Perhaps the most widely-known fact about Indonesia is its predominantly Muslim population. Eighty percent of its 230 million citizens are Muslim. This is a confusing concept for Westerners. For example, most Australians I speak to tend to equate this country’s dominant religion as something dangerous. Weaned on 24 and other populist drivel, its not surprising that many Westerners see Indonesia as a threat, awash with fundamentalist jihadists ready to kill Zionists in the name of Allah.

This couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, there are subtle reminders of Islam, particularly bunyi adzan (the call to prayer) wailing across the city five times a day and the occasional hijab (head scarf). But these don’t bely some underlying desire to destroy the West. Indonesians are much more concerned about unrequited love and vengeful ghosts, if the country’s burgeoning film industry is anything to go by. 

Except during Ramadan. The fasting month of Ramadan is the most prominent event in the Muslim calendar. Leaving their Catholic contemporaries to shame, Muslims deny themselves food and water from dawn to sunset, breaking the fast (or buka puasa) after the fourth prayer of the day, maghrib. Families, work colleagues and friends get together to break the fast. The cities restaurants are crowded with large parties. Consequently, for a couple of hours each night the streets are relatively quiet.

Every Friday (the most important day of the week for Muslims), we break fast as a firm, feasting on dates, kolak (a coconut milk based sweet),chicken satay and other assorted affair (photos here). Muslims, Catholics, Protestants, a Buddhist and a Hindu - and not a jihadist among us.