Bali enjoys peaceful, harmonious religious life
Rita A. Widiadana and I Wayan Juniartha, The Jakarta Post, Denpasar
As parts of Indonesia remain locked in bitter ethnic and religious conflict, the Hindu-dominated island of Bali witnesses religious harmony among followers of different faiths.
During Idul Fitri, for instance, thousands of Muslim residents flocked to several places in Puputan park, Lumintang soccer field, Dalung in Denpasar to pray.
Although only a few thousand Muslims celebrated Idul Fitri, it did not loose its festive atmosphere with hundreds of youngsters parading along Denpasar's main streets to perform Bedug Lebaran (beating drums while praising God's greatness) on Takbiran (the Eve of Idul Fitri).
Joyful atmospheres were also seen in some Islam villages on the island, like Kampung Bugis and Kepaon in Denpasar, Pegayaman village in Buleleng (North Bali) and Loloan village in Jembrana (West Bali).
Ali Mumin, a Madurese who has been living in Bali for 10 years, said Idul Fitri celebrations on the island were still less joyous than in his hometown.
"But of course, we can't expect to celebrate Idul Fitri in the way we used to do it in our hometown. Bali is a Hindu island. But still we thank God that we don't live in Maluku or Poso where Muslims and Christians are battling."
A week after Muslims observed Idul Fitri, it's Christian and Catholic communities turn to celebrate Christmas and the New Year.
Father S. Subaga from the St. Yoseph Catholic Church in Denpasar said that so far Bali had been a fertile ground for religious tolerance although in other parts of the country, churches, especially during Christmas services, had been targeted by those who aimed to destroy religious harmony.
He has strong beliefs that close relations among different religions in Bali would prevent religious conflicts on the island.
"(There are) only a very small number of people in the country who want to politicize religion for their own purposes," he said, adding that the world would be watching if any ethnic or religious conflict struck Bali.
Prominent Hindu scholar Ketut Wiana explained that harmonious relations between religions in Bali might come from the fact that Hindu people believed in treating others better.
"As a Hindu, we believe in the teaching of Atiti Yadnya which requires us to treat people, regardless of faith, in a better way than we treat ourselves," Wiana said.
Since its beginnings, the Hindu religion in Bali has been closely related to Buddhism. The Hindu-Balinese religion was derived from the Majapahit kingdom whose kings and residents adopted Hinduism and Mahayana Buddhism. In the present day, many Balinese make no distinction between the Hinduism that they practice and Buddhism.
Wiana added that Hindu Bali is not an expansive or missionary religion in nature. "We have never intended to spread our religion to followers of other faiths and therefore, religious and cultural conflicts rarely take place here," Wiana said.
Historically, many kings and royal families in Bali were known for their openness and tolerance.
"There were a number of noble families in Bali who provided lands and helped build mosques and other places of worship for Muslim communities," Wiana said.
In Buleleng regency, North Bali, for instance, King Ki Gusti Anglurah Panji Sakti gave the Muslim community a plot of land called Pagayaman village and even initiated the construction of a grand mosque in Kajanan village in Singaraja.
In Karang Asem, East Bali, the nobility there provided financial assistance to Muslims wanting to perform the Haj pilgrimage to Mecca.
Apart from the Balinese Hindus, Muslims and Christians, a sizable Chinese population practicing Confucianism or Khonghucu can also be found in Bali. The influence of Balinese Chinese to the island's culture is far greater than most people realize. A number of Chinese temples or klenteng can be found scattered around the island. The Chinese temples are found, for example, in Blabatuh near Gianyar, in Denpasar, Kuta, Singaraja, Tabanan and Tanjung Benoa.