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mid ugly displays of hatred we need sources of sanity and safety. The formerly terrorized residents of Ambon, the capital of Maluku province, can now boast that theirs is Indonesia'€™s most tolerant city. The traumatic loss of thousands of loved ones during the communal wars has made them vigilant against any signs of violent conflict, researchers say, despite sporadic attempts to spark hostilities.

On Monday the Setara Institute released its first '€œtolerant city index'€; Ambon and Tual, also located in the pretty ring of Maluku'€™s southeast islands and likewise victim to the sectarian wars, ranked highest on the list of 10 most tolerant cities.

Setara said Ambon'€™s heterogeneity contributed to its residents'€™ ability to keep the peace. However, the terrible experiences faced by residents during the few years after 1999 have shown that diversity of faith and ethnicity alone did not help. Studies of those wars, in which hundreds of thousands were displaced, revealed how suppressed differences under an authoritarian regime had led to dangerous pseudo harmony. A trivial dispute, worsened by partisan military and police, had been enough for locals to kill each other.

The list of tolerant cities also included those cities of Central Kalimantan that have seen equally horrific wars between communities of native Dayak and the migrant Madurese from East Java.

Such wars have been traced to conflict over resources, including government positions, goldmines and precious land. But learning the lessons '€” including that it is too easy to spark lethal hatred in the name of '€œus'€ against '€œthem'€ '€” is still a daily struggle.

Setara'€™s most intolerant city has been listed as Bogor, where Mayor Bima Arya recently banned a Shiite commemoration, followed by several other cities in and around West Java and also Banda Aceh.

The police and the government are supposed to ensure the constitutional rights of citizens but, because leaders are not doing their job, the few who do, stand out. Among them is Purwakarta Regent Dedi Mulyadi. The Golkar Party politician issued a circular signed on Nov. 10, that guaranteed the constitutional right to worship. Dedi has acknowledged that the circular was issued to curb anti-Shiite activities in the regency.

Finally we have a sensible leader. His gesture was extraordinary; over 130 discriminative bylaws and regulations were, according to the National Commission on Violence against Women, mostly not driven by Islamic political parties, though they relate to religion and piety, but by nationalist parties including Golkar, collaborating with others in the bid for votes.

Such attempts to profit from the political commodities of religion and morality have brewed tension, discrimination, intimidation and even expulsion and murder against members of minorities in many parts of our democratically led majority-Muslim country.

The nine-priority Nawacita agenda of President Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo'€™s presidential election campaign included the determination to correct conditions where '€œthe state neglects to respect and manage diversity and differences ['€¦]'€ Now President Jokowi can draw inspiration from among the citizens in these tolerant cities and also from Regent Dedi.