Religious leaders pledge to work towards harmony

By Ainur R. Sophiaan

SITUBONDO, East Java (JP): Leaders of four religious communities in this city pledged yesterday to work together towards harmony and peaceful coexistence, following the bloody sectarian conflict on Oct. 10 which left five people dead.

The pledge by leaders of Moslem, Catholic, Protestant and Hindu communities was made at the town hall in the presence of East Java Governor Basofi Sudirman, who came from Surabaya for the occasion.

In a joint statement, the leaders pledged to work together to restore the lives of the people of Situbondo, which have been shattered by the conflict.

They agreed to work hand in hand to rebuild the damaged churches and other buildings, and more importantly, to help people overcome the trauma and fear that still haunts them and has prevented many from resuming their normal lives.

Official accounts say 24 churches and a Hindu temple were burned in the incident. Schools, an orphanage, shops, government offices, and scores of vehicles were also damaged. Five people died inside one of the burned churches.

Situbondo Regency Chief Soedarjanto has claimed that normalcy was restored as far back as Oct. 12, but locals say many people still fear leaving their houses, and some were still too afraid to visit churches.

The agreement was signed by Syaifullah Saleh representing Moslems, Father Blasiustira representing Roman Catholics, Priest Samuel Lie representing Protestants and I Nengah Thela representing Hindus. Endorsing the agreement were leaders of provincial religious councils, including Misbach (Moslem) and Reverend Sih Pinardi (Protestant). Lora Fawaid Syamsul Arifin was present with other charismatic leaders from local pesantren (Moslem boarding schools).

"We regret the Oct. 10 incident in Situbondo," the joint statement said.

"We appeal to the government and the public to contain the problem so it does not spread to other areas.

"We appeal to the government and the public for restraint (and) ... we hope religious and community leaders will work hand in hand and shoulder to shoulder to foster peaceful coexistence between religious communities," it said.

They urged the government to provide protection for all citizens conducting prayers.

Situbondo Regency chief Soedarjanto estimated material losses amounted to Rp 4.8 billion ($2 million). "I'll be frank with you, we don't have that kind of money," he said. The Situbondo regency has a population of 580,000 people.

Governor Basofi pledged to give Rp 1.5 billion.

Basofi expressed his relief at signing of the statement and said it was an exemplary model for fostering religious harmony throughout Indonesia.

The governor said he was to blame for the incident. "As the sole ruler of the province, it is my responsibility," he said.

Priest Samuel Lie also expressed relief and satisfaction at the joint statement.

"This town has always been peaceful and harmonious," he said. After yesterday's pledge, there should no more reason for anyone in Situbondo to fear practicing their faith, he said.

Local people however said finding construction workers to undertake the restoration work might be difficult because many of them would be afraid to be seen repairing churches.

Because of a shortage of volunteers, the military has had to dispatch soldiers to clear debris from the razed buildings, locals said.

In Surabaya, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Chairman Abdurrachman Wahid said he did not go to Situbondo because he was not invited.

He said he had been the target of some accusations. "Some people even suggested that I was the mastermind," he told reporters.

Situbondo, a predominantly NU area, hosted the organization's congress in 1984.