A discriminatory regulation in a village in Yogyakarta has been removed thanks to the efforts of a newcomer to the community in a case that has both raised alarms about eroding religious tolerance and given hope to those who seek to challenge that intolerance.
As reported by Tribun, a 42-year-old man named Slamet Jumiarto moved into a rented house his wife and two children in the hamlet of Karet, which is located in the Bantul regency of Yogyakarta, last Friday. A couple of days later, Slamet went to register himself with the neighborhood chief, but found his residency opposed by residents of the hamlet on the grounds that he’s not a Muslim.
When Slamet, who is Catholic, went to complain to the village chief, he learned that the hamlet had a regulation in place prohibiting non-Muslims from residing in the community, which was passed in 2015.
Slamet took his case to officials in Yogyakarta, who held a mediation session between him and hamlet officials. The latter initially agreed to let Slamet stay, but only for six months.
“If only six months, then what for? That’s like a subtle rejection for me. If I’m allowed to stay, then I’m allowed, if not, then I’m not — it should be that simple,” Slamet said.
Slamet told hamlet officials that he would be willing to relocate if they would compensate him for all of the money he had put down for the lease and renovations of the house. He also demanded that the discriminatory regulation — which is unconstitutional in Indonesia — be erased.
After Yogyakarta officials became involved in the dispute, the hamlet’s officials rescinded the regulation on Monday.
“What’s important to me is that the regulation has been revoked. Don’t let there be other victims,” Slamet said.
Karet officials say that they will now allow Slamet to live in the hamlet, though Slamet himself has indicated that he may move out after being made uncomfortable by the whole ordeal.
“From today onwards, the regulation has been revoked because it went against laws and regulations. We have agreed to revoke the regulation and there are no problems with Slamet,” Karet Chief Iswanto said Monday.
Iswanto explained that the regulation was passed to prevent non-Muslims from being buried alongside Muslims in the hamlet’s public cemetery.
Yogyakarta is no stranger to religious discrimination regarding burials. In December 2018, Muslim residents in the city forced a family to saw off a wooden cross-shaped grave marker belonging to their recently deceased loved one, on the grounds that they had plans to turn the cemetery into a Muslim-exclusive burial area.
Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim expressed his concerns about Slamet’s case and the existence of such discriminatory regulations in Indonesia. The minister stressed that the matter has been resolved and that the hamlet’s regulation was a product of their “misunderstanding” of the law and that there was no malicious intent behind its passing, since the regulation was revoked as soon as somebody pointed out that it was wrong.
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