This is the tenth edition of the International Journal on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS), published in November 2023. The editors are pleased to have received such a favourable response from the authors. It has selected six of the best articles for this edition. These articles presented the valuable and interesting information with the broad ranges covering interreligious and intercultural studies, entitled “Concordance Between Quranic Narrative of Adam and Hindu Narrative of Swayambhuva Manu”, “Chinese Coint in Bali: Historical, Religious and Touristic Perspective”, “MYSTICAL SYMBOLISM: Shabistari’s Interpretation vs. Iqbal’s Reformation”, “The Existence of Religious Moderation in the Freedom Era Learn on the Independent Campus at a Religious Higher Education in Bali”, “Acculturation of Hindu-Muslim Culture (Study of Rodat Dance - Ngaben Puri Pemecutan Ceremony, Denpasar Bali”, “The Mobility of Hinduism Sociocultural Race at Pura Agung Wanakertha Jagatnatha, Central Sulawesi”.
I would like to emphasize that review articles on emerging and interdisciplinary areas encompassing interreligious and intercultural for coordinating special issues are very much encouraged. Moreover, I would like to remind all potential authors that you may choose between two options: publishing open access or using traditional subscription-based publishing.
Finally, I thank all the authors, reviewers and readers for their support. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any suggestions or comments for this journal. I look forward receiving your manuscript contribution.

Riska Dewi Prawita

Editor in Chief

Editor’s Foreword

It gives me great pleasure to publish the ninth edition of the International Journal on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS). As we enter the fifth year of our journal publication, I would just like to say how it has been a true honor for me to serve as its Editor in Chief. While burdensome and challenging, the work is fruitful, invigorating and refreshing, as it provides me with a good impression of where the field is heading to and what scholars are currently focusing their research on.   I am also not embarrassed to say that IJIIS has been one of the fruits of the good leadership of UNHI and the Widya Kerthi Hindu Educational Foundation, which have committed themselves to high level of research and publication. This had been emphasized since the beginning of the leadership in late 2017 and early 2018. With IJIIS, and the International Conference on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (ICIIS), UNHI has been at the forefront of publications and scholarly exchange in the fields of interreligious and intercultural studies. The fact that UNHI is based in Bali also says something about the nature and milieu in which the IJIIS and ICIIS operate in. It is also with great pleasure that I report that the ICIIS held on 30 September 2022 was successfully conducted, wherein the committee received more than 90 abstracts. UNHI and its partners such as ICRS and LIPI/BRIN held the 9^th ICIIS with a somewhat intriguing theme of “Sacred Language, Magic and Mysticism”. As usual, the Conference invited many distinguished scholars from around the world. While the keynote speakers in the Conference included scholars from China and the United States of America, the invited speakers came from Turkey, the Philippines and others.

Finally, I would like to thank the editorial team members for their commitment and hard work. I would like to especially thank Ms. Iyak Abiyoga, who has been taking charge of the publication process in UNHI. I sincerely do hope that IJIIS will continue to be read by scholars and academics alike, and that contributors around will continue to want to publish their research in this journal.[]

Dicky Sofjan

Editor in Chief

Editor's Foreword

With its eighth edition, IJIIS has now increased its visibility across the world. The Editor currently receives much more diverse articles from scholars, researchers and artists from various regions of the world. Entering this phase, the Editorial Team of IJIIS hopes to continuously improve its service to authors and contributors, who are interested in contributing to the debate and discourse on interreligious and intercultural studies.
Some of the articles in this edition were derived from our 8th International Conference on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (ICIIS), which was held in February 2022 entitled “Gender, Intersectionality and Diasporic Communities”. The Conference was well attended by powerful women scholars, artists and those in the position of powers. The Conference was graced by the virtual attendance of the Indonesian Presidential Special Adviser, former Ambassador and Deputy District Head from East Java.
In this edition, IJIIS presents 10 highly interesting articles on various issues from diverse contexts. The first article is on “superstitions” in the African society. The article, which attempts to explain and interpret various long-held superstitions, was submitted by Joseph Mutei of St. Paul’s University in Kenya. The second article, from Nestor T. Castro of the University of Philippines at Diliman, examines the Catholic responses to the Covid-19 pandemic. Judith Schlehe of Freiburg University in Germany looks at “cosmological visions” and how they affect “multispecies practices and planetary health” during the pandemic.
From Indonesia, I Wayan Suka Yasa et. al. discusses the discourse of “immunity maintenance” in the Hindu Balinese tradition. The next article by Sri Sunarti Purwaningsih et. al. focuses on how the “urban informal sector workers” navigate through social networks throughout the pandemic. Meanwhile, Vanesia Amelia Sebayang et. al. examines Erpangkir Ku Lau ritual in North Sumatra as “a medium for self-cleaning to maintain the sanctity of the body and spirit of a human being”. Cokorda Gde Bayu Putra et. al. wrote about the “value of Pancasila” and how it is practised in financial accountability using phenomenological approach. The next article, which was presented by Wening Udasmoro et. al. during the 8th ICIIS, explains the “gendered literary narratives” among Javanese diaspora in New Caledonia. The last article, written by R Budidarmo Pramudji Kuntjoro Jakti, examines the ASEAN Youth Interfaith Camp (AYIC) and how it promotes religious harmony and paves the way for an inclusive region.
As always, I would like to extend my gratitude to the Editorial Team for their remarkable work and dedication. I hope that IJIIS will continue to improve, and contribute further for peace and sustainability.[]

