What does it mean to be an Islamic city? From a philosophical perspective, it’s not about how many mosques are contained within a given city or how many of its citizens are Muslim, but rather how the city adheres to Islamic values.
The Islamic values of safety, prosperity, and happiness for its citizens were the three main indicators used by the Maarif Institute’s recent ranking of the most Islamic cities of Indonesia. Out of 29 cities in the study, Jakarta ranked a very respectable 7th, with an index score of 77.5 out of a possible 100.
The three most Islamic cities according to the study were Yogyakarta, Bandung, and Denpasar, each with a score of 80.64. Some would say it’s quite ironic that Denpasar, a Hindu-majority city, ranked in the top three.
By comparison, Banda Aceh, a city where sharia law is strictly enforced, fared poorly in the study and placed towards the bottom of the ranking with a score of 69.62. Makassar came in last with a score of 51.28.
You can read the full study here.
