Nicholaus Prasetya: Why Muslim-majority cities seem intolerant

Dec 14, 2015

By Nicholaus Prasetya
It is quite interesting to observe the results of a recent study conducted by human rights group Setara Institute regarding which cities in Indonesia are tolerant or intolerant.

The study found Pematang Siantar in North Sumatra to be the most tolerant city while Bogor in West Java was considered the most intolerant.

Apart from Bogor, most of the cities considered intolerant are predominantly Muslim such as Bandung and Banda Aceh.

According to Setara, religious demography is one of the four parameters in assessing tolerance levels in the cities. The others are strategic planning and regional government policies and the way they address religious conflicts in their area.

Thus, there is a strong correlation between religious demography and potential incidents of intolerance.

Why does it seem that Muslim-majority regions are inherently intolerant? The end of authoritarianism allowed not only people but also regional governments to freely express their views.

In a democracy people start to express their differences, including on the foundation of Indonesia itself. This has led some people to strongly adhere to their religions and use them for political purposes.

As a consequence, Pancasila, as the state ideology, was questioned and many proponents began to offer shariah-based policies, justifying them on the grounds that Indonesia is a Muslim-majority country.

However on the national level the utopian agenda to have formalised shariah has never succeeded as evident in the declining trend of votes for Muslim-based parties in elections. Sharia principles fail to attract Indonesians as a whole since many more important issues are considered more urgent, especially corruption and social injustice.

At the regional level, however, the promotion of sharia-based policies thrives particularly in more confined Muslim-majority areas. Issues like the prohibition of alcoholic drinks and regulation of private life, such as the obligation to wear the hijab (headscarf) even for non-Muslim women, have easily won popular support in a number of areas.

... they feel the local government supports their desire for pietism, while not disrupting their search for enjoyment.

The inclusion of Bogor and Bandung in the group of intolerant cities is also interesting. Though the cities are known for being progressive, there are intolerant tendencies there.

In this respect, the formation of a new identity of the population that combines progress and pietism is probably the most significant driving force in promoting an intolerant culture.

In his latest book "Identity and Enjoyment", Ariel Heryanto says the phenomenon is a result of the rising number of middle class people in Indonesia.

Young people within this group enjoy an increasing wealth on one hand and are eager to be devout Muslims on the other hand. This then builds a new identity that is neither too liberal nor too fundamental.

According to Ariel, such an identity is clearly visible through cinematic experience – especially the movie "Ayat-ayat Cinta" [Verses of Love] in which the main actor can combine perfect progressivity and pietism – or the increasing trend of wearing a hijab albeit for the purposes of fashion, or maybe as a means of showing repentance among corruption suspects.

The formation of this new identity is also probably why predominantly Muslim cities tend to be intolerant. These middle classes are likely to neither support nor reject the intolerant policies because they feel the local government supports their desire for pietism, while not disrupting their search for enjoyment.

Thus, as long as shopping malls, cafes or other entertainment centres remain open and internet access is available, there is no need to protest against the intolerant policies. Some, or perhaps the majority, may disagree but opt to keep silent.

However there are some Muslim-majority regions that have successfully preserved their spirit of tolerance such as Salatiga in Central Java.

Aside from the apparent absence of policies that hinder tolerance, the most important thing seems to be a tolerance culture inherent within its people. An example of this attitude is the mosques and churches facing each other, such as in Pancasila Square. This can then be contrasted with Bogor, for example, where the GKI Yasmin church construction dispute remains unresolved.

Moreover, Salatiga residents also had the experience of being led by a non-Muslim mayor, John Manoppo, without any protest about his religion. Thus, people already became used to diversity thanks to this continuously positive exposition from their surrounding environment.

Once I joined a card game with fellow hikers from Salatiga, and we jokingly had a rule, "Losers must convert, Christians to Muslims and vice versa."

The most significant driving force behind intolerance is likely regional governments since they are the only parties with authority to enact any policies.

Therefore the central government should warn local governments against moving away from the foundation of Indonesia.

Nobody wants to revive dictatorship but the central government’s unifying role in this instance is still needed.

Education is also key to fighting intolerance – which politicians exploit for their own interests. Tolerance should be part of the curriculum in early education.

The young members of the middle-class should also be critical of any potentially intolerant policies since the Constitution itself guarantees religious freedom.

Only through this mutual cooperation can we hope for more tolerant cities in Indonesia’s future. – Jakarta Post, December 12, 2015.

-- Nicholaus Prasetya is a chemical engineer and won the Ahmad Wahib Award in its annual interfaith writing contest in 2012.

Source: The Malaysian Insider