Dicky Sofjan
Editor in Chief

This is the seventh edition of the International Journal on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS). This means that IJIIS will enter its fourth year of publication in 2022. While the Covid-19 pandemic rages on with the emergence of new variants such as the Omicron, academic journals should continue to flourish, despite the obvious challenges faced by scholars,professors and researchers, given the social and travel restrictions worldwide.

The problem is that curiosity remains to linger. And academic and scholars alike tend to find it difficult to stop thinking, writing, producing and co-producing knowledge. For exactly this reason, IJIIS will remain to publish as per normal, although, as editor, I have discovered that some methods of research and ‘fieldwork’ have somewhat transformed to adjust to the restrictive circumstances and the rampant use of digital humanities.

On 11 February 2021, UNHI and its partners such as ICRS and LIPI/BRIN held the 7^th International Conference of Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (ICIIS), where the theme was appropriately dubbed “Living the New Normal: Achieving Resilience and Ensuring Sustainable Futureâ€. The Conference brought together scholars from many different nationalities and fields of studies. It invited scholars from Algeria, Turkey, Australia, the United Kingdom and others. One of the bones of contention in the February conference was the usage of the term “normalâ€, which has indeed been raised by many who are convinced that the Covid-19 pandemic would not become a teachable moment for humanity in regard to confronting the prevailing problems of social injustice, racism, discrimination, intolerance, persecution and a range of other social quandaries. The vaccine distribution and how they are marginalizing and disenfranchising some segments of society are just part of the manifestation of these social problems occurring throughout almost two years of the pandemic.

This has been one of the reasons why the IJIIS team is relentless in publishing the journal and insists that it continues its good work, despite the inherent challenges that we all face amid this Covid-19 pandemic. In this edition, IJIIS presents to you eight superb articles that really take readers on exciting journeys across different fields of research. The first article is from Mark Woodward of Arizona State University, who examined the Capitalism and the ideology of greed, and how Muslim ethics perceives them. The second is by Md. Thowhidul Islam, who looked at the religious thoughts of Abdullah ibn Muhammad al-Habashy al-Harari, and how it had influenced the politics of Al-Ahbash (The Ethiopians) in Lebanon.

The third article is on religion, culture and the process of marginalization within the context of India. The article was written by Preeti Oza, who is based in University of Mumbai, India. The subsequent article is an exploration on the little known field of Indonesian Christian comics by Leonard Chrysostomos Epafras and Hendrikus Paulus Kaunang, who focused their research on “manga Bible†and other forms of comics.

Meanwhile, Dina S. Zaman from Kuala Lumpur-based IMAN Research writes about the “roots of 21^st century Malay anger†and how that has contributed to the extremism and radicalism among the young Malaysians. Jekonia Tarigan et al. looks into the interesting facets of religious health services in Yogyakarta, and examines the dynamic interreligious relations that result from these services. I Gusti Putu Anindya Putra et al. researched on the efforts to revitalize the cultural identity of Bali through spatial planning in the capital city of Denpasar. The last article from Maksimilianus Jemali et al. takes us on a journey to East Nusa Tenggara and examines “Hambor†as a cultural mechanism for conflict resolution and peace in Manggarai.

