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Tale of two cities: Religious tolerance in Bekasi & Depok
Bekasi and Depok are polar opposites in terms of religious tolerance, with the former ranking second for the second consecutive year and the latter falling to last place on the Setara Institute's 2023 Tolerant City Index.
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Hindus hoist an ‘ogoh-ogoh’ (ceremonial statue) during the Tawur Agung Kesanga ritual in Bekasi on March 2, 2022 on the eve of Nyepi, or the Day of Silence, which marks the Hindu new year. (AFP/Rezas)
T
he West Java cities of Bekasi and Depok are located next to each other along the provincial border with Jakarta, but they are poles apart in terms of religious tolerance, according to the recently released Tolerant City Index from the Setara Institute for Democracy and Peace.
The annual index by the democracy, civil liberties and human rights NGO measures the religious tolerance of 94 cities across the Muslim-majority country and ranks them from the most to least tolerant.
The organization scores the cities by assessing their policies, the actions of the local administration and its officials related to religious freedom, interaction among residents as and between residents and officials, and socioreligious demographics.
In the 2023 index released in late January, Bekasi ranked as the country’s second-most tolerant city for the second consecutive year. It was only surpassed by Singkawang in West Kalimantan, which has topped the list every year, and was followed by Salatiga in Central Java.
“Bekasi is a pioneer and success story that shows the possibility of inclusive governance and an ecosystem of tolerance in a populous city,” Setara Institute said in a video of the 2023 index’s launch on Jan. 31 in Jakarta.
The organization pointed to several mayoral regulations and bylaws to promote religious harmony, as well as the Bekasi administration’s allocation for programs and forums aimed a strengthening religious tolerance.
It also highlighted how the city promoted religious tolerance through education, which it saw was important to maintain diversity in the city’s governance.
