Religious leaders urged to promote peaceful coexistence

SURAKARTA, Central Java (JP): Minister of Defense and Security Edi Sudradjat called on religious leaders yesterday to boost peaceful coexistence among followers of different religions in Indonesia.

Addressing the 7th Parisada Hindu Dharma congress, Edi reminded religious leaders that the relatively peaceful coexistence must not be taken for granted.

Edi said that all religious believers must appreciate that peaceful coexistence is vital to maintaining the multiethnic and multireligious Indonesia intact.

"It's not difficult to find examples of how a religious conflict has shattered a nation," he said. "In other countries, armed religious conflicts have caused widespread destruction and death."

Religious harmony has been trumpeted during the four-day congress by a number of government officials, including President Soeharto when he opened the meeting Wednesday.

Religious issues are among the most sensitive in Indonesia, which has five "official" religions: Hinduism, Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism and Buddhism. Islam is predominant, claiming an estimated 90 percent of the country's 200 million people as followers. Hinduism is predominant on the tourist island of Bali.

Occasional religious conflicts are not usually reported in an explicit manner by the domestic mass media.

Edi warned that in the present day, when the world has shrunk into a global village and materialism is rampant, the possibility of religious conflicts developing is great.

"That is why peaceful religious coexistence is becoming an important issue in Indonesia," Edi said.

The minister recalled a time when religion was used by certain groups to achieve their political agendas, such as to obtain mass support.

"Politicizing religion can spark religious conflict," he said. "Religious leaders should be wary of efforts to stir religious conflict for any purposes."

About 1,000 Hindu leaders are participating in the congress that will be closed by Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher today.

Meanwhile, Chairman of the Association of Hindu Youths Shally Purwanto, said that about 80 Hindu youth leaders from the seven- member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) are to meet in Bali from Nov. 14 through Nov. 16 to discuss cooperation.

They will exchange views on economic, social and cultural issues.

The forum for dialog among Hindus in ASEAN member countries was formed at Prambanan Temple in 1993.

Purwanto said that at the November gathering, the Hindu youths will visit several sacred places on Bali. (har/rms/pan)