Sebastianus Tinambunan (Tribunnew.com/Tommy)

Despite the rise of sectarian sentiments simmering across the country, authorities in Dairi regency, North Sumatra, have appointed a Catholic official as committee head of an annual Quran reciting event.

In a display of religious tolerance, the local Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and Quran Reading Institute (LPTQ) both approved the decision, which will see Dairi regency secretary Sebastianus Tinambunan take the lead in managing the provincial-level event.

The 36th Quran Recital Competition (MTQ) kicked off last week and will run through Thursday.

The chairman of MUI’s Dairi branch, Naek Angkat, said the regency has done well in preserving solidarity and religious tolerance throughout the years.

As there is no law prohibiting non-Muslims from being involved in the competition, Naek said that Sebastianus’s appointment was meant to promote religious diversity in the province.

The position of committee head initially belonged to Dairi Deputy Regent Irwansah Pasi, a Muslim, who withdrew from the event, citing illness.

Dairi Regent Johnny Sitohang Adinegoro discussed the matter with local Muslim figures, before choosing the Catholic Sebastianus as Irwansah’s replacement, making the regency secretary the first non-Muslim to manage the competition in Dairi.

“All these years, we always had Muslim officials overseeing the Quran recital at the regional level. The committee members, including those who are non-Muslims, oversee the event from start to finish,” Naek said.

Winners of all the provincial level competition will compete in the 2018 National Quran Recital Competition to be held in North Sumatra next year.

The province last hosted the national event 50 years ago.

Sebastianus said that there were other non-Muslims in the committee, reflecting the religious tolerance that thrives in Dairi.

“I feel so honored that I was trusted to be the head of the committee. Other religious figures also joined the parade in the opening ceremony. They are all happy to be involved in the success of the event,” he said.

Sebastianus added that from some 320,000 residents of Dairi regency, 60 percent are Christian, 30 percent are Muslim, 10 percent are Catholic and the remaining are Buddhists.

Zulkifli Fahmi, a teacher at an Islamic high school in Sidikalang village, Dairi, said the regency rarely saw cases of intolerance. “The key for the residents is respect, and [we] put aside our ego.”

The head of Nation’s Assimilation Forum in North Sumatra, Arifinsyah, lauded the involvement of non-Muslims in the event.

A similar appointment was made at the same event in Central Tapanuli regency three years ago, he said.

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