Indonesia: Pluralism in Peril

Benedict Rogers delivered a presentation on Pluralism in Peril at the office today. Having read his entire report beforehand, it was easy to follow his presentation. Every now and again, someone would translate what he was saying in Bahasa Indonesia.
The main point of his report is that there is a rise of religious intolerance across the archipelago. He explained that the Pancasila, the official philosophical foundation of the Indonesian state, strongly advocated 5 points:

1. Belief in the one and only God
2. Just and civilized humanity
3. The unity of Indonesia
4. Democracy led by the wisdom of deliberations among representatives
5. Social Justice for the whole of the people in Indonesia. 

Although it is undeniable that the second and fifth point imply religious tolerance, this is no longer the case in certain parts of Indonesia. During my short time in Yogya, there have already been several instances of religious intolerance. Just a couple days ago, a radical group of Muslims publicly expressed their distaste towards pluralism. 

In his report, Benedict argues that the government has actively contributed to the problem, by supporting the oppressive fatwas, as well as by fuelling ignorance. In addition, the police are ineffective because they do not stop any verbal attacks on the minority groups. 

The presentation was interesting and useful, since it has given be a thorough understanding of the problems faced by many minority groups. I will be able to use the information I have learned for my presentation on thursday, since this topic relates to Human Rights and Religion, as well as for my research paper on Shia Muslims. 

A Javanese Wedding

For the past week we had been searching for a wedding to crash, but luckily, our neighbour's daughter is getting married today. As soon as we arrived, a lady at the registration desk greeted us and presented us with a tasbih as a token of appreciation. The bride and groom looked dashing on stage in their matching outfits. As per tradition, the bride and groom have to match, and so do the in-laws. All were wearing red. We sat through the Qur'anic readings and speeches which were conducted in Javanese, as opposed to in Indonesian. The heat was unbearable but the experience of taking part in a Javanese wedding was definitely worth it. 

Dream Land

Ben, Sarah's friend from work, invited us to an art exhibit this evening. The exhibit, Dream Land, explores the aspirations of Indonesia over a hundred years, as reflected through popular culture. The description states that "the exhibition highlights the often stark difference between 'Dream and Reality, and, as an election approaches, challenges us to think critically about the values that define us as individuals, as a community and as a nation".  

This one is from 2012:

The exhibit was interesting because of the art work displayed as well as its environment. The people were completely different than that of the conservative Indonesians that come to mind when thinking of a Muslim country. Most women did not wear a hijab, the men were covered in tattoos, and many were relaxing or chatting while drinking beer. 

Settling Down

Recap:

Monday was our first official full day of work. We finally got our schedule for the next month. My first project is on Human Rights and Religion, which I will be presenting next Thursday. At night, we hung out with a British girl named Jordanne. She started her journey in India with a group of people in January, then continued to explore alone for the next four months. She encouraged me to travel alone and assured me that it's not lonely because you meet tons of new and interesting people along the way. Jordanne was an extremely brave person since she left her comfort zone and travelled across Asia to find inspiration for a jewellery line that she had started in London.

Tuesday was relaxing since we got a massage after work.

Wednesday was the most useful Bahasa class that we've had so far. We finally learned how to tell time and how to a taxi.

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Today's been the most productive day of work so far. This morning Winona and I taught our first English class to the staff of Dian Interfidei. We focused on developing their conversational skills by talking about movies, books, and playing 20 questions. Towards the end of our lesson, two girls from Holland came to visit the office. They've been working in a small village about an hour away from Yogya. The two girls, both named Eva, are helping with empowering women. Winona and I instantly clicked with the girls, and are planning to meet up with them tonight for dinner.

I'm happy that things are finally starting to settle down in the office.

Nirvana

As I walked through the front gates of the monastery, my breath was taken away. A monk was waiting for us in front of five beautiful stone statues, which were displayed in a bank of water. 

