Mahasiswa Sarjana Ilmu Hubungan Internasional Universitas Indonesia yang memiliki minat dalam bidang kepenulisan, jurnalisme, serta riset.

Intolerance and the Unrecognized Religious Minorities of Indonesia

Jonathan Jordan

3 min read

With Christmas recently occurring, many news media outlets praised the tolerance and harmony that Indonesia displayed for its Christian religious minorities. Stories of individuals of differing beliefs endeavoring the success of commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ give hope for an inclusive future for all. For example, Kompas covered the story of Muhammad Ali, a Muslim man who became the head of the Christmas committee at his local church in Central Kalimantan. Despite being of a different faith, he still gave it all so that Christmas could go as smoothly as possible for the local Christian community. Governmental institutions and officials also celebrate this fine occasion, with Prabowo Subianto and others scheduled to attend the Gelora Bung Karno’s Christmas event on the 28th of December.

It would appear as if Indonesia has become a more inclusive country, especially remembering past sectarian conflicts that had occurred after the Suharto period. While this may be the case for the five religious minorities recognized by the Indonesian government, other groups are still experiencing prejudice and persecution due to their faith. In line with such a statement, this text will exemplify that the unrecognized religious minorities in Indonesia often face intolerance and risk of violence by discussing the state of the Ahmadiyah and Jewish religious minorities in Indonesia.

Intolerance and Oppression of the Ahmadiyah

Practitioners of the Ahmadiyah faith have often faced discrimination throughout their existence since the 19th century. This can be seen in the multitudes of attacks and banning of religious practices by hardline, intolerant groups. Oppression against this minority group even extends to governmental institutions. The most recent example of these discriminatory actions is the banning of one of their biggest spiritual events in Manis Lor Village, Kuningan Regency, West Java.

In early December, the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI) had planned an annual gathering of the Indonesian Ahmadiyah community called the Jalsah Salanah in the aforementioned location. Months had been spent on preparing for such an event and many members scattered throughout the nation had gathered just to attend. It seemed as if the event that would last from the 6th of December to the 8th would go on smoothly without any significant issues.

However, ahead of the religious gathering, a group which comprises hardline Islamic organizations denounced the Jalsah Salanah. Despite the Ahmadiyah claiming they have the support of more than 2.000 locals, the action of the intolerant group resulted in the government banning the event from taking place and barring any Ahmadiyah believers from entering. Because of this, thousands of people were left stranded outside the village, many of them women and children.

Police and other security institutions guarded the outskirts of the village until JAI eventually called off the event altogether. The government claimed that they were doing this to protect the peace and conduciveness of the location. In addition, they were only following local laws that had banned any Ahmadiyah events.

Such an unfortunate situation is not exceptional, however. The past has shown numerous cases of discrimination against this religious minority group. In 2016, an Ahmadiyah mosque was pillaged by a rioting mob in Central Java and in the same year, an Ahmadiyah community in Bangka Belitung was forced to leave their homes after protests from locals.

Antisemitism against Jewish Minorities

Another significant minority group which often faces intolerance in Indonesia is the Jewish community. This oldest Abrahamic religion has entered Indonesia since the Dutch colonial period. During this time, Judaism spread throughout the Dutch East Indies, from Medan to Manado. After Indonesian independence, in 1949, the first synagogue—Beth Shalom—was built in Surabaya and became the only Jewish place of worship in the country for a while.

However, antisemitic sentiment rose as Israel proceeded to engage in multiple wars and conflicts throughout the 1950s to 1980s. It forced many Jews in Indonesia to flee or conceal their religious identity in favor of converting to one of the five recognized religions at the time, particularly Islam and Christianity. More recently, the war in Gaza in 2008 sparked protests against the Beth Shalom Synagogue from immoderate groups. In 2017, a survey by the Wahid Institute showed that Jews are the third most hated group by Muslim women after LGBTs and communists. The recent 2023 Israeli-Hamas War has also resulted in rising antisemitic sentiments amongst Indonesians. Often, these are first anti-Israeli sentiments. However, they branched out to become prejudices and discrimination against Jews as a whole, even if they do not hold any Zionist views whatsoever.

Now, only one synagogue is left operational on Indonesian soil after the Beth Shalom Synagogue was sold and demolished in 2013. The Shaar Hashamayim Synagogue is located in Manado, North Sulawesi. It was built in 2004 and is run by Rabbi Yaakov Baruch. There, Yaakov said that the Jewish community enjoys protection and tolerance from the local government and Christian community. However, still, this synagogue was targeted by protests from hardline groups because of the opening of the country’s first Holocaust exhibition there in 2022 even when Nadlathul Ulama—one of the biggest Muslim organizations in Indonesia—supported the exhibition.

Protect and Tolerate Unrecognized Religious Minorities

The persecutions experienced by unrecognized religious minorities in Indonesia are real and harmful to our multicultural narrative. Freedom of religion and gathering is protected under Chapter 28E of the State Constitution. That means that these religious minorities are perfectly legal and the government should not interfere in their affairs if they are not harmful to anyone.

The case of the Ahmadiyah’s Jalsah Salanah ritual only shows that the government is more afraid of intolerant groups than they show respect for their own constitution. If the government fears instability and conflict, they should protect these religious minorities, not disband their gathering entirely. It not only upset many groups and people but also set a precedent for institutionalized discrimination in Indonesia.

The intolerance shown against the Jewish community of Indonesia reveals that our nation still has a long way to go in order to realize its Bhineka Tunggal Ika principles. In this case, it is not only the task of the Indonesian government but also of the Indonesian people. Tolerance should be treated as a treasure that one should actively seek. We will always face differences that we have to negotiate and coexist with. The story of Muhammad Ali in the first paragraph gives hope for an Indonesia free of prejudice and discrimination, one where people live harmoniously under the same red and white flag.

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Editor: Moch Aldy MA

Jonathan Jordan
Jonathan Jordan Mahasiswa Sarjana Ilmu Hubungan Internasional Universitas Indonesia yang memiliki minat dalam bidang kepenulisan, jurnalisme, serta riset.

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