Finally, I would like to thank the editorial team members for their commitment and hard work. I would like to especially welcome on board Ms. Adityarini Abiyoga, who has begun to reinforce the editorial team of IJIIS. I sincerely hope that IJIIS will continue to further service its readers and contributors alike, and provide inspiration and expansion in the field of interreligious and intercultural studies, both in Indonesia and worldwide.[]

Dicky Sofjan

Editor in Chief

This is the sixth edition of the International Journal on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS), which means that we have published the journal for three consecutive years. Unfortunately, the sixth edition comes at still a difficult moment in history with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, which has caused more than 80 million people infected by the novel Corona virus and taken the lives of at least two million individuals worldwide.
But, as they say, life must go on. On October 2, 2020, the Hindu University of Indonesia (UNHI), in collaboration with ICRS and LIPI, held the 5th International Conference on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (ICIIS). The Conference, whose theme was “Future Cities of the Worldâ€, attempted to examine the trends of the world with respect to urbanization, migration and sustainable cities. As we know, an increasing number of people are migrating from the rural to the urban areas to find better quality of life and employment opportunities.
Indeed, this has caused major shifts in population, demographics and employment sector. Significant changes would also predictably occur in the way cities and urban centers are planned, built and managed. Architectural designs and building would also have to be adjusted to anticipate the multitude of risks associated with over-crowdedness beyond the carrying capacity of cities. What is more pertinent, however, is the way nature and the ecosystem services would work for or against these global trends. The main question and challenge would therefore be: how we could align these developments with the built environment and what seems to be the inevitable environmental degradation or ecological crisis in light of the need for living resources to sustain life on this planet.
This edition has therefore included articles that were presented in the Conference, which try to foresee and anticipate how future cities of the world would be perceived, designed and managed. Grace R. Dyrness instills in us hope and studies how the “world urban poor†looks toward religion in responding to the Covid-19 pandemic. Yekti Maunati examines the cultural identity of cities in Thailand and Vietnam. Meanwhile, Purnamawati’s article assesses Japan’s waste recycling treatment in Osaki City, and how the sustainable system could be emulated and practised in Indonesia.
Le Ngoc Bich Ly’s fascinating piece centers on Buddhist contributions on truth telling in peace building. Suryaningsi Mila et. al. focus on the feminist cross-textual reading in the context of border-crossing women in Sumba, Indonesia. Subsequently, Syamsul Asri et.al. write about what he termed the “Global Husaini†in Iraq, which commemorates the tragic martyrdom of a highly revered spiritual leader in Islam. Another article on Shia Islam is written by Neneng Sobibatu Rohmah, who analyzed the persecution of a religious minority in Sampang, Madura, through the notions of identity politics and Indonesia’s perpetual quest for national integration. The last article is a book review written by I Ketut Ardhana. Here, Ardhana contextualizes and analyzes Peer Holm Jorgensen’s work entitled The Missing History, which could provide a reinterpretation into the events surrounding the September 30, 1965 abortive coup attempt using contemporary lenses.
Finally, and as always, I would like to thank the editorial team for its commitment and meticulous work. With the continuing publication of this journal, I sincerely hope that the articles in this edition would ignite further interest in interreligious and intercultural studies in many different contexts.[]

