Indonesia kudu meniru negeri demokratik: di kartu penduduk tidak ada kolom agama.
--- In [email protected], itemabu2 <itemabu2@...> wrote: > > Hehehe.... orang Indonesia dipaksa beragama islam, tentunya yg maksa > adalah orang Islam. > > http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/traditional-believers-quest-for-recognition-in-indonesia/579106 > > Traditional Believers' Quest for Recognition in Indonesia > Zakir Hussain - Straits Times | March 11, 2013 > > Dewi Kanti, 37, has known only one faith all her life. But it has > never been recorded on her identity card. > > She follows Sunda Wiwitan, a traditional folk belief indigenous to > West and Central Java that incorporates meditation and thanksgiving > rituals, among other things. > > But when she was 17, the registration official automatically listed > her as Muslim. > > It took more than a decade before she could replace that space on her > identity card with a dash, and later, traditional believer. > > The housewife from Kuningan, West Java, now campaigns for the right of > those with minority beliefs like hers practiced here centuries > before Islam, Christianity, Buddhism or Hinduism to identify > themselves accurately and openly. > > "Our ancestors, followers of the original religions of this country, > let new religions sink roots," Dewi said. > > "But now they are expanding freely, followers of these religions > disregard and even try to wipe out our beliefs." > > This quest for recognition and equality comes as incidents of > discrimination and violence against religious minorities have > increased in recent years, denting Indonesia's reputation as a > tolerant nation. > > Civil society and human rights groups recorded more than 250 cases > last year, including attacks on churches and Shi'ite and Ahmadiyya > Muslims. > > Muslim groups such as the Wahid Institute have also expressed concern > at these violations. Culprits are lightly punished or not at all. > > But the plight of traditional believers like Dewi, once little heard > of, is also starting to get noticed. > > Human Rights Watch highlighted her case at the launch of its latest > report on institutional and legal shortcomings that facilitate abuses > against minorities. > > Last week, think-tank Setara Institute and several minority groups, > including the Coordinating Body for Indigenous Faith Organizations, or > BKOK, called on the government to uphold the constitutional right to > freedom of belief and review laws that discriminate against religious > minorities. > > Indonesia's founders explicitly recognized six religions, but many > bureaucrats misinterpret this as license to lump minority believers > into one of them, despite their protests, or place a blank white > stripe across the religion column on their identity cards. > > Many were, to their discomfort, listed as Muslim, Christian, Catholic > or Hindu. Buddhism and Confucianism are also recognized religions, > with some 1.5 million and 230,000 followers respectively. > > The 2010 census shows 270,000 Indonesians with their religion listed > as "others", but followers of minority faiths and observers say their > actual number adds up to several million. > > Some even consider themselves to be either Muslim or Christian, as > well as traditional believer, for instance. However, many classify > themselves under another religion, in order to join the army or civil > service, or to avoid being discriminated against. > > More troublingly, a number of these traditional believers have been > convicted of blasphemy and sentenced to jail terms. For some others, > the growth of radical groups is a worry. > > Dian Jennie, a BKOK secretary, said several families of traditional > believers in East Java had to bury their dead kin in their backyards > after being turned away from nearby cemeteries for not having a > religion. In one case, radicals armed with knives forced a family to > dig up a freshly buried corpse, she added. > > "Life for them is hard enough, but even death is difficult," said > Setara director Hendardi, calling on the authorities to take tough > action against abuse and violence. > > The BKOK, which was formed in the late 1990s, brings together 240 > traditional belief groups. > > Dian, 39, who lives in Surabaya and practices Sapta Darma, a Javanese > spiritual belief, told The Straits Times many face difficulties > registering their marriages with local bureaucrats, who insist they > pick a religion. > > Their children also cite discrimination from classmates and teachers, > who say they are godless. > > Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Nazaruddin Umar told reporters > recently the government was concerned about intolerance and was doing > its best to tackle it. > > "One principle of all religions and traditional beliefs is the same, > that is upholding peace," he said. > > But Human Rights Watch deputy director Phelim Kine said lax law > enforcement against perpetrators of abuse, and a government that seems > reluctant to get tougher on radicals, are key problems that need to be > fixed, as these send a signal that abuse and intolerance are > acceptable. > > Dian agreed. Ultimately, she said, the religion column on identity > cards and official documents and forms should be dropped altogether. > > "If we are to be honest, this is a source of much discrimination and bias." > > Reprinted courtesy of The Straits Times > ------------------------------------ Post message: [email protected] Subscribe : [email protected] Unsubscribe : [email protected] List owner : [email protected] Homepage : http://proletar.8m.com/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/proletar/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: [email protected] [email protected] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [email protected] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
