Students promote tolerance

Over 90 Muslim residents of Ambon living in temporary shelters for displaced persons in Waihaong park in conflict-torn Maluku showed up for free medical checkups on Sunday.

The event was organized by students from the Indonesian Christian University of Maluku in a move to show solidarity and religious tolerance, as well as to pave the way for reconciliation following the numerous sectarian conflicts that erupted in 1999.

The spokesperson of the student group, Stevi Nanuru, said the event was done in hopes of building stronger relations between Muslims and Christians in the city.

"Following the conflict, residential areas were designated either Christian or Muslim with many of the displaced Muslims taking refuge in Waihaong park. We hope that this event can pave the path to strong reconciliation," Stevi said.

For the free checkups, the first held by the university for Muslims, the university worked in coordination with the Waihaong community health center, which assisted with medical workers.

Head of the Waihaong community health center, Wendy Pattisahusiwa, said the residents enthusiastically welcomed the free checkups.

In Waihaong, the residents, from infants to senior residents, mostly suffer from breathing problems, skin diseases and chronic coughs due to poor health conditions in the park. (JP/M. Aziz Tuni)