Dicky Sofjan
Editor in Chief

The fifth edition of this journal comes at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic is showing signs of relentlessness, both in Indonesia and elsewhere around the world. The current data reveals that around 1.5 million people in 220 countries have fallen victim of Covid-19 and that 62 million more are suffering from it. To a certain extent, this has forced us to rethink about the efficacy of our strategy to fight against this deadly novel coronavirus. Or, whether we should just make peace with Covid-19, and find ways and means to coexist with it. What is clear is that until and unless the vaccine is developed, the world would remain on hold, while people will continue to suffer due to the social restrictions imposed by governments.
This edition contains nine articles from a number of scholars from Bali, Indonesia and other countries. The first article is from Jenn Lindsay, an American scholar based in Rome, Italy, who examined interfaith dialog and humanization of the religious other as both discourse and action. Here, Lindsay “conceptualizes humanization as a discursive object of the interfaith society that dialoguers invoke to enhance group solidarity and express collective identity in the form of their sacred valuesâ€. She argues that by invoking the concept of humanization, interfaith dialogues are able to unite around a common goal.
In his article, Michael D. Crane looks at the vital role of faith communities in the lives of urban refugees in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Crane argues, “Urban refugees lack the institutional support of official refugee camps and often have minimal legal covering in their host cities.†The article therefore examines ways in which Christian churches—often through the Biblical command to “welcome the strangerâ€â€”have assisted refugees in overcoming their challenges.
Preet Oza’s article presents the history of protest literature in India from the Bhakti literature. Oza examines how “the Bhakti movement in India has been a path-breaking phenomenon that provided a solid shape and an identifiable face to the abstractions with the help of vernacular language,†which emphasizes “a strong personal and emotional bond between devotees and a personal Godâ€.
In this edition, three articles on Bali are presented. I Putu Gede Suyoga, Made Adi Widyatmika and Ni Ketut Ayu Juliasih focus their attention on the Bali traditional architecture and how it has been sustained by capital. Using Bourdieu’s concept, the authors maintain that spatial layout and traditional residential buildings are strongly influenced by capital ownership. Meanwhile, I Putu Sarjana, I Putu Gelgel and I Wayan Budi Utama studied the dynamic nature of the Tri Hita Karana local wisdom and how it has been implemented in South Denpasar. The authors argue that to enforce the Tri Hita Karana, the misuse of spatial planning needs to be anticipated and mitigated. I Wayan Rai S., I Gusti Made Sunartha, Ida Ayu Made Purnamaningsih, Ni Made Ruastiti and Yunus Wafom surveys the genealogy of Pura Agung Surya Bhuvana in Jayapura, Papua. They discuss the establishment of Pura Agung Surya Bhuvana in 1962 from its humble beginning to its development into a center of Balinese Hindus’ sociocultural-religious activities.
Dundin Zaenuddin’s article focuses on religion and social capital of citizenship in Bogor. Zaenuddin problematizes citizenship in the context of a democratizing city of Bogor in West Java while essentially employing Bourdieu’s theory of “habitusâ€, Gellner’s “typology of social organization†and Kymlicka’s “multicultural citizenshipâ€. Indria Hartika Rukmana’s article examines the ecological crisis and the responses of Indonesian Muslim organizations, namely Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama. Here, Rukmana explores the various attempts, commitments, statements and declarations as well as the environmental protection initiatives undertaken by these organizations. Lastly, Almunawar Bin Rusli and Nasruddin Yusuf and studied the puritan Hindus in Bolaang Mongondow in North Sulawesi, and analyzed it from three related aspects i.e. faith, trade and politics. The authors argue that the Hindu Balinese expression of faith has shaped their intersubjective relations.
As usual, I would like to thank everyone in the editorial team at UNHI, LIPI and ICRS for making this fifth edition possible. I sincerely hope that the articles in this edition would increase the awareness and interest in interreligious and intercultural studies. Enjoy!

Dicky Sofjan
Editor in Chief

This fourth edition of the International Journal on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS) comes at a difficult time during the Covid-19 pandemic. For most of us around the world, the pandemic has changed our work routine, lifestyles, habits, and mindset. Unfortunately, due to the pandemic and the subsequent stay-at-home orders, quarantine, and lockdown policies of the governments, millions have lost around their jobs, and become unemployed, as companies and offices have to quickly shift to the Work-from-Home (WfH) routine. At the time of the printing of this edition, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) Live Update, 7.2 million people have been infected by the virus, and almost half a million have died with a direct cause from Covid-19 or indirectly through their related chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular, pulmonary diseases or diabetes.
While some countries are already recuperating from the pandemic, including China, where the first outbreak occurred, with small cases of confirmed new infections, others have seen a surge in the number of people getting infected and dying from the Covid-19. While Indonesia’s numbers are not as bad as the ones in the United States, Italy, United Kingdom, and other European countries, the government and society need to be vigilant and careful in their policies relating to the Covid-19 pandemic. Wrong policies could cause a massive number of infections and deaths, and create unintended consequences that would ultimately lead to a second or third wave of the pandemic. To date, Indonesia has around 35,000 confirmed cases and almost 2000 deaths.
Yet, it is usually during tough times that humans, as a species, often find ways to overcome the challenge before them. We have seen, for instance, in a number of countries where people come together and help the needy and those less fortunate. Such acts of love and care are said to prevent the spread of Covid-19 from creating a hunger pandemic. In Indonesia, we have seen religious and civil society organizations giving out free food and masks while offering help and assistance to medical doctors, nurses, and hospital workers. Some philanthropists have donated machines and equipment to support the already over-exhausted hospitals that have to deal with the overflow of incoming Covid-19 patients. The most heartening of it all is that much of this kindness and generosity stem not from primordial or ethnic or religious affiliations, but from the fact that we are all humans, after all, struggling to cope with a dangerous adversary. This is the spirit of the interreligious and intercultural studies that UNHI and ICRS strive together to promote for the past two years now.
This edition comes out of the fourth International Conference on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (ICIIS) on February 15, 2020, prior to the stay-at-home orders from the government. The theme of the conference was “Community, Ecology and Religionâ€, which invited around 50 paper presenters, which include the presence of experts in the field. The conference also marked the soft launching of an edited volume entitled Civic Engagement in Asia: Stories of Transformative Learning in the Quest for a Sustainable Future (Jakarta: Yayasan Obor, forthcoming). The edited volume is a result of a multi-year collaborative work by 31 scholars-cum-practitioners from 11 countries in Asia.
Finally, I would like to convey my gratitude to the editorial team at UNHI, LIPI, and ICRS for making this edition possible. I personally hope that the articles in this edition would instill hope and passion for research on interreligious and intercultural studies in the years to come. As we slowly shift gear toward the ‘New Normal’, I pray that the world will soon heal itself from the wounds of the Covid-19 pandemic and that humanity would ultimately prevail and be able to overcome this difficult challenge ahead.[]

