Ambon, Poso do not echo image of RI: Cardinal<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The sectarian conflicts in Maluku and Poso, Central Sulawesi, do
\nnot reflect the real situation in Indonesia, because the two
\nareas constitute just a small part of the expansive country, says
\nCardinal Julius Darmaatmadja.<\/p>\n
Darmaatmadja made the statement while on a three-day visit to
\nthe predominantly Catholic island of Flores, East Nusa Tenggara,
\nover the weekend.<\/p>\n
During the visit, the cardinal, along with many other bishops,
\nincluding the Vatican ambassador to Indonesia, held a post-Idul
\nFitri gathering with local Muslims and celebrated Christmas with
\nlocal Catholic adherents in the town of Sikka.<\/p>\n
The cardinal and the other bishops were also here to
\ninaugurate Mgr. Fransiskus Kopong Kung as Coadjutor Bishop of
\nLarantuka Diocese on Jan. 10, 2002.<\/p>\n
\"We do not want to generalize about the national religious or
\nsociocultural situation because every region has its own
\nproblems,\" Antara quoted him as saying before his departure to
\nJakarta on Saturday.<\/p>\n
Poso and Ambon have been afflicted by sectarian conflict
\nbetween Muslim and Christian groups since 1998 and 1999
\nrespectively, leaving more than 11,000 dead.<\/p>\n
Darmaatmadja, also the archbishop of Jakarta and Chairman of
\nthe Indonesian Bishop Conference (KWI) asserted that the majority
\nof people want peace and religious harmony.<\/p>\n
\"The international community should know that the number of
\npeople who want religious harmony outnumber those who want to
\ninstigate civil unrest,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The archbishop was also concerned that the media had
\nexaggerated the conflict, giving the impression that strife
\nplagued the country, while religious harmony across much of the
\ncountry rarely gained much attention from many sides.<\/p>\n
He said most people had remained silent but their silence
\nshould not be interpreted as supporting the violence or conflict.<\/p>\n
Darmaatmadja acknowledged that harmony among different
\nreligious communities in Sikka and East Flores was worth noting
\nbecause such situations could also be found in many other regions
\nacross the country.<\/p>\n
He cited that the people on the island had developed a
\ntradition of cooperation among local religious communities to
\ncelebrate their festivities and to help maintain security and
\norder.<\/p>\n
According to him, despite the prevalence of Catholicism, other
\nChristian adherents and local Muslims had maintained religious
\ntolerance and had enhanced cooperation among themselves in
\nnumerous fields.<\/p>\n
\"The Catholic Church's popularity here does not make its
\nadherents extremists or closed to other religious communities,\"
\nhe said.<\/p>\n
\"We came here and witnessed that Catholics were able to live
\npeacefully with others who hold different religious beliefs,\"
\nsaid the archbishop.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Nurmin Kung, a local female Muslim, appreciated the
\nharmony among different religious communities on the island,
\nsaying that despite being from the minority Muslim community, she
\nand her other Muslim colleagues held close relationships with
\nothers from other religious communities.<\/p>\n
\"We are from a Muslim family but Mgr. Fransiskus is my
\nhusband's older brother. We also share the local Catholic
\ncommunity's joy at the bishop's inauguration,\" she said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ambon-poso-do-not-echo-image-of-ri-cardinal-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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