FROM THE EDITOR'S DESK: SPREAD OF ISLAM IN INDONESIA - One theory states that Islam arrived directly from Arabia as early as the 9th century, during the time of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates. Another theory credits Sufi travelers for bringing Islam in the 12th or 13th century, either from Gujarat in India or from Persia. Before the archipelago's conversion to Islam, the predominant religions in Indonesia were Hinduism (particularly its Shaivism tradition) and Buddhism; BHARATIYA JANATA PARTY AND NARENDRA MODI: CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES BEFORE MODI GOVERNMENT - BJP may have suffered a loss in terms of seats, but it emerged as the largest party for the third consecutive time.