Dicky Sofjan
Editor in Chief
Goggle Scholar
Scopus ID=6503908870

EDITOR'S FOREWORD

This is the third edition of the International Journal on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS) with some papers that were featured in the international conference held by Universitas Hindu Indonesia (UNHI) on August 30, 2019. The conference, entitled “Religion and violence in Asia and Europeâ€, invited scholars from the Philippines, Australia, Germany, and Indonesia. Scholars from UNHI’s partners i.e. Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) and Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) also participated actively in the preparation and execution of the conference.
The keynote speaker, panelists, and speakers spoke to the theme from varied perspectives from anthropology, sociology, cultural studies, political science to international relations. The conference essentially posed the question of whether the conflict is intrinsically connected to religion; or whether religion promotes and encourages violence. It also problematizes the frequent prejudice and stereotypical thinking that religious people are inherently radical and intolerant and henceforth closely associated with violent extremism. In recent years, the latter argument introduces to the world the over-exhausted notion of Countering Violent Extremism (CVE), which has manifested in many ‘development’ programs in Islamicate countries or nations with significant Muslim populations.
In this edition, readers are presented with a number of fascinating research articles. Husein presents her research on Indonesian youth experience in an inter-religious dialog. Oza gives an analysis on the issues of equity and equality in India. Meanwhile, Sari provides an insight on the experience of the Cham people in Vietnam on the contestation between and among religious believers.
Ridwan gives us an analysis into the little known phenomenon of religious transnationalism in the province of Papua in the easternmost part of Indonesia. Japee problematizes the predicament of the much-celebrated “knowledge societyâ€. And Marek from Hamburg gives us a glimpse of Germany’s social polarization, which was heightened due to the recent influx of immigrants and displaced people from the Middle East.
Puspitasari discusses the theoretical debate pertaining to the collapse of Suharto’s New Order regime and unpacked the theories on rational choice and social solidarity. Regus examines the position of religious minorities in Indonesia through democratic transitional processes. Lastly, Castro assesses the difficult relationship between religion and politics based on the outcome of the recent Philippines elections.
In the end, I would like to sincerely thank I Ketut Ardhana, I Made Damriyasa from UNHI and colleagues from LIPI such Yekti Maunati, Dundin Zaenuddin, who have all made this endeavor possible since last year. I would also like to mention Adi Widyatmika’s discipline and commitment in pushing forward the publication of this journal’s third edition. Without his passion, I would think that this edition would not have materialized in time. I hope this edition will contribute to the already existing discussion and exuberant debate about religion and violence among academics in Indonesia, Southeast Asia and beyond.[]

Dicky Sofjan
Executive Editor
Goggle Scholar
Scopus ID=6503908870

EDITOR'S FOREWORD

This second edition of the International Journal of Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS) features some papers derived from an international conference held at Bali-based Universitas Hindu Indonesia (UNHI) in December 2018. The 2nd International Conference on Inter-Religious and Intercultural Studies entitled “Religious Pluralism in Southeast Asia†was held on December 6, 2018, inviting both Indonesian and overseas scholars from Germany, Thailand, and Malaysia. As usual, scientists from the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) in Jakarta also attended the IJIIS conference.

The conference highlighted the region’s highly dynamic nature from the long cultural development lens. It assumes the region as a historical meeting point of major civilizations and cultures. However, in contemporary period, the embedded religio-spiritual practices and longtime intercultural relations, in both mainland and archipelagic Southeast Asia, are threatened by the negative impact of globalization and the pervasive disruption caused largely by the Industrial Revolution 4.0. Among others, identity politics, social polarization, religious conservatism and radicalism have played a role in shattering the regional pluralistic legacy.

