Where is the religious tolerance?

What on earth has happened to religious tolerance in this country? Why are certain groups of narrow-minded religious fanatics, who mistakenly believe that theirs is the one and only path to God, allowed by the authorities to mob and brutally terrorize fellow humans who choose to believe differently, and even injure them physically and damage their belongings?

If these hooligans are permitted to continue on their destructive and even criminal warpath of destroying all whose religious beliefs and outlooks on life are different from theirs, then those who embrace the Hindu, Buddhist, Bahai, and Christian faiths as well as ancient faiths such as Confucianism are most certainly next on the list of terror targets. That will be the end of Indonesia's "Unity in Diversity" as we know it.

To those who frenziedly claim to defend the Islam but who have apparently neither thoroughly read nor fully understood the contents of the Holy Koran: Please understand that, according to the Holy Koran, a Muslim is one who establishes peace with God and peace with His creations. Establishing peace with Allah means: Absolute surrender to Allah, Who is the Source of everything that is pure and good. Establishing peace with fellow humans means: Be charitable and do good toward your fellow humans.

For that reason I call upon those who so rabidly claim to "defend Islam": Please do not degrade and disgrace this wonderful religion, (where "Islam" actually means: "To Establish Peace") by using it as a mere convenient instrument to let the devil inside you go on a rampage. Please remember that all of us humans are one in Allah: Those who intentionally and deliberately hurt the feelings, injure the bodies, and destroy the possessions of fellow humans will therefore only harm themselves, and will eventually see the terrible consequences of their evil and heartless actions return to them.

And if you are offended to see others, who do not intentionally hurt fellow humans, use different ways of contacting and worshiping the Creator: Please exercise wisdom and tolerance, and remember that if Allah had wanted only one religion on earth then it would have been very easy indeed for Him to make it so.

TAMI KOESTOMO, Bogor, West Java