http://brianindonesiaexpat.blogspot.com/2012/05/indonesia-most-intollerant-country-in.html
I would not want this reader's comment (and my rebuttal) to be hidden in the original article above so I have devoted and dedicated a separate stand alone article (and web page) devoted to this issue.
Before I delve more into this issue, I want to thank the reader, Ms. Miranty Lestari in all sincerity for sending me her comments and remarks. The purpose of this rebuttal is not to harangue and berate Ms. Lestari, but to give a brief factual discussion and let the you the reader make their own independent conclusion(s). This open (and respectful) dialogue is EXACTLY what I set out to do and accomplish by this website; that is, to foster greater understanding between the people and government of the Republic of Indonesia and the people and government of the United States to foster better and more harmonious bilateral relationships between the two countries.
Here is the comment that I received:
"Seems like you have forgotten about your country America. Their intolerant for a Muslim is very high. Have you seen YouTube and how Muslim is treated in there? Here is an example http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHCIVzG1dUEFirst let's all watch the video clip together that Ms. Lestari puts forward as a premise for her assumption and for her point of view. The video clip is originally a broadcast of the ABC News series "What Would You Do?" with John Quinones.
At least in Indonesia, every non-Muslim still can pray and have their religion attribute.
Just want to remind you to see from 2 different side :)"
First of all understand that this video was a "staged" or contrived experiment conducted by ABC News. It is a "what would happen if we did .X.." type of experiment. It is not representative of all of America nor provides a sole basis in and of itself upon which to drawn factual conclusions about how Muslims are treated in the United States. Trust me, a cashier would not be speaking like this (if he wanted to keep his job and not get fired) and if it were the owner, he would likely only care about how much his sales at the register are going, regardless who the paying customer was.
The only participants in this video clip who are not "actors" are the bystanders who witness this exchange between what appears to be a "Muslim" woman customer and the bakery store clerk or cashier. This was all staged and set up. The video camera angle taken of the cashier makes it look like this was a "sting" under-cover "hidden-camera" operation; but take a look at the camera angles taken of the "Muslim" woman customer which appears to be a POV (point of view) angle from the cashier's standpoint. Did they put a hidden camera on the unsuspecting cashier also or trespass in the store or break in at night the previous day to hide cameras behind the counter? Highly unlikely. As they admit, in this video clip, the producers staged all this. What you should watch this video clip for and focus on is not the commentary or analysis of the ABC News correspondents but the reactions of the non-participant actor bystanders.
You will note the follwoing of this video clip:
- There were only two people in this experiment who condoned or gave approval of the cashiers treatment of the "Muslim" woman; a man who gives the "thumbs up" and exits the store and gets in the passenger side of a red SUV, and another older man in a floral or "batik" looking shirt.
- Nearly ALL of the other customers were so outraged over the injustice that they actually came to the "Muslim" woman's defense including a very patriotic gentleman who says his son is in the military and just returned from Iraq/Afghanistan (he is later in tears about the incident when interviewed). He steps forward and confronts the cashier in support of the "Muslim" woman and tells the cashier that he has violated her rights and tells the cashier how "deeply offended" he was.
- The professor's commentary analysis at the 5:14 mark in the video states that the bystanders who came to the Muslim woman's defense were actually "Defending America" for a "just and fair society"!
- The bystanders who witnessed this were even moved to tears over this [staged] injustice.
- at the 5:45 mark in the video the "results" of this experiment are revealed where they state that "at the end of the day, 13 people stood up for the Muslim woman, while 6 sided with the clerk"
- they say or claim at the 6:08 mark in the video that the majority (22 people) "did or said nothing". Actually ABC news does not know that they in fact "did nothing" and cannot make that claim as some of these 22 people, while not confronting the cashier directly as the others, may have in fact been so outraged that they filed a complaint against the bakery over the actions and comments of the cashier and the bakery.
- notwithstanding these others who appeared to "not want to get involved" there were MANY store patrons WHO DID STEP FORWARD to say something and confront the cashier in support of the Muslim woman vowing never to return to the bakery again because they were so outraged.
