Students promote tolerance

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)