Why do many among Indonesian elites view their own country with a superiority syndrome over those in the Middle East and South Asia? This tendency has been more notable since the political change and sectarianism after the Arab Springs in 2011.

Some, for instance, believe that Indonesian society is better than those in the Middle East and South Asia regarding pluralism, democracy, hospitality and tolerance. Countries from Morocco to India are perceived as regions full of conflicts, violence and dictators.

Others view that Indonesia is much better in maintaining diversity across its huge territory spanning the distance from London to Istanbul.

Surprisingly, many leading intellectuals and journalists support this opinion. As a result, many among the public adopt this view too.

Vice President Ma’ruf Amin recently stated, “India has to learn about religious tolerance from Indonesia.” After the
sporadic violence in some parts of the Indian capital New Delhi, he encourages India to act like “us” — Indonesia — in creating tolerance and moderation in our religious life. Ma’ruf spoke spontaneously without advice from experts in the politics and cultures of South Asia or the broader Middle East.

As he represents the voice of government, it would better if the VP was well-equipped before giving speeches. He could appoint a spokesperson for foreign affairs. He is no longer the chairman of an Islamic organization, nor merely a religious leader.

His opinions can affect bilateral relations. It would be a different case if he had shared the above view in private with, for instance, the Indian ambassador.

Apart from such techniques of statecraft, we need to ponder why we have this superiority complex. Further, I am curious why some of us must expose the superiority of our own culture that tries to conceal inferiority and failure. Does our culture offer endless, immutable tolerance? As if we have no problems with minorities and marginalized groups?

Rather than teaching other nations, we need to look at ourselves. We do have many acts of tolerance. Our cultures are as dynamic as our own lives.

But there is so much room to improve because we have serious problems, such as latent violence that can explode anytime as amok or rampage, sparked by distorted information and state-orchestrated strategy, as has occurred too many times.

The rise of religious populism, in India and many parts of the world, continues to reshape societies with religious majorities.

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We have serious problems, such as latent violence that can explode anytime as amok or rampage.

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Political negligence to reduce this religious reflects government arrogance that always speaks in the name of tolerance and religious moderation regardless of reality.

Indonesia has not yet displayed imperial ambitions to spread its propaganda abroad. Its better focus is in the amelioration of civic culture across the archipelago as the government continues to improve the economy and infrastructure.

Besides, Indian or Arab countries have their own social and political complexities and their unique histories.

They also have their version of tolerance, in the past and present. They are also rich in hospitality and forms of social engagements.

There are many models of coexistence showing Hindu-Muslim solidarity in India, Christian-Muslim-Jewish collaboration in the Arab countries or Iran, and so on. Like in the West, many news reports about sectarian conflicts and violence are not always true.

We also need many competent commentators and advisors who are well-versed in the histories, languages, cultures and politics of the Middle East and South Asia.

The lack of this cohort of experts contributes to our ignorance of the multiple realities of the region and, finally, to produce partial knowledge and inaccurate foreign policy.

I am proud of Indonesia’s serious engagement since around 2013 in multilateral and bilateral efforts to help Afghanistan in the post-Taliban era.

The government and Nahdlatul Ulama, the nation’s largest Islamic organization previously led by Ma’ruf, have shown their very progressive approach as co-facilitators to support Afghanistan to regain peace and stability in the post-conflict period.

In late January, as Foreign Minister Retno LP Marsudi wrote compellingly in this newspaper on March 5, this international engagement even included the launching of the strategic Indonesia-Afghanistan Women’s Solidarity Network.

In assisting Afghanistan to reap its future peace and stability we don’t intend to teach its government and citizens blatantly about our tolerance, but to support them to revive their heritage and past culture up to the premodern period — the rich heritage that also reshaped Islamic history in Indonesia which valorizes tolerance and a sophisticated intellectual tradition.

Shared and connected histories between our country and India, Afghanistan, as well as the broader Middle East, to some extent should shape priceless values to create our potential soft power.

As a Muslim-majority country, we should develop strongly the many cultural ties and historical connections as a diplomatic tool to persuade and attract other countries — which is potentially much more meaningful than preaching.

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Fellow at Abdurrahman Wahid Center for Peace and Humanities, University of Indonesia (UI). He is also a visiting fellow at the French School of Asian Studies in Jakarta and a PhD candidate in Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies at Freie Universitaet Berlin.

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