Pray in peace: Mosque head teacher M. Kholil (left) and Sindu community elder Syamsudin stand outside the Darul Hijrah mosque in predeominantly Hindu Bali. JP/J.B. Djwan
The Jakarta Post reported on Wednesday that the number of incidents of religious intolerance and violence continued to rise this year. The report was based on the findings of the Wahid Institute, named after former president Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, which showed that 133 incidents of intolerance occurred in 13 provinces in 2010. The Islam Defenders Front (FPI)’s role was clearly evident in the incidents.
What happens when Muslims are the minority? It is impossible to fully answer the question without conducting more research and in-depth studies. However, interviews with several Muslim leaders in places where Muslims are in the minority, such as East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), a city in Papua and two regencies in Sumatra, can perhaps help give some indications.
“I cried when local residents in Kupang regency rejected the construction of a mosque, although we had fulfilled all the administrative requirements,” the chairman of NTT’s Indonesian UlemaCouncil (MUI), Abdul Kadir Makarim, said. The local government issued a permit for the mosque six years ago.
“To maintain religious harmony, we have delayed building the mosque while waiting for changes,” Makarim said.
Of the 4.7 million who populate the province, 90 percent are Protestants and Catholics. In 1998, when Soeharto was forced to end his 32-year dictatorship following nationwide protests, several mosques were damaged in Kupang. Makarim said that the violence was conducted by outsiders.
In Mimika, Papua, where Muslims are also the minority, the situation is better. According to local MUI head Muhammad Amin, non-Christians do not feel any discrimination from the majority, including when constructing religious buildings.
“The Mimika government also facilitated the development of worship buildings for all religions, either churches, mosques or pura for Hindus. We never have any conflict among different religions here,” Amin added.
In North Sumatra, Muslims in Samosir regency often experience difficulties buying land for mosques, but it is not because the local Christian majority restricts the Muslims’ freedom. A local Muslim leader said it is very difficult to buy land on the island, located in the middle of Lake Toba, because the ownership of land in Samosir is mostly based on customary law.
The situation in Central Sulawesi, between Poso Muslims and Tentena Christians, is peaceful now, but in 1998 bloody conflicts between the two local groups erupted, lasting four years. The fighting claimed hundreds — some said even thousands — of lives on both sides. Peace has been restored, but segregation between Muslims and Christians is clearly evident today in the two regencies.
“In Poso, the damaged churches have been rebuilt, while in Tentena, the activities of Muslims and the conditions of the mosques are going smoothly as well,” Rev. Renaldy Damanik said in an email.
Meanwhile in Mentawai, West Sumatra, where a tsunami recently swept away hundreds of houses and killed hundreds of people, Christians are the majority, although in the rest of West Sumatra Christians are the minority.
“Mentawai people, who are mostly Christians, support inter-religion harmony and are tolerant of us, even when we build mosques,” said Supri Lindra, a local Muslim leader.
Yemris Fointuna from Kupang, Markus Makur from Timika, Apriadi Gunawan from Medan, Hotli Simanjuntak from Banda Aceh, Syofiardi Bachyul Jb and Ruslan Sangaji contributed to this article.
