Are Indonesians truly tolerance?<\/p>\n
Muchammad Tholchah, Jakarta<\/p>\n
It is commonly assumed that Islam is a tolerant religion,
\nwhich is supported by normative evidence based on the Koran and
\nHadith.<\/p>\n
If we look into Islam from a normative perspective, we will
\nfind that Islam is absolutely just, right, precise, tolerant and
\nrespectful of human rights. However, this approach is not
\nnecessarily an effective way to resolve the contemporary problems
\nsurrounding Islam because real facts often contradict Islamic
\nteaching.<\/p>\n
Etymologically, tolerance means the willingness or an ability
\nto allow something that one does not like or agree with to happen
\nor continue. This means everyone has the right to do anything as
\nlong as it does not disturb the rights of others. It also can be
\ninterpreted to mean that nobody has the right to force others to
\ndo or believe as he or she believes.<\/p>\n
During the 32-year rule of Soeharto, he forced Indonesians to
\nattend Pancasila indoctrination classes, which consisted of
\nteaching moral values such as tolerance as the foundation for
\nbuilding a relationship with others. This policy resulted in a
\n\"tolerant society\".<\/p>\n
Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim nation,
\nwhich means one would expect everyday life to be based on Islamic
\nteaching, yet corruption, violence and intolerance are
\nincreasing. This can lead people to assume that religion (Islam)
\nhas a double face. On the one hand, it teaches peace and respect
\nfor human rights. On the other hand, its teachings have become
\nthe main support and motivation for committing a crime.<\/p>\n
Terrorism and violence can strengthen the assumption that
\nIndonesian Muslims suffer from pseudotolerance. In the past, most
\npeople pretended to be tolerant and pluralistic. After Soeharto's
\nfall they began to express their true feelings. The conflict
\nbetween Madurese and indigenous peoples in Sambas, West
\nKalimantan, or the burning of churches showed that many people
\nmisunderstood the concept of tolerance. Unfortunately, these
\npeople do not, or do not want to, recognize tolerance.<\/p>\n
Charles Kimbal, in this book When Religion Becomes Evil
\n(2003), wrote a religion will become evil if followers suffer
\nfrom several diseases, such as blind obedience and justification
\nof all means. Convicted Bali bombers Amrozi, Ali Ghufron and Imam
\nSamudra suffer from these diseases.<\/p>\n
First, they claim their faith and actions are correct and
\nothers are wrong (misguidance).<\/p>\n
Second, they obeyed the order to bomb a public place because
\nthey believed \"the instructor\" was a smart, right and holy person
\nwho had to be obeyed without criticism.<\/p>\n
Third, they often say that if people want to secure their
\nlives, both personally and communally, they must apply sharia as
\nthe Prophet applied in Medina and Mecca. They insist the
\ntraditions of the Prophet must be completely imitated because it
\nwas during the time of the Prophet that Islam was practiced in
\nits purest and most ideal form.<\/p>\n
Fourth, they would have done anything to gain their objectives
\nand perform their faith, including the use of violence. They
\nbelieve God will forgive them. Last, holy war, what they call
\njihad, has to be put into practice in accordance with the concept
\nof amar makruf nahi munkar (do good, prevent evil).<\/p>\n
It will remain impossible to implement tolerance as a value as
\nlong as there are still people who have such beliefs. But that is
\nnot just a problem for Islam, but for other religions as well.<\/p>\n
The writer is a postgraduate student of interdisciplinary
\nIslamic studies at UIN Syarif Hidayatullah Jakarta<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/are-indonesians-truly-tolerance-1447893297",
"image": ""
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