New Naratif talks to Noor Huda Ismail, a former member of Darul Islam, and a social entrepreneur, film-maker and scholar about his thoughts on the recent controversy surrounding the Caliphate podcast produced by the New York Times.
Author Archives: Aisyah Llewellyn
Aisyah Llewellyn is a British freelance writer based in Medan, Indonesia. She is a former diplomat and writes primarily about Indonesian politics, culture, travel and food.
Posted inPodcast
Doth Indonesia Protest Too Much?
Aisyah Llewellyn talks to Damai Pakpahan and Dr. Ian Wilson about the recent protests, the historical background and impact of demonstrations in Indonesia, and what the future may bring with the upcoming regional elections.
Posted inPodcast
The Plight of Indonesia’s Vulnerable Domestic Workers
Aisyah Llewellyn speaks to Lita Anggraini and Damai Pakpahan about the Protection for Domestic Workers Bill in Indonesia (RUU PRT), a draft law for domestic workers’ protection that has been stuck in parliament for over a decade and discuss the initiatives being taken to help this vulnerable workforce.
Posted inFeature
Death With a Dash of Disney
At a cemetery designated for the COVID-19 pandemic’s dead in Medan, Indonesia, staff require mourners to wear protective clothes, and offer to capture their visit on camera for posterity.
Posted inPodcast
Teaching Children to Cope With COVID-19
In the age of COVID-19, family dynamics have understandably shifted. As a result, we’ve seen more parents openly talk on social media about their struggles with balancing work, child care and self-care during this time. But children in particular may respond to this stress differently. On this week’s episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches, our Editor-in-Chief Aisyah Llewellyn spoke with Louis, a science teacher based in Medan, Indonesia about how parents can help children cope with the changes brought by this pandemic.
Posted inFeature
The Last Wrongs: A Woman’s Burial in Medan’s Mass Graves
The way people are dying in Indonesia has changed. And under the country’s draconian COVID-19 protocols, even those who have tested negative for coronavirus are being buried in mass graves—without family present to say goodbye.
Posted inPodcast
An Interview with Effendy Aritonang from Yayasan Fondasi Hidup
On this episode of Southeast Asia Dispatches: our Editor-in-Chief Aisyah Llewellyn talks to Effendy Aritonang, the National Director of Yayasan Fondasi Hidup – an Indonesian NGO based in Medan, North Sumatra. The foundation was created in Indonesia after the devastating 2004 tsunami, and today it works to address all forms of human poverty through education, healthcare and disaster risk reduction.
As part of our Covid-19 coverage, Effendy talks to Aisyah about the work his foundation does and how you can help apply some of their methods to work in your local community.
Posted inFeature
Hell in the House of God
Residents of Singkil, a largely Christian area in Muslim-majority Aceh Province, struggle to preserve their houses of worship, highlighting the problematic and even contradictory state of religious harmony in Indonesia.
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Posted inFeature
Memories from a Changed Camp
Prison camps that once held political prisoners in Indonesia have since been transformed into shopping complexes or tourist attractions. People now experience these spaces in a completely different way, but the women who were once housed behind their walls still have stories to tell.
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Posted inPodcast
Road To Raqqa — Part Two
In 2016, 22-year-old Febri made a decision to move to Syria and live under Islamic State, better known as ISIS. In the final of a special two-part series for New Naratif, Deputy Editor Aisyah Llewellyn talks to Febri about reuniting with his family, the reality of life in Raqqa, and their journey home again.