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Teenager with viral FB posts calls on youths to be open-minded
Asa Firda Inayah, a 19-year-old school student whose writings go viral on social media, has called on all younger generations in Indonesia to be open-minded and respect diversity.
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Promoting tolerance: Asa Firda Inayah (right), a 19-year-old student from state senior high school SMA Negeri 1 Banyuwangi, East Java, shares her opinions on religious tolerance in a talk show at the University of Gadjah Mada (UGM) in Yogyakarta on May 29. (JP/Bambang Muryanto)
A
sa Firda Inayah, a 19-year old school student whose writings go viral on social media, has called on all younger generations in Indonesia to be open-minded and respect diversity.
“God has created diversity. This can be a blessing if we can be wise in the way we perceive it,” she said during a talk show held by the University of Gadjah Mada’s (UGM) School of Politics and Social Science on Monday.
About 100 participants comprising students, activists and academics attended the dialogue.
(Read also: Banyuwangi teenager garners attention with writings on tolerance)
Asa, a student from state senior high school SMA Negeri 1 Banyuwangi, East Java, became popular after she wrote an article entitled “The Legacy” and posted it on her Facebook account. Through her article, Asa called on all people not to claim that their religion was the most truthful.
Amidst the growing intolerance in Indonesia, Asa’s writings, which convey her thoughts that are against the mainstream, have gone viral in social media and triggered pro and con comments. Her Facebook account was once temporarily suspended.
Asa, who writes under a pen name, Afi Nihaya Faradisa, said she was sad and felt upset when she was bullied because of her writings, such as when she was accused of not having learned a lot about Islam. In fact, Asa said, she read classic Islamic books and her writings called for unity and encouraged people to keep thinking.
“What makes it dangerous for a religious person to convey his or her thoughts?” Asa said. She called on all UGM academics attending the talk show to undertake concrete work for society. (foy/ebf)
