Indonesian Consortium for Religious Studies (ICRS) has a collaboration with Netherlands Embassy held an interfaith dialogue session entitled Religious Freedom and Harmony in Indonesia: Hopes and Challenge on March, 11st 2020, in Pendopo Museum Candi Prambanan, Yogyakarta.
The primary coordinator of cross belief dialogue event, Dr. Dicky Sofjan, explained that this dialogue is a bridge to meet the intellectuals, activists in the religion field, also some related parties. This discussion forum expected to be able to reappoint the leading roles and functions of religion and belief.
"This cross belief dialogue event is important because it confronts all religious communities existed in Yogyakarta and surrounding," he explained.
Dicky said that Indonesia currently has gone through more than two decades of reform and democracy. However, since the change of government in 1999, religion has remained a sensitive issue for the country—various state policies instituted to manage religious diversity and socio-political and cultural complexity.
Although many religious programs and interfaith initiatives organized to bring together religious communities, Dicky said there were still disputes and conflicts. Some conflicts that arise are related to problems of intolerance, freedom of worship, construction of houses of worship, local political and economic competition.
Meanwhile, at the same time, there has been an increase in online religious trends and various implications. To a certain extent, this has led to staunch conservatism in many religious communities. In the end, this condition contributed to the social polarization that occurred in Indonesian society.
"Through this activity, we can discuss together and openly the various problems we face together related to freedom and religious harmony," Dicky said.
King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima Zorreguieta Cerruti from the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Dutch Foreign Minister Stef Blok, and Ambassador Lambert Grijns from the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Jakarta also attended this interfaith dialogue event.
"The presence of the Dutch Royal Couple is also important because we as Indonesian people are proud and want to show the diversity of our religion. However, we also realize that there are many challenges we still have to go through together as representatives of various faith communities that exist," he said.
ICRS is a consortium of 3 universities, namely UGM, UIN Sunan Kalijaga, and Duta Wacana Christian University.
Author: Ika
Photo: ICRS
Translator: Natasa A