Why Indonesia joined the Badr pact, and what it must do next

On Wednesday, 21st  October, four Muslim-majority countries signed a new defence agreement in Doha, the capital of Qatar. Turkiye, Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia call it the “Badr Memorandum of Understanding”. A memorandum of understanding is a formal promise to work together. It is not a full treaty, and it does not force any member to go to war for another. The name carries a message. As one Lebanese outlet reported, Badr means “full moon” in Arabic. For many Muslims, the word also recalls the Battle of Badr, a famous early victory in Islamic history. For Indonesia, the country with the largest Muslim population in the world, this is a quiet but important step. Jakarta sent its Deputy Defence Minister, Yusuf […]