2 results
8 - Christian–Muslim Relations in Post-Conflict Ambon, Moluccas: Adat, Religion, and Beyond
- from INDONESIA
-
- By Birgit Bräuchler, University of Frankfurt
- Edited by Bernhard Platzdasch, Johan Saravanamuttu
-
- Book:
- Religious Diversity in Muslim-majority States in Southeast Asia
- Published by:
- ISEAS–Yusof Ishak Institute
- Published online:
- 21 October 2015
- Print publication:
- 06 August 2014, pp 154-172
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
INTRODUCTION
Indonesia is a religiously plural state. Freedom of faith is constitutionally granted — at least concerning the six officially acknowledged religions. Pluralism in Indonesia thus not only implies diversity, but also the “right of every religious … community to be itself and maintain its own traditions, practices and attitudes” (Sharpe 2005, p. 43). However, as recent acts of religious intolerance show — be it the forced closure of Christian churches, attacks on Ahmadiyah Muslims or, earlier, the “religious war” in the Moluccas — religious pluralism is often at stake and constantly needs to be renegotiated and put into action again. During the authoritarian Soeharto regime, any tensions, conflicts or media reporting having to do with issues of ethnicity, religion, race or class (SARA) were kept in check or suppressed. After his stepping down in May 1998, SARA tensions all over the country exploded or were taken as a welcome excuse to instigate conflicts and mobilize local people for violence. This chapter aims to outline two ways of how Indonesians in the Moluccas try to cope with inter-religious clashes: one being focused on adat, that is tradition and customary law, as a seemingly neutral means to reintegrate people, the other being focused on religious dialogue. The contribution intends to deconstruct the simplified image of a harmonious traditional past versus religious strife that neglects the diverse and complex processes of negotiation in which the two domains — religion and adat — have always been involved in.
The Moluccas are part of Eastern Indonesia, a region that stands out against the rest of the country due to its (colonial) history, its former importance as spice granary, and its religious composition (Bräuchler and Erb 2011). In Muslim-majority Indonesia, the Christian share of the population in Eastern Indonesia is substantial; in some of its provinces Christians even constitute the majority. According to recent government statistics, the Moluccan population is almost 50 per cent Muslim and 50 per cent Christian (comprising Protestants and Catholics) (Badan Pusat Statistik Propinsi Maluku dan Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Daerah 2010). Spending some time in the Moluccas, it is obvious that religion very much determines daily life. The majority of people is, one way or the other, on a regular basis busy with social or praying activities organized by churches or mosques. This has a strong impact on social networks in the Moluccas.
Modes of Interreligious Coexistence and Civility inMaluku
- Edited by Volker Gottowik
-
- Book:
- Dynamics of Religion in Southeast Asia
- Published by:
- Amsterdam University Press
- Published online:
- 11 December 2020
- Print publication:
- 04 August 2014, pp 193-216
-
- Chapter
- Export citation
-
Summary
Introduction
Evangelical churches are spreading like wildfirethroughout the world, Islamic faith is becomingincreasingly fashionable, religious radicalizationis on the move, and religious conflicts frequentlymake it into the headlines. Contrary to widespreadassumptions that secularism and modernity will bringabout the demise of religion, we encounter itsreturn and revitalization in many parts of the world(Hornbacher & Gottowik 2008: 19). In paralleland contrary to the assumption of globalizationcausing the demise of local cultures, we areencountering a worldwide trend to revive traditionsand the emergence of so-called modern traditions.This represents an effort to return to one'sculture, weakened or destroyed through(neo-)colonial interventions or processes ofmodernity and globalization, often as a way ofreclaiming resources such as land and politicalleadership (Bräuchler & Widlok 2007). Indonesiacomprises both trends. While religious and ethnictensions and conflicts – in fact, any tensionrelated to ethnicity, religion, race and class(Suku, Agama, Ras dan Antargolongan, SARA) – were kept in checkduring the authoritarian Suharto regime, the reinsloosened after his stepping down in May 1998, andsome of the long-suppressed antagonisms exploded.After the Bali bombing in 2002 and the prolonged‘religious violence’ in the Moluccas (1999-2003),Indonesia entered the universal mind map of aradical Islam on the rise. Until then, few peoplewere aware of it being the largest Muslim nation inthe world due to its moderate version of Islam,which had entered a close relationship with localpre-Islamic traditions in most parts of the country.Until December 1998, people in the Moluccas (Malukuin Indonesian) were also praised for theirinterreligious harmony. In parallel to risingradicalism, the recent liberalization anddemocratization of Indonesian politics brought in adecentralization process that was accompanied by atrend to revive local adat (tradition and customary law) andtraditional structures all over the country. InMaluku, this revival became an important means ofbuilding interreligious bridges in the people'ssearch for peace.
The ambivalent picture of religion versus adat, of harmony versusreligious or ethnic strife, somehow reflects theambivalent character of Southeast Asia as such.Hornbacher and Gottowik (2008: 22, 23) describe thepeaceful coexistence of and cooperation betweenworld religions and between world religions andlocal belief systems such as ancestor worship as aunique feature of Southeast Asia.