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Sinta Nuriyah, a tireless champion of peace
Sinta Nuriyah - JP/R
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Sinta Nuriyah - JP/R. Berto Wedhatama
Former first lady Sinta Nuriyah still carries the torch that her husband, former president and Indonesian icon of pluralism Abdurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid, left and continues the family’s fight for tolerance at a time when sectarian sentiment seemingly threatens harmony among the country’s diverse population.
Sinta is not an average former first lady. Her continuous support for minority groups and those facing discrimination often forces her to go face to face with hard-line groups. She has also been a strong voice advocating women’s rights and gender equality through Islamic teachings.
She has been vocal in defending the rights of beleaguered Christian congregations, including the Bogor-based Indonesian Christian Church (GKI) Yasmin and the Bekasi-based Filadelfia Batak Church (HKBP Filadelfia), whose houses of worship have been sealed by local authorities. The 69-year-old has also spoken out in support of minority groups such as Shia and Ahmadiyah congregations that have faced intimidation and restrictions on carrying out the rites of their faiths.
For the past 17 years, Sinta and her family members have traveled across Indonesia during Ramadhan holding sahur (pre-dawn meals) and iftar (breaking-of-the-fast) gatherings with local people to promote the values of tolerance and peace. Since 2000, when Gus Dur was still president, she has attended inter-religious gatherings to meet people from various backgrounds.
For the first time in years, she had to relocate her iftar event in Semarang, Central Java, last year following protest from members of the Central Java chapter of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI) against the event being held at a church. However, the incident did not deter her from conducting her annual Ramadhan tour.
Despite being bound to a wheelchair since she was paralyzed from the waist down by an accident in 1993, Sinta has enthusiastically participated in such tours to promote unity and pluralism, continuing her husband’s legacy amid simmering sectarian tensions and rampant bigotry in the country.
“We, Indonesians — Muslims, Christians, Hindus, or Buddhists – are all brothers and sisters, aren’t we?” Sinta asked thousands of locals of the Tambaksogra village in Banyumas, Central Java, who attended an iftar dinner on Sunday.
Indonesia is a country blessed with diversity and a home to various faiths and religions, ethnicities and traditions. “Therefore, let’s not blame or bad-mouth others. It’s better for us all to live in peace,” she said.
Sinta delivered the same message at other cities around Java, including Purbalingga, Kebumen and Cirebon during visits early this month. She also called on all Muslims to take the best lessons from the fasting month, such as patience, honesty, altruism and respect for others.
“If we implement the real meaning of fasting we will not only receive rewards but also play an active role in preserving the NKRI [the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia],” she said.
Her family has long been a voice for diversity, starting with her husband Gus Dur, the former leader of Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), whom she married in 1971. Besides traveling to promote the values she holds dear, she also often opens her doors to hear reports from marginalized groups and give them advice.
The mother of four daughters also frequently speaks against polygamy and has been known to criticize patriarchal Islamic teachings. She set up the Puan Amal Hayati Foundation to promote women’s empowerment in 2001, after her term as first lady ended.
