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Bandung students visit different houses of worship to learn about pluralism, tolerance
“That we should also make friends with those who share other religious beliefs.” The statement was made by an elementary school student named Felix, who had just visited five different houses of worship in Bandung with 24 other students from different schools under the guidance of the Bhinneka community.
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Good gestures: A participant displays the movements performed by a Muslim during daily prayers to his new friends at Al Ukhuwah Mosque in Bandung. The activity was part of a program providing school children a tour of various houses of worship, which was created by the Bhinneka community to promote pluralism in Indonesia. (JP/Arya Dipa) (The Jakarta Post/Arya Dipa)
“That we should also make friends with those who share other religious beliefs.”
The statement was made by an elementary school student named Felix, who had just visited five different houses of worship in Bandung with 24 other students from different schools under the guidance of the Bhinneka community.
The program was created by the group to answer current concerns over the rise of religious conflicts and sectarian politics that might jeopardize the country’s future.
Another participant, 12-year-old Alexander Jeremy Santoso, expressed his enthusiasm over the chance to visit various houses of worship, describing a Hindu temple in the tour as “unique.”
“This was also my first chance to enter a mosque. But the best part [of the tour] was the cathedral because we saw so many interesting symbols with stories behind them,” he recalled.
During the program, the group of students was invited to visit five different houses of worship, namely the Al Ukhuwah Mosque, Wira Satya Temple, Vimala Dharma Monastery, Cibunut Church and St. Peter Cathedral.
They were divided into smaller groups comprising various religious beliefs and were encouraged to interact and get to know one another.
Commenting on the trip, Ali Abdullah, one of the community’s activists, confirmed that the program was the direct result of members’ concerns over the tendency of Indonesians nowadays to harbor a negative impression toward people from different backgrounds, especially religious beliefs.
“We need to tear down the mental barriers, so people could see each other without prejudices. We did this by getting [the students] to experience by themselves the idea of making new friends with different religious identities,” he said.
The program has been met with an overwhelmingly positive response as hundreds of school children have enrolled to gain the same experience.
“We are going to organize other trips as well. They will get their turn,” Ali assured.
However, he also acknowledged that there is still a long road ahead, as those children would still need many other forms of education to solidify their growth as tolerant human beings and humanists.
