Despite the non-stop stories about Islamic extremism being on the rise in Indonesia, mainly due to the hugely divisive Jakarta gubernatorial election, there is still reason to believe that tolerance is alive and well in Indonesia as evidenced by, ironically, intolerance towards a certain hardline group.
On Saturday, members of five mass organizations in Salatiga – a city dubbed the second most religiously tolerant in Indonesia last year – held a peaceful protest demanding that authorities reject the formation of the hardline group Islamic Defenders Front (FPI), who had recently applied to open a chapter in the small Central Javanese city.
“We reject all forms of movements that aim to change the nation’s ideological foundations, be it through the holding of discussions, spreading of pamphlets, or even through electronic media. We reject all forms of radicalism and terrorism,” said head of the Salatiga chapter of GP Ansor, the youth wing of Islamic organization Nadhtlatul Ulama, as quoted by Tribun.
The protest in Salatiga is just the latest movement to reject the formation of a local FPI chapter. Also last week, 28 civil society organizations, including Islamic groups, banded together and successfully prevented the formation of a local FPI chapter in the Central Javanese capital of Semarang.
Last Thursday, police officers were deployed as hundreds of members from the various groups held a protest and confronted representatives of FPI, who were looking to set up in the city.
“Semarang is a safe and peaceful city. We won’t let the FPI destroy our city,” Iwan Santoso, a representative of a mass organization called Merah Putih, told FPI representatives, as quoted by Tribun.
Syihabuddin, a representative of FPI, countered, “We are not anti-Pancasila (Indonesia’s state ideology), we just want to implement it so that it’s in line with Islam’s teachings.”
Semarang Police Chief, Abyoso Seno Aji, who was mediating a peaceful discussion between the protesters and FPI, sided with the former.
“I am taking this step with the greater good of the public in mind. Because there are so many who reject the FPI’s formation, I ask that the FPI to not force their way into Semarang,” he said.
The protesters warned that if FPI decide to form in Semarang regardless, there would be even bigger protests against them.
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