In that respect, scholars and researchers of the region need to grasp the fast paced development, and inform on such phenomena could potentially and dramatically change the way one conceives of the idea of the nation, state and society. With the increasing irrelevance of national territories and boundaries, how could one make of culture and religion, which are not necessarily bounded in time and space, and let alone national politics? The transnational nature of religion and its global appeal are surely a challenge for all nations of Southeast Asia. And thus, what is the future of citizenship when a good number of humans are interconnected beyond national territories in more ways than just a membership in a modern nation-state? The dynamic political spectrum in the region—with a mixture of democratic, semi-democratic, authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes—also poses a problem in how one defines and characterizes Southeast Asia as an integrated region.

This second edition features nine articles, each having its own unique perspective on religious and cultural pluralism in Southeast Asia and beyond. Joshi, Rajagopala and Kalpana’s article critically assesses the Balatchturbhadara Churna, an Ayurvedic formulation, for pediatric treatment. Butler examines the praxis of interreligious dialogue through dance performances. Harnish looks at the Lingsar Festival in Lombok from the view of music, identity and interreligious relations.

Meanwhile Wibawa, Gelgel, and Sarjana focused their research on Pada Gelahang marriage from the legal pluralism perspective. Kunphoommari examines Thailand’s unique experience in religious pluralism. Gottowick’s article writes about the visualization of the other in Hindu-Balinese religion. Manuaba, Triguna and Wirawan’s piece studies the “cultural poverty†in the life of Hindus in Karangasem, Bali. In the last article, Sarr examines neo-Sufism and the ritual of Slawatan in promoting religious tolerance.

Finally, I would like to personally thank I Ketut Ardhana, I Made Damriyasa, Yekti Maunati, Erni Budiwanti and Dundin Zaenuddin from LIPI for their support and marvelous teamwork. I would also like to thank Made Adi Widyatmika and Stephanie Theng for managing the contributions, superbly editing the articles and laying them out nicely. Last but not least, I am thankful to all the authors for their confidence in IJIIS. I sincerely hope and pray that your contributions will pave for a greater interreligious and intercultural understanding.

Dicky Sofjan
Executive Editor
Goggle Scholar
Scopus ID=6503908870

EDITOR'S FOREWORD

It gives me great pleasure to say a few words about this inaugural edition of the International Journal on Interreligious and Intercultural Studies (IJIIS). This journal came about after intense discussion between myself and colleagues at the Bali-based Universitas Hindu Indonesia (UNHI) as well as longtime associates in the Indonesian Institute of Science (LIPI) in Jakarta. It was agreed among us that Indonesia urgently needs an international journal that would highlight serious reflections and academic research work on interreligious and intercultural studies.
In this inaugural edition, nine rich and fascinating articles are published. They include authors from the United States of America, India, and Indonesia. Following the parameters of IJIIS, topics in this edition range broadly from issues such as human dignity, rituals, religious freedom, traditional games and Sufi Darghas in India.
Sofjan’s article highlights the foundational understanding of Pancasila as Indonesia’s state ideology, which turns to human dignity as the source of all good in society. Renowned Anthropologist and a longtime observer of Indonesian society Woodward of Arizona State University writes a stimulating piece on the apotheosis of Siti Khotijah in Balinese galactic polity. Risalaturrohmah’s piece looks at zikr, Islamic ritual of commemoration, in the Balinese context in its modified form. Yadnyawati’s article highlights the dying Balinese game of megala-galaan as a way to build character among children.
Meanwhile, Suastika and Puspawati analyzed the dialog between Pandawa and Wirata contained in the famous Balinese Kicaka Geguritan text. Joseph from India makes an overview of the comparison of the Constitutional design on religious freedom between Indonesia and India. Ardhana scrutinizes the feminine deities in Balinese society. Here, he specifically emphasizes the local genius, Indian influences and how they are worshipped. Santiago superbly sets out to study the religio-cultural identity assertions and what she called “spaces of generosity†in Sufi Darghas in Bangalore. Lastly, I Gusti Ayu Suasthi et. al. delves into the religious behavior of Balinese in Sukawati village based on the Tri Hata Karana.
In publishing IJIIS, I would like to personally thank to all contributors for their trust and confidence in the development of IJIIS. I sincerely hope that we could all gather in Bali someday for an international conference or workshop of some sort to layout the bright and wonderful prospect for this journal.

Dicky Sofjan
Executive Editor
Goggle Scholar
Scopus ID=6503908870