The Indonesian Born Arabs

As years pass, to day, there are about 3.23 million Indonesian-Arabs (Indonesian-born-Arabians) in Indonesia or 1.5% (Indonesian Population 220 million/National Census Bureau 2007) while Chinese 6% or 13.2 million and Indian 0.3% or 0.66 million.
Indonesian-Arabs generally settle in Java and in certain regions where the majority of the population are Moslems, like Aceh, Lampung, South Kalimantan, Gorontalo and South Sulawesi. They usually live in a community in certain part of area where they can maintain their strong hold of custom and tradition.
They hold Al-Quran reading regularly, assemble religious anniversaries and celebrations, pray together, social visit, exchanging food during Ramadan, arranged married etc.

At the early time after colonialism was gone, the new generation of Indonesian-Arabs had special places in Indonesia, both in social community or businesses. Many of them were active in politics and parliament. They contributed their knowledge to build Indonesia which was still as a new nation. While others preferred to run business in various sectors liked factories, retails, constructions, housing development, garment, pharmacy, cosmetics, school, and many others.
However, as their forefathers, most of this new generation still holds firmly to a conservative and traditional way of life. Their idealism to keep holding onto Islamic moral values both in life and business and also their poor judgment over the importance of high education have gradually made them run over by modern era of living which later cause them lose power to compete.

The Indonesian-Arabs’ existence in business now is far behind the other ethnics, the Chinese or Indian, who at the moment, control almost 70 percent of Indonesian economy in all business sectors like banking, heavy industries and manufactures, automotive and motorcycle manufactures, chemical industries, information and technology, mining, forestry, fishery, plantation, transportation, cigarette, electronics, insurance, constructions, housing development, education, tourisms, film and music industry, hospital and pharmacy, garment, food and beverages, cosmetics, building materials, retails and other strategic businesses.

Statistic of Indonesian - Arab Population

It is absolutely dismaying to know that the next generation of the Indonesian-Arabs would probably live in even worse condition if nothing is done to empower and support them comply their children future to the fact, the proper education.