Interfaith leaders should fight 'common enemies'

Adianto P. Simamora , The Jakarta Post , Jakarta | Fri, 05/16/2008 1:01 AM

Violence in the name of religion, poverty, injustice and corruption is the "common enemy" that should be fought to build global peace, the Asian Conference on Religions for Peace (ACRP) was told Thursday.

"Our real enemies are not people from different faiths but destructive factors we are facing every day," Indonesian Communion of Churches vice chairman Jan Aritonang said during the two-day dialogue that ended on Thursday.

"As most of us in the Asia-Pacific region are developing countries and pluralistic societies, including in religion; as interfaith communities, we need to identify our common enemies."

He said it was not only the role of governments to alleviate poverty and injustice and stop violence and rampant corruption.

"As religious leaders we have to show the best example, to not be involved in and not commit such scandalous acts," he said.

"We are not prohibited from participating in political life or acquiring power, but we have to do it in a civilized and noble manner," he said.

The pre-assembly of ACRP discussed peacemaking issues and healing the wounds and trauma caused by past conflicts.

"The process of healing should be addressed in unity, in intensive cooperation involving disciplines including medicine, psychology, social studies and religion," Jan said.

During the Soeharto regime, religious conflicts had escalated in some areas including Surabaya and Situbondo -- both in East Java, Tasikmalaya and Rengasdengklok in West Java and Banjarmasin in South Kalimantan, he said.

In the reform era, religious conflict had continued in Maluku and Poso in Central Sulawesi.

"But our problem now is that we are a very forgetful nation. We have forgotten all the incidents. To resolve past traumas, we need to recall them and then identify the root problems," he said.

The ACRF is the world's largest regional body of religiously-inspired people working for peace and harmony in their countries.

The seventh assembly of the ACRF will be held in Manila from Oct. 17 to Oct. 21, on the topic of peacemaking in Asia.

Indonesian Committee on Religions for Peace secretary-general Theophilus Bela said peacemaking was an important issue in an increasingly dangerous world.

"Across the Asian region, we see religious revitalization, but also the rise of political and religious terrorism issues," he said.

He said the Manila assembly would examine peacemaking in the region.

Theophilus also urged interfaith leaders to join hands to fight injustices that could harm peace.

When opening the pre-assembly here Wednesday, Vice President Jusuf Kalla urged interfaith leaders to stop selling "heaven very cheaply" to their followers, and said it could provoke sectarian conflict.

Kalla said religion could be used to both promote peace among followers of different faiths and to instigate conflict.

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