The Javanese are more likely to become terrorists than other ethnic groups.

Professor Azyumardi Azra, a liberal Muslim intellectual and former rector of Universitas Islam Negeri (UIN; State Islamic University) in Jakarta, said on June 23rd how surprised he was that most terrorists in Indonesia were of Javanese origin, given the fact that the Javanese are often not known for their strictness in religion as much as people from Sumatra and Sulawesi are.



Azyumardi Azra.

With the rise of terrorist bombing campaigns in Indonesia since the first Bali bombings in 2002, through to the Kuningan Australian embassy attack, the Marriot Hotel bombing, and the innumerable attacks in Poso, Central Sulawesi over recent years, most had been committed by Javanese men, he said.



Ethnic boundaries of Java island. (Click for full size.)