RI wins US praise for religious tolerance

Lilian Budianto, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta | Tue, 01/26/2010 9:54 AM

Indonesia’s religious tolerance has won praise from the US government and civil society groups despite concerns that the country may tilt toward more radical Islamic ideas, with several regions enacting sharia-based bylaws and hardliners reportedly trying to stifle pluralism.

Indonesia and the US kicked off a three-day interfaith dialogue Monday in Jakarta to deepen bilateral cooperation and cultural relations.

The 20-member US delegation is led by Pradeep Ramamurthy, senior director for global engagement of the White House National Security Council.

The Indonesian delegation comprises 30 people from religious organizations, including Nahdlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, and is headed by Andri Hadi, the Foreign Ministry’s director general for information and public diplomacy.

A member of the US delegation, William F. Vendley, who is the secretary-general of Religions for Peace, said the American perception of Indonesia was positive, with people increasingly aware Indonesia was the country with the largest Muslim population in the world.

“The US government is enormously impressed with both the Indonesian government’s and the people’s commitment to pluralism. Although the majority of the population is Muslim, they welcome diversity... They see Indonesia as a model for a religiously diverse society functioning in a harmonious and peaceful fashion.”

Vendley said the American community did not see the enactment of sharia-based bylaws and hardliners’ recent moves to ban Muslim pluralist activities as a looming threat to diverse religious life as “there is deep confidence that there is a profound [national] commitment to Pancasila”, the country’s ideology that defends freedom of religion.

“Educated Americans are alert to the shape of Islam globally actually look to Indonesia as a bridging country... well-positioned to understand pluralism, which is very characteristic of the US, and at the same time a country that is uniquely positioned to function as a faithful interlocutor and partner with other countries that have less pluralism,” he said.

Under the regional autonomy system, several local administrations in Indonesia have enacted sharia-based bylaws that require Muslim women to wear a hijab or put them under restrictions at night in relation to outdoor activities. Moderates have also been alarmed by hardliner groups attempting to impose harsh restrictions on the way women may dress and perform on television broadcast shows, especially under the pornography law, as well as recent attacks on minority places of worship.

“We haven’t focused so much on these issues and what we want to emphasize is that Indonesia is diverse and embraces diversity...” said Darcy Zotter, deputy political counselor of the US Embassy in Jakarta.

Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the idea of the interfaith dialogue was floated by then foreign minister Hassan Wirajuda during a visit to the US to meet US Secretary of State Hillary R. Clinton last June.

“Today, we convene to... implement the commitment to strengthen the voice of moderation and foster dialogue for cooperation as one way to address today’s critical challenge,” Marty said.

The interfaith dialogue is part of US-Indonesia cooperation covering a range of areas from education to counter terrorism to sanitation that have been established in the context of a comprehensive bilateral partnership.

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