-called liberal mosques having also opened in the United States, Britain and Switzerland.

The Berlin mosque, financed by private donations, is located in the Berlin district of Moabit, which has a large immigrant population.

It was in this neighbourhood that Tunisian Anis Amri, the Christmas market attacker, frequented a radical mosque that has since been closed.

Pakistani human rights activist Mukhtar Mai (C) receives a standing ovation
as she takes the stage following performance of the opera 'Thumbprint', at
the Roy and Edna Disney/Calarts Theater (REDCAT) in Los Angeles, on
June 16, 2017 (AFP Photo/Robyn Beck)

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Woman mosque leader seeks new Muslim in Europe

Yassmine el Ksaihi poses in the prayer hall of the Polder Mosque in Amsterdam, 

Netherlands, Tuesday, March 2, 2010. Uniquely in the Netherlands, men and 

women pray together in her mosque, albeit segregated, with the women praying

 in the back of the prayer hall. Devotions and sermons are conducted mostly in

 Dutch rather than Arabic. And non-Muslims are welcome. Across Europe Muslims

 are seeking a formula that lets them be an inseparable part of their country while

 maintaining their loyalty to their faith and origin. (AP Photo/ Evert Elzinga)

Obama to Give First Post-Presidential Speech in Asia at Indonesian Diaspora Convention

Jakarta Globe, Sheany, June 12, 2017

Former United States President Barack Obama will open the 4th Congress of
the Indonesian Diaspora on July 1 in Jakarta. (Reuters Photo/John Gress)

Jakarta. Former United States President Barack Obama will open the 4th Congress of the Indonesian Diaspora on July 1 in Jakarta, the chairman of the Indonesian Diaspora Global Network, or IDGN, Dino Patti Djalal said on Monday (12/06).

"We have received confirmation that the 44th President of the United States, Barack Obama, will deliver the keynote address to the 4th Congress of the Indonesian Diaspora on July 1," Dino said during a press conference in Jakarta.

He added that Obama has always been a special friend of Indonesia and an inspiration to many Indonesians.

Obama spent his early childhood years in Jakarta. He moved to the capital city in October 1967 and lived here for three and a half years. During his time serving as US president, Obama often talked about his memories of Jakarta whenever he met Indonesian officials.

Barry, as he was called in his old elementary school in Menteng, a suburb in Central Jakarta, has an Indonesian-born stepsister called Maya Soetoro.

According to Dino, Obama is visiting Indonesia to fulfill an invitation from President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo to go on a vacation in the archipelago.

Obama has traveled to several countries, including Italy and Germany, since leaving office. Last Tuesday, Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made headlines after Trudeau posted a photo on Facebook of them sharing a meal in a booth in Montreal, Canada.

The New York Times reported that Obama will travel to South Korea in July, where he plans to see former South Korean president Lee Myung-bak.

Dino added that Obama’s keynote address on July 1 will be his first speech in Asia, after reportedly delivering a private paid speech during a visit to Italy.

"[Confirming Obama’s attendance] took us a while. We sent a proposal and it took around 4 to 5 months to receive a confirmation from his office," Dino said.

"We don't know what Obama's speech will be about, but we have proposed two main themes to him: globalization and pluralism."

There are approximately six to eight million Indonesian diaspora, according to Dino. Most of them – around two million – are migrant workers (TKI). According to data, most overseas-based Indonesians live in Malaysia, the United States, Singapore, South Korea, China and Qatar.

The Congress of Indonesian Diaspora is a biennial event organized by IDGN – a network established in 2012 in Los Angeles. This year's event will take place from July 1 to 4 at Kota Kasablanka, a mall in South Jakarta.

The public will get a chance to attend Obama's address by taking part in a Twitter competition. After registering through the congress’ event page on Eventbrite, contestants will be asked to share photos of their acts of kindness, which will then be selected by the organizers for the chance to see Obama speak at the convention. Around 2,000 seats are reserved for the public.

The congress will be open to the public on July 1, with a total of 12 sessions featuring high-profile speakers available. They include migrant workers activist Erwiana Sulistyaningsih, singer Anggun C. Sasmi, mayor of Bandung Ridwan Kamil, Indonesian-born American actress Tania Gunadi, co-founder and director of Marvell Technology Group Sehat Sutardja, Sillicon Valley's technology executive Sonita Lontoh and Asian Development Bank Vice President Bambang Susantono.

The convention is expected to be the largest gathering of Indonesian diaspora, with 5,000 participants from Indonesia and abroad.

For more information on the 4th Congress of the Indonesian Diaspora, visit www.cdi4.info

Indonesian 'rainbow village' is internet sensation

Yahoo – AFP, May 31, 2017

An Indonesian hamlet dubbed "the rainbow village" after being given a makeover
in a kaleidoscope of colours is attracting hordes of visitors and has become
an internet sensation. (AFP Photo/SURYO WIBOWO)

An Indonesian hamlet dubbed "the rainbow village" after being given a makeover in a kaleidoscope of colours is attracting hordes of visitors and has become an internet sensation.

The collection of about 200 modest homes on a hillside above a river used to be a typical, low-income Indonesian neighbourhood that was filthy and gloomy.

But residents of the Wonosari community in Semarang decided an extreme makeover was needed, and received money from the local government and several companies to carry out the project.

The houses were re-painted in a dizzying array of colours during a month-long overhaul which cost about $200,000, and the polluted river nearby was also cleaned up.

The local mayor opened the newly decorated hamlet on Java island to the public in mid-April and the community quickly became a local landmark known as "the rainbow village".

The buildings -- many of which are decorated with art such as pictures of angels' wings and whales -- can be seen for miles around, climbing up the hillside like a gigantic staircase.

Domestic and foreign visitors have been flocking to the village to snap pictures, which have been rapidly spreading on Instagram and Facebook.

The brightly coloured buildings in Semerang, Indonesia -- many of which are 

decorated with art such as pictures of angels' wings and whales -- can be 

seen for miles around. (AFP Photo/SURYO WIBOWO)

"This is very special, extremely creative," Maya Susanti, an Indonesian visitor who came to the village with her friends told AFP.

"The village used to look plain but now there are so many good spots for taking pictures."

Community leader Yosep Tri Prawoko added: "Every single alleyway has become a favourite spot for a photoshoot, it's great."

Villagers are enjoying the tourism boom sparked by the makeover.

Surani, a local flower seller who like many Indonesians goes by one name, said local people were feeling the benefits: "I hope our livelihoods keep on getting better."

The makeover and flow of visitors has also encouraged residents to keep the community clean, and rubbish bins have been put up around the hamlet.

An Indonesian hamlet dubbed "the rainbow village" attracts hordes of visitors, becomes an internet sensation https://t.co/QsIhulfMk7 pic.twitter.com/NZlNk1X8ZJ

— AFP news agency (@AFP) May 31, 2017