Indonesia the most populous Muslim country

Compiled By: Syed Ali Shahbaz
On November 10, 1945 AD, heavy fighting in Surabaya between Indonesian nationalists and returning Dutch colonialists after the defeat of Japan in World War II, resulted in victory for the Muslims. The day is celebrated as Hari Pahlawan (Heroes' Day) in Indonesia.
On November 2, 1949, Indonesia gained its independence after three-and-a-half centuries of Dutch colonial rule. Based on an agreement that was reached between Holland and the Indonesian independence-seekers, under the leadership of Dr. Ahmad Sukarno and Ahmad Hata, Dutch troops withdrew from Indonesia.
This agreement was the outcome of four years of intense battles between the independence seekers and Dutch forces as of August 1945. Following the independence, Sukarno was elected as president and remained at this post until the year 1965, when he was toppled in a military coup by General Suharto, who remained in power as president until 1998, when he was forced to resign by mounting popular protests.
Indonesia is an archipelago in Southeast Asia, consisting of over 13,000 islands, both inhabited and uninhabited. It covers an area of almost two million sq km. its population stands at 240 million people, of which 85% are Muslims. Indonesia is considered the most populous Muslim country, although non-Muslim India has the world's largest Muslim population of almost 250 million.