Muslim Leader Laments Ignorance of Those Who Are Intolerant of Christians

Jakarta Globe, Dessy Sagita, January 22, 2010

Christians attending Katedral Mesias in Jakarta. (Reuters Photo)

The head of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization admitted on Friday that a report stating that Christians were the most frequent victims of religious freedom violations here was true.

Said Agil Siradj, who heads the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), said that sometimes a minority of Muslims are intolerant towards other religions, particularly Christianity. Said said such intolerance by extremists was based on limited knowledge about Islam.

“They [the extremists] don’t have enough understanding about what Islam is all about,” Said said in response to a report issued on Thursday by the Wahid Institute, a non-governmental organization focused on promoting pluralism. The report said that of 35 cases of religious freedom violations lodged with police in 2009, 28 were against Christians.

Said added that Christians should help maintain religious tolerance by being more sensitive towards Muslims. “It is fine if the Christians want to build a church. It would, however, be best and wise if they discussed it first with the people living in the neighborhood, so there will be no misunderstanding,” he said.

The Wahid Institute is the brainchild of late former President Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, who was a leader of the NU and the grandson of its founder, Hasyim Asy’ari.

“The report is true. Even though legally Christianity is a religion recognized and protected by the state, still so many violations and even attacks occur,” Rev. Gomar Gultom, executive secretary of the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), said.

Gomar said the violations were sometimes quite obvious as when some groups oppose the building of churches, or even try to prevent Christians from conducting religious rituals in accordance with their beliefs.

“A church in Sibuhuan, South Tapanuli [in North Sumatra] was burnt down this afternoon,” Gomar said on Friday, adding that there had been incessant complaints about the existence of the church for a month.

Even though Christianity is “legal” in Indonesia, there were still many who treated believers of “traditional religions or sects” better than they would treat Christians, he said.

“People who believe in Kejawen in Java, or Sunda Karawitan, are treated better than Christians, even though legally they are not acknowledged by the state,” Gomar said.

“The government has no excuse for letting such tragedies happen,” he said.

Father Dani Sanusi from the Indonesian Bishops Conference said that church burning and attacks against Christians have resulted in deep trauma for many Indonesian Christians.

“A lot of Christians are deeply traumatized and are reluctant to attend Christmas mass, or any other religious ceremony because they are afraid for their safety,” he said.