Study tour Indonesia 2007

Lecture 3; Religious Politization

The following are some major reasons behind religious-political tension between Islam and Christianity in modern Indonesia:

• Obligation policy to choose one of five ‘official’ state religions after the ban of communist ideology in 1965.

• The anti-communist state ideology open up the door of religious proselytization, i.e. former Indonesian Communist Party (PKI), abangan, local beliefs, etc.

• Christian missionary successfully gained PKI’s people jailed, also from the abangan groups in East-Central Java (usually affiliated to PKI or PNI). The Christians increased from 1-2 % before 1965 to more than 10 % after 1965 in certain cities in Central Java.

• The development of Christian evangelization movement at the time.

• The Muslim political response through state bureaucracy policies started in 1967 to limit penetration of Christian mission such as policy of religious building establishment’s permission and limitation of foreign aids for religious mission. In July 1969, one of Muhammadiyah’s leaders asked the Parliament to prohibit any foreign aids for Christian mission.

• In 1971 Catholic political groups established CSIS (Center for Strategic and International Studies), a think thank of strategic Catholic political wings.

• The crucial roles of Christians in the state bureaucracy caused there were no significant Islamism policies of the state during 1970s-mid of 1980s.

• The Marriage Law still gives blurred decision on inter-religious marriage.

The solution to problems of enhanced tensions should be found in new theological consciousness, religious openness and tolerance, inclusivism, and pluralism. There should be more consciousness of religious politization in state-society relations, and also enhanced awareness of the importance of building inter-religious institutions. Legalized inter-religious and mixed marriages represent examples of moving beyond boundaries of religious exclusivism.