Recently, the simmering sectarian tension in the Jakarta gubernatorial election has radicalized conservative Muslims in Greater Jakarta.

In the past few months, the capital has witnessed several rallies initiated by conservative Islamic groups to demand that Jakarta Governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama, who is a Christian of Chinese descent, be dismissed and put in jail for alleged blasphemy.

Ahok is currently being tried at the North Jakarta state court on blasphemy charges because of remarks he made about how people used a Quranic verse, Al Maidah 51, during a visit to Thousand Islands regency in September last year.

Although the protests have been directed at Ahok, the rallies were attended by thousands of people from outside the capital, including residents of Kampung Sawah, a neighborhood in Bekasi known as “Little Indonesia” because of its religious diversity.

Despite the fact that some residents of the kampung attended the rally, locals there are still able to maintain harmony.

“Although several residents participated [in the rally], it didn’t affect the relations between Muslim and non-Muslim residents, thanks to the tolerance taught here,” said M. Sartono, a 40-year-old ojek (motorcycle taxi) driver who lives in the kampung.

Locals displayed their ability to live side-by-side in harmony last week when the Saint Servatius Catholic Church in Kampung Sawah held a Good Friday procession, even as the nearby Al-Jauhar Fisabilillah Grand Mosque also held Friday prayers for its congregation.

The church is only dozens of meters from the mosque, yet both places of worship managed to conduct prayers peacefully side-by-side.

“I didn’t feel disturbed by the procession. It’s a common thing here,” said Asep Saefudin, 18, a resident of Kampung Sawah.

Kampung Sawah in Bekasi is unique for being a Betawi cultural settlement. It was the first Betawi village where residents follow diverse religions and thus it is known for its long-preserved religious tolerance.

The tolerance could be traced back to the 19th century when people from various religions and ethnicities went to reside in Kampung Sawah. Aside from the native Betawi, the early residents consisted of ex-soldiers from the Islamic kingdom of Banten, Christians from Central Java and people of Chinese descent.

“This situation [of religious tolerance] had been created a long time ago by our ancestors. We just followed what they have done,” said Matheus Nalih Ungin, the deputy head of the Saint Servatius parish board.

He added that locals of the kampung might have implemented the value of tolerance long before it was included in the state philosophy of Pancasila that was formed by the nation’s founding fathers.

Matheus showed The Jakarta Post an area along Jl. Kampung Sawah called “the golden triangle,” which serves as an example of religious tolerance, where the houses of worship of three different religions — the Saint Servatius Catholic Church, the Kampung Sawah Pasundan Protestant Church and Al Jauhar Fisabilillah Grand Mosque — were located.

Ariston Fransiskus Turnip, 40, a member of the Catholic church congregation, told the Post that the church and its congregation got a various amount of support from other residents for the Good Friday procession.

For instance, the nearby mosque would let congregation members use its parking area if they needed it.

“Non-Christian residents never blame us if there’s any congestion on the road when the members of our congregation leave the church. They understand that we were having our procession on a special day,” said Ariston.

Apart from the parking lot problem, other residents would support the church by providing security during the procession.

“The community would also provide additional security, supporting that from the church, the police and the military. We’d like to ensure our neighbors do their procession well,” said Agatha Ani, 51, the head of nearby community unit. (kuk)

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