Comment: Human rights and religious feelings

Paper Edition | Page: 8

July 24, p. 6

The recent case against Madura Shiite cleric, Tajul Muluk, for blasphemy against Islam is certainly not one of a kind in Indonesia. As in any other blasphemy case, two competing perspectives have emerged.

One side argues the cleric’s activities have injured their religious feelings, and the other side, primarily human rights activists, point out the state’s obligation to preserve religious freedom, particularly for those considered minority groups. (By Harison Citrawan, Jakarta)

Your comments:

The basis for religious and ethical conduct should be the “Golden Rule: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” This is expressed explicitly in most religions, implicitly expressed in others, whether Christianity or Islam, the rule of Confucius or Hinduism and Buddhism.

If that were truly the basis for our behavior, religious tolerance would grow and flourish. Indonesia is a beautiful country; how sad that it is scarred by religious intolerance and violence.

Joyce Antila Phipps