Jakarta must be nation’s pluralism gauge: Fauzi

The Jakarta administration has formed a forum of informal leaders, religious organizations and other social elements that is tasked with upholding religious tolerance in the city.

Governor Fauzi Bowo stressed that the forum was established to function as an arena for informal leaders from various ethnic groupings, government officials and religious leaders to preach pluralism and promote tolerance among religious communities.

However, he said, the Communications Forum for Religious Communities (FKUB), which was established to handle the construction of houses of worship, should continue to promote pluralism among religious communities.

“Jakarta must be a barometer for other regions. Therefore, religious tolerance must be maintained by all social elements,” Fauzi said in his address during the opening ceremony of the informal gathering with city officials here on Thursday.

Also in attendance were City Police Chief Insp. Gen. Sutarman, Jakarta Military Chief Maj. Gen. Marciano Norman, Chief Jakarta Attorney Soedibyo and around 200 informal leaders, religious organization functionaries and activists.

Contrary to neighboring provinces, the Jakarta administration decided not to ban the Ahmadiyah Islamic sect in the city, but urged Ahmadis to comply with the 2006 joint ministerial decree which prohibits them from proselytizing.

A number of extremist groups, including the Islamic Defenders Front, Hizbut Tahir and Islam Brotherhood Association, have urged the city government to ban the Islamic sect, which they said threatened religious tolerance.

Jakarta’s neighboring provinces of Banten and West Java, where Ahmadis have been brutally persecuted and their possessions destroyed by religious extremists, banned the sect following a fatal assault on an Ahmadiyah community in Cikeusik, Pandeglang, in February.

Following a similar ban in Bogor, hundreds of antiriot police were deployed to an Ahmadiyah mosque after receiving reports that the mosque would be attacked.

The governor said that an environment of tolerance and pluralism for the diverse ethnicities, tribes
and religions in Jakarta had been the capital’s character since the 1930s, and that this diversity must be protected by the Indonesian unitary state.

“Not only authorities but also the numerous communities have to join hands to maintain the ethnic, racial and religious diversity and see pluralism as a strength for residents and all social elements to develop the city and improve their social welfare,” he said.

He said all worthy plans must be well-organized so that they could give a meaningful contribution to build a good administrative system.

Fauzi said he appreciated the numerous religious activities conducted by religious communities to pray for safety and security in the city. “Such activities indicate that residents love and care for the capital city.

“We also thank God that the city has remained safe from natural disasters and incidents that threaten ordinary life in the city,” he said as quoted by beritajakarta.com.

He also said that all sides should remain wary of any social elements or groups that tried to create social conflict or disrupt peace.