![[PR] PR_Ascott and Vimut Hospital_2024](https://www.traveldailynews.asia/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/PR-PR_Ascott-and-Vimut-Hospital_2024-400x265.jpg)
Religious leaders from across different faiths insist the country's tradition of religious harmony remains intact, despite the actions of some militant groups.
A poll conducted by the Jakarta-based Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) earlier this year interviewed 2,220 people in 23 provinces between January 16th and 24th. Results have been made public by daily newspaper The Jakarta Post on June 6th. According to the poll, 83% of respondents answered by “I don’t mind having a neighbour from a different ethnic group”. Another 60% had no objection to living near neighbours of a different faith. But the results also suggest areas of contention. Asked about allowing people of different faiths to build a place of worship in their neighbourhood, 68% said “better not” and 92 % said people from a different faith should get approval from the community before doing so.
Numerous high-profile cases of religious controversy, including disputes involving the Ahmadiyah sect and a Christian church, have centred on efforts by minority communities to practice their faiths publicly at a mosque or church.
Hermawan Hanny, a pastor at a Catholic Church in Depok, West Java, believes Indonesia is still a tolerant country. “This survey mentioned that most Indonesians would not have a problem living around various ethnicities in their neighbourhood,” Hermawan told Khabar Southeast Asia. He is echoed by Hamid Fahmi Zarkasyi, a Muslim scholar and chairman of the Institute for the Study of Islamic Thought and Civilizations (INSISTS). “If the measurement of tolerance is to provide the same opportunity for each religion to practice their beliefs, Indonesia can rank highly,” he told Khabar.
Zarkasyi was speaking in response to the UN’s Universal Periodic Review (UPR), held from May 21st to June 4th in Geneva. At the review, countries including Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway, and Slovenia questioned Indonesia’s human rights record, pointing to what they described as a rising number of attacks on religious minorities, including Ahmadis, Christians, Shiites, Baha’is, and non-believers.
In recent years, case of harassment of religious minorities has often been carried out by a minority of hardline conservative groups whose activities – from home burnings to disrupting worship services to raiding nightclubs – have been chipping away at Indonesia’s reputation for openness and harmony.
Ulil Abshar Abdalla, chairman for the Centre of Strategic Policy and Development of the ruling Democratic Party, said that Indonesia has an excellent anti-terrorism strategy, but it needs to be more firm with radical groups. “The government needs to have policies to disband radical organisations, or at least be able to punish perpetrators who disrupt interfaith harmony in Indonesia, as well as (policies) to crackdown on terrorism perpetrators,” Ulil told Khabar.
He suggested that the government needs to intensify and enlarge the scope of its de-radicalisation programme. Pastor Hermawan agreed, stating: “All Indonesians must be aware and carefully respond to radicalisation movements. Any radicalisation must be punished accordingly.” Indonesians of all faiths must work together to prevent radicalisation, he said, starting with education at an early age focused specifically on tolerance.
Source: Yamko Rambe, Khabar Southeast Asia
Theodore is the Co-Founder and Managing Editor of TravelDailyNews Media Network; his responsibilities include business development and planning for TravelDailyNews long-term opportunities.
