Excerpts from an article appearing in the Jakarta Post:
It is interesting to study the results of a Centre for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) survey regarding Indonesia’s inter-religious relations (The Jakarta Post, June 6). Regardless of its validity and reliability due to the lack of respondent representation, one thing needs deep consideration.
The survey points out that the government is not the only cause of religious intolerance in Indonesia, but that society is also to blame. As seen by the respondents’ answers, religious intolerance is evident among communities.
The Indonesian government may fail to enforce the law and uphold the principle of “Unity in Diversity” through many ways. This is not to mention the unwillingness of the government to act firmly against perpetrators of religious intolerance.
Yet, the problem itself, according to the survey, lies in society. Reluctance among communities to acknowledge other’s [sic] rights, particularly freedom of religion, has led to such intolerance.
Despite the fact that the government guarantees freedom of religion, society in the survey shows that this is not true, particularly when it comes to building places of worship of different faiths.
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See also my previous articles on this topic:
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