What I read in The Jakarta Post, Jan. 2, 2009, is very inspiring: “I want all the cultures of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible. But I refuse to be blown off my feet by any” (Mahatma Gandhi).  How about religion?  For me, as a mother of three children, I want all the religions of all lands to be blown about my house as freely as possible.  

I think it is widely accepted that “speaking” different religions is beneficial for the development of pluralism. This means my children instinctively gain a better understanding of what religion is all about.

Recently I met a mother who sends her son to the same kindergarten as mine. She was complaining about religious education in our sons’ kindergarten class. Every Friday we separate the children into different classes — Muslims with a Muslim teacher, Christians

with a Christian teacher, while Hindus and Buddhists just play on the playground.

Should kindergartners learn about religion at school? Do we need formal religion education at the kindergarten level?

She thought it was OK at the higher level but for children at the kindergarten level, religious freedom  should be discussed in class so every child knows that choosing a religion is the right of every citizen. A person does not have the right to attack another over a difference of opinion.

No religion teaches hostility. If someone is critical of a belief system, he/she should approach the matter with sensitivity. Therefore when the children are older it is apparent that tolerance is present in society. Her remarks did not surprise me, as the Gema Perdamaian (Echo of Peace) event held at Denpasar’s Bajra Sandhi Square has given hundreds of children a chance to have fun while learning about religious tolerance. (“Children learn about peace, pluralism”, by Luh De Suriyani, the Post, Oct. 14, 2008).

“We try to open hearts and minds to the notion that differences and diversity in Indonesia are the base for peace,” Suadiarta Indrajaya, head of the organizing committee, said.

Sudiarsa said only the hate and greediness of human beings had the potential to destroy peace.

This year’s Echo of Peace focused on pluralism.

This included respecting our differences and striving to work together on the basis of equality. Dialog is also an important part of pluralism in order to nurture relations between people of different backgrounds, and there is also cooperation to achieve common goals.  

My oldest daughter grew up believing in multiculturalism.  When she was in elementary school, she studied in Phatum Tani, Thailand, which has no religious education. But the children had a chance to have fun while learning about religious tolerance. They all celebrated special days, such as Loy Katong and Songkran.

Loy Katong is a celebration of the water goddess. Thais thank her for her blessings and apologize for misusing water, such as by polluting or wasting it. They celebrate Loy Katong by making a katong and floating (the word loy means float in Thai) it in the river, ocean, swimming pool or even your bathtub if that’s your pleasure. The katong is round, with a base of Styrofoam and a section of banana tree trunk or bread.

Songkran is a Thai word which means “move” or “change place” as it is the day when the sun changes its position in the zodiac.

It is also known as the “Water Festival” as people believe that water will wash away bad luck.

Songkran nationwide Thai New Year is celebrated most famously by splashing water.

I think this was a good example for my daughter, because pluralism does not make all religions equal. No one has the right to tell you what to believe, and similarly, if you believe your religion is superior, no one can tell you otherwise.

Pluralism states that in interfaith relations, there should be equality in positions between people of different faiths for any meaningful dialog to take place.

Last month in a school activity my son was a manasik haji and almost 2000 Muslim children in our area participated. Is it possible for non-Muslim children to join the manasik haji as my daughter had participated in Thailand? I hope so.

Religions feature in almost all of the world’s cultures. They have been the inspiration for much of the world’s great art, music, architecture and literature, but also the source of long-standing disputes and local, regional and international conflicts. Although our constitution guarantees freedom of religion, the government only recognizes five faiths for the purpose of the population census.

We can teach freedom of religion in the beginning classes and at home parents have the freedom to schedule and plan educational, social and religious activities without the interference of a set school schedule. For example, for male Muslim children over the age of seven attending Friday prayers with their fathers can be both a religious duty and an opportunity for important father-son bonding.

The aim of a true education is to include a focus on global issues, not just those of one particular country, culture or religion. Good education not only adopts values across cultures but also within each culture or religion.

Its characteristics should include exposure to others of different cultures within the school, open-mindedness and exposure to different cultures that exist outside the school. A good education encourages children to understand that all cultures have equal validity and to practice tolerance and understanding, leading to a peaceful world.  

Finally, schools (this article focuses particularly on the kindergarten level) need to teach children knowledge and manners in order for them to be successful in this life. The point is to teach children to be tolerant. Let’s make a difference, learning unity — respecting diversity.

The writer is a mother of three children and works for the School-Based Management and Women Empowerment program.

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