Suspicion keeps Muslim-Christian tension intact

Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Suspicion and distrust still prevail in the relationship between Muslims and Christians in the country, therefore more dialogs are imperative to promote religious harmony, a leading Muslim says.

Speaking before the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) here on Thursday, Din Syamsudin, the chairman of Muhammadiyah, said the second largest Muslim organization was ready to facilitate open dialogs to discuss and solve existing problems that beset the two religious communities in the country.

"Muslims have long been suspicious of Christian proselytization because of the rapid growth in the number of Christians over the past few years and Christians have the same concerns about Muslims. This has been the perception among both communities and it needs addressing or else it could lead to national disintegration," he said.

From a historical, theological and sociological point of view, adherents of the two major religions have had problems in interacting with each other.

The forcible closure of dozens of Christian houses of worship in West Java, Banten and Jakarta recently has put religious harmony to the test.

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, saw bloody sectarian conflicts between Muslims and Christians in Maluku and Poso in Central Sulawesi between 1999 and 2001, that resulted in the deaths of thousands of people.

Din, also deputy chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), underlined that the worsening Muslim-Christian relations had a lot to do with the absence of a joint campaign involving leaders of the two religious groups to promote tolerance.

"Extreme actions, including the closure of Christian houses of worship, are absolutely unacceptable and unlawful and therefore must be stopped.

"Muslim organizations must be able to tackle the tendency toward extremism, but Christian organizations should take the same measures against groups that incite hatred against Muslims," Din said.

He added that dialogs between the two religious communities should be held in a transparent manner in order to identify all problems that have impaired relations and to solve them in stages through a joint movement.

"During the dialogs, both sides could share all the problems they are facing which they think have triggered sectarian conflict, disturbed religious tolerance and restricted religious freedom," he said.

He also urged the government to uphold the law and the Constitution which guarantees the freedom to practice one's religion.

"Religious freedom is one of the basic rights and, therefore, must be respected. All citizens have the right to choose their faith or not to adhere to any religion and people must be allowed to practice their faith without fear," he said.

Chief of the Constitutional Court Jimly Asshidiqie said tension between Christian and Muslim communities was a result of miscommunication and misperception.

"Christians do not understand the Islamic tradition and its teachings and the same goes for Muslims regarding Christianity. The tension could be eased if both sides gain a common understanding of each other's tradition," he said.

One of the stumbling blocks to religious harmony in the country is the presence of the controversial 1969 Joint Ministerial Decree on the establishment of houses of worship, which Christians deem discriminatory. The decree requires people wishing to build a house of worship to obtain permission from both the local administration and people living in the neighborhood. This does not apply to the building of mosques.

Jimly said the decree violated Chapters 28 and Chapter 29 of the Amended 1945 Constitution on freedom of religion and freedom to assemble. He suggested that those who were dissatisfied with the decree file a motion for a judicial review with the Supreme Court.