While racial or cultural or religious discrimination does take place in the United States it is the exception rather than the rule. We have protections against such injustices in America and we actively (and proactively) work to eradicate (and prosecute) such injustices.
- Civil Rights Act of 1964
- Hate Crimes that are investigated by the FBI.
- American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
- Fair Housing - Equal Opportunity
- Equal Opportunity Employment Commission (EEOC)
We also do not have a social caste system or require (such as in Indonesia) for persons of the same faith only to be married; a practice known as endogamy. Even a man with the name of Barack [Obama] who has Muslim proclivities and is an African American black or negro can be President of the United States.
All of these FREEDOMS and LIBERTIES and RIGHTS of the citizens (and non-citizen immigrants) are what make the United States such a great nation and why so many immigrants from oppressed nations or societies want to flock to the U.S. in droves. Our Pledge of Allegiance to the U.S. Flag states in part,
"One Nation Under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice FOR ALL" [emphasis added]
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Now let's take a juxtapositioned look at Indonesia:
If we were to conduct this same experiment in Jakarta or elsewhere in Indonesia, would Muslims come to the defense of a Christian??!! Hell NO is the answer! I lived in Indonesia for several years by the way so I speak from first hand experience. I would volunteer to be the video experiment subject in Indonesia but chances are very high (and probable) that I would be severely beaten or even killed.
Ms. Lestari opines that, "At least in
Indonesia, every non-Muslim still can pray and have their religion attribute."
Oh really??!! Not true at all! Just ask the beleaguered GKI Yasmin Christian church congregation in Bogor whether they agree with you, Ms. Lesatri! If what you said was true we would not find articles in the news commonplace such as this:
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/gki-yasmin-denied-christmas-service-in-bogor-church-again/563498
Nor would Indonesia rank so very low in the list of most tolerant countries in the world. Indonesia however ranks very high on the list of countries with the worst Human Rights issues and lack of transparency in government administration and accountability.
There is even a "Minister of Religious Affairs" in Indonesia whose job it is to quash Christianity in Indonesia. The Minister did not want to get involved by the way in the appeals of the GKI Yasmin Christian congregation in Indonesia whose church was forcibly shut down. Shouldn't he in fact be upholding justice and the Indonesian Constitution?
Notwithstanding any such declaration of "religious freedom" in
the Indonesian Constitution, one can clearly see where Christianity is
being quashed, repressed or "controlled" in Indonesia through official
government and bureaucratic processes which aim to clearly restrict
Christianity in Indonesia. There is in fact a government agency, The Ministry of Religious Affairs,
whose objective is to do just that; quash, suppress or "control"
Christianity in Indonesia. Their website states, with regard to
Christian "Guidance" and official government policy, that their
objective is to:
- formulate and define the vision, mission, policy and technical guidance in the field of Christian community based on the implementation of policies established by the Minister and based on Regulation of legislation that applies;
- formulation of standardization, norms, guidelines, criteria, procedures and guidance in the field of Christian community;
- implementation of policy guidance in the field of Christian community;
- provision of technical evaluation and implementation tasks;
- implementation of the directorate-general administration.
There cannot be true "religious freedom" when a particular faith is so regulated as stipulated above. Moreover, how can a government declare true "religious freedom" when it only recognizes 6 of the nearly 42 or more basic belief systems in the world?! Furthermore, true "religious freedom" would include the right to worship, or not to worship or be subject to any religion or have any religion imposed on you, as the case may be.
While I lived in Jakarta I witnessed the very few stand alone Christian church buildings. The few that I did see were either closed or boarded up and with hatred graffiti spray painted
all over the exterior walls. Very disturbing and sickening indeed! :''
(
Also, with so many few building permits being granted for stand alone Christian church buildings, most Christian churches are forced to locate in commercial buildings hidden from view for the most part from and by the majority Muslim public.
Now I ask you, Ms. Lesatari; can "every non-Muslim still can pray and have their religion attribute." as you so confidently proclaim ?
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