Leaders told to cultivate peace among Indonesians<\/p>\n
Tiarma Siboro and Debbie A. Lubis, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Religious leaders and politicians urged influential figures to
\nrestrain themselves from saying things that might sow hatred
\namong the different religious communities in the country, in an
\nendeavor to promote peace in society.<\/p>\n
Solahuddin \"Gus Solah\" Wahid, deputy chairman of Indonesia's
\nlargest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), told all the
\npeople of the country to promote dialog to maintain \"social
\nrelationships among religious communities.\"<\/p>\n
According to Gus Solah, who is also deputy chairman of the
\nNational Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM) and the younger
\nbrother of former president Abdurrahman Wahid, Islam has never
\ntaught its followers to kill or to hate followers of other
\nreligions due to their beliefs.<\/p>\n
The enjoined the people to back the government to combat what
\nhe called the nation's common enemies, namely poverty, injustice
\nand ignorance, instead of creating enmity among the different
\nreligions.<\/p>\n
\"Religion should not make us enemies of one another. We should
\nfight against injustice, ignorance and poverty to improve
\npeople's social welfare,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Separately, Rusjdi Hamka, cochairman of the United Development
\nParty (PPP), said that it was high time for people from different
\nreligions to promote peaceful behavior among themselves.<\/p>\n
\"We have no alternative other than to promote religious
\ntolerance and peace. Now, each party should implement their
\nreligious teachings in their daily activities because all
\nreligions aim at bringing peace to the earth,\" he told The
\nJakarta Post.<\/p>\n
For example, Rusjdi said, Muslims should implement the Koran's
\nAl-Haj chapter verse 40 in their daily life. The verse requires
\nthem to protect the Jewish people, Christians, and others from
\ndifferent religions.<\/p>\n
\"It underlines that Muslims are forbidden to destroy places of
\nworship like synagogues, churches and mosques because God's name
\nis invoked in those places. It also mentions the mosque last to
\nshow that Islam teaches tolerance,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Rusjdi believes that peace will be developed among people of
\ndifferent religions if preachers do not speak disparagingly of
\nother religions in their sermons, arguing that \"it will be a very
\nsensitive issue if the sermons always promote hatred toward the
\nfollowers of other religions.<\/p>\n
The two figures were of the opinion that the emergence of
\nsectarian conflicts in certain regions and of extreme groups in
\nthe society has a lot to do with an incomplete understanding by
\nthe people of their own religion and the feeling of inferiority
\namong certain sects in religious communities.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/leaders-told-to-cultivate-peace-among-indonesians-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}