Crisis Group calls for action on religious intolerance

The government need to immediately address growing religious intolerance, particularly in areas where Muslim hardliners and Christian evangelicals were competing on the same ground, a report says.

The report, titled Indonesia: “Christianization” and Intolerance, by the International Crisis Group followed a series of clashes between religious groups in Bekasi, West Java.

“Without clear strategy, mob rule prevails. All too frequent officials capitulate to the group that makes the most noise, and the victors are then emboldened to raise the stakes at the next confrontation,” Sidney Jones, Crisis Group senior advisor, said in a media release on Wednesday. 

The report also recorded six points that had significantly raised tension in Muslim-Christian relations. Three of these points lay the blame on the government.

The report said the government had failed to prevent intimidation of religious minorities and to promote religious tolerance as a national value.