Campaign to promote tolerance and peace

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Local pacifists have embarked on a campaign to show the world that most Indonesians are tolerant, moderate and peace-loving.

They will collect 10,000 signatures from people who reject religious extremism, and support efforts to keep national integrity by strictly peaceful means.

Once completed, the signatures of petitioners from various backgrounds will be submitted to President Megawati Soekarnoputri, organizers said on Friday.

The initiator of the petition, Tamalia Alisjahbana, said the effort was to voice concern from common people on growing extremism, intolerance and sectarian conflict.

"We were concerned when learning from the media that 2,000 people took to streets, brandishing swords in the name of religion and threatening foreigners," she said. "They made the international community think that they represented the Indonesian as a whole."

"The truth is that most Indonesians are against such practices, are moderate and very tolerant," added Tamalia, the daughter of noted writer Sutan Takdir Alisjahbana. "The petition also aims to improve the country's image."

The campaigners said they want to make people look back to the days when life in Indonesia was more full of compassion and tolerance -- things, they say, the country wants to recapture.

Tamalia said the signatories of the petition represent people from all walk of lives, from noted lawyer like Todung Mulya Lubis to factory workers.

Chairwoman of the Society of Inter-Religious Dialog Amanda Suharnoko said the campaign was strictly non-sectarian, and non- partisan.

Meanwhile, youth organizations of various religious backgrounds plan to hold massive campaigns for peace and humanity in the coming celebrations of Idul Fitri, Christmas, New Year and Chinese New year.

The organizations are: the Indonesian Muslim Students Movement; the Indonesian Catholic Students Association; the Muhammdiyah Students Association; the Indonesian Nationalist Students Movement; the Indonesian Christian Students Movement; the Indonesian Hindu Students Group; the Indonesian Buddhist Students Association (Hikmahbudhi) and the Muslim Students Organization Council (HMI MPO).

The organization activists will, among others, put up banners carrying messages advocating religious tolerance on the eve of the coming New Year at Taman Ismail Marzuki Cultural Center.