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em>May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white

On Dec. 25 Christians all over the world celebrate Christmas. For many, to have a merry and bright Christmas will require a number of things. Special dishes, cookies, presents, and holiday cards are among the common things being prepared. Decorating homes with lights and trees are also two important features of Christmas.

If the weather or the situation permits, many like to go caroling – going around the city or a neighborhood in a group singing Christmas songs (carols). For those who live in colder climes, of course, they wish for snow to make their Christmas a white one. More than anything else, however, Christmas needs to be celebrated in a peaceful, secure, and tranquil surrounding.

How can this — a merry and bright Christmas — be realized? In today’s Indonesia, in several of its largest cities in particular, to have such a Christmas is still a wonder. Several years ago, in the early period of democratic transition, we had very disheartening and bitter Christmas celebrations.

Senseless attacks were launched by human beings aimed at those who were attending religious services. This was a very sad occurrence indeed, especially at a time when religious piety is supposed to be at its height, our bonds of humanity and brotherhood strengthened and our sense of tolerance deepened.

Since then many Christians have been haunted by a specter of disharmony as if disruptions might recur whenever Christmas was celebrated.

In situations such as this, when many Christians still wonder about their upcoming celebrations, the Islam Defenders Front (FPI) has offered to lend a hand to help guard churches when Christians are celebrating Christmas.

Taking into account the perceived reputation of the organization, which has often been involved in violent activities, one can only wonder why such an offer was made. Is it possible that FPI has actually been moved by the concerns of many Christians? Or was it a tacit declaration of guilt on the part of FPI over the involvement of their members in a raid of a home in Bandung allegedly used as a place of worship?

Under these circumstances, one is likely to speculate that the gesture may reflect a sense of guilt. This may not necessarily be related to the religious beliefs of FPI members, but more to what they had done and the destruction they had caused.

Regardless of their motivation, we don’t know for sure whether Christians will accept or reject the offer. Considering how Christians and the FPI relate to each other, which is characterized by a high degree of suspicious and enmity, it is likely that Christians would turn down the offer.

This is not the first time an Islamic organization has offered to lend a hand to Christians to celebrate Christmas. Several years ago, Nahdlatul Ulama’s youth wing, Ansor, also helped protect Christmas celebrations. A couple of years ago, Muhammadiyah also issued a statement that Christians were welcome to use Muhammadiyah buildings if they encountered difficulties celebrating Christmas.

Undoubtedly, those initiatives were noble endeavors. They demonstrated a high degree of tolerance on the part of the country’s two biggest Islamic organizations — Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama. They indicated a strong bond of humanity and brotherhood among many Indonesian Muslims towards their fellow Christians.

Yet one may ask if it is really necessary for Muslims to guard churches or for Christians to guard mosques when Muslims are celebrating their feast day.

In normal situations, where the state functions effectively, the answer would definitely be no. It is incumbent upon the government and existing law enforcement officials to provide proper and decent protection to all citizens regardless of their religious creeds and beliefs.

As any civics textbook will tell us, the common practice of functional states and one of their clear primary duties is to create a stable and safe environment. The non-existence of such a condition may only lead to the declaration of a dysfunctional – if not failed — state.

Obviously, it is not easy for Indonesia to provide a much-needed tranquil situation for Christians — or any other religious denomination for that matter — so that they don’t have to wonder whether or not disruptions will occur while they are performing religious services. Law enforcement is still one among the country’s many weakest spots, especially in the aftermath of democratic transition.

When and if the state is able to do what it is supposed to do — providing stability and security, as well as generating wealth for prosperity — only then can Christians enjoy a truly merry and bright Christmas.

May your days be merry and bright, and may all your Christmases be white.