The monk beckoned us to a white building. Before entering, we removed our shoes and walked into a bright carpeted room. On the floor were seven orange cushions that faced a large gold Buddha. The monk introduced himself before giving us a brief introduction to Buddhism. He explained that there were two main kinds, Theravada and Mahayana, and that this monastery followed the teachings of Theravada. There are 227 rules that the monks must follow in order to practice; one example is that it is forbidden to have any sexual relations with women. He also said that the monks must study for one year at the monastery and that they must travel to impart their knowledge to other Buddhists for one year. After giving us his introduction, he allowed us to ask him some personal questions. Some of the questions were: 1) How often are you allowed to meet your family? "Every six months". 2) What made you convert from Catholicism to Buddhism? "Ten years ago I read a book on Buddhism, and ever since then I had been intrigued. The concepts made sense but I didn't understand how to put it into affect so I decided to learn more about it". 3) How often do you eat? "Twice a day- breakfast and dinner. 4) Who funds the monasteries? "Lay people". 

Once the introduction was over, he gave us a tour of the monastery. He showed us structures that represented different stages in the Buddha's quest for Enlightenment. There was a stone statue of a starving Buddha and another of the Buddha after he had found a balance. The monk explained that in order to attain Enlightenment, the Buddha realized that he cannot suffer by starving himself, nor can he indulge in his desires by eating too much. The Buddha had to find a balance between the two. He also he showed us the Bodhi tree, which was the tree under which the Buddha found Enlightenment, and a flower from the tree under which the Buddha was born. 

Once the tour of the monastery was complete, we returned back to the white building for our meditation session. While we were meditating, the monk instructed us on where to focus our mind. He went through the different parts of the body, while reminding us to pay attention to any other sensations. After our session, the Buddha offered us some general advice!

BUT... The day wasn't over yet... 

After visiting the monastery, we visited Borobudur Temple, which is a Mahayana Buddhist temple from the 9th Century. 

Certain parts of the temple had been buried for thousands of years due to the volcanic ashes. It was only in 1814 that it was re-discovered. For a few years after that, UNESCO and the Indonesian government started a project to restore the temple. 

The temple was not too tall but it was extremely wide. There were four entrances that led to different levels, which symbolized the different stages required to reach enlightenment. Each level had stone carvings that illustrated stories. For example, on the first level which is that of desire, there were stories about gossip, prostitution and alcohol. Our tour guide took us to each level and explained some of the stories. 

At the top of the temple, the view was stunning. 

It was interesting to learn about the same religion, but in two different scenarios. The temple was quiet and serene whereas Borobudur was a historic landsite that was bursting with people. Overall, it has been the best day so far!

Creating Acceptance

I attended Dian Interfidei's interfaith workshop today at an Islamic boarding school. The purpose of the school is to bring people of all religions together. Every saturday morning, discussions are held at different locations.
Though it was difficult to follow the conversation, it was interesting to observe the interactions between the students. The students were all friendly with one another, and it seemed like they were even friends outside of these discussions. It was impossible to see the deep seated-animosity between the religions, although it is publicly noticeable in certain parts of Yogyakarta. Just yesterday, a group of Christians were attacked while praying in their own homes. It's safe to say that ignorance and prejudice does not exist among these select group of students.

Though Indonesia is primarily a Muslim country, with over 200 million Muslims, the other religions also make up a large portion of the population. In order to keep the peace among the different groups, acceptance is crucial. Based on my observations, Dian Interfidei has done wonders in reducing ignorance. I met a girl today who was once part of the Indonesian version of the Muslim Brotherhood. She told me that she was very conservative and she did not accept the other religions because of the false information she was taught. Now, a couple years after being a student in the program, she is one of the people responsible for organizing it.

I have lots of hope that Interfidei will accomplish great things one step at a time.

"An eye for an eye only ends up making the whole world blind" - Gandhi

At work today, Winona and I made a poster for Dian Interfidei's Interfaith campaign.

Gereja Ganjuran

In honour of the Ascension of Christ, Fye took us to visit Gereja Ganjuran today. In Bahasa Indonesia, Gereja is Church and Ganjuran is the name of the specific church.

This church is unique for two reasons. The first is that it is heavily influenced by Javanese culture. The figurines in the Stations of the Cross displayed on the walls of the outer compound have Hindu characteristics. The most prominent one is the head piece. It is hard to see, but the following picture illustrates the head piece:

The second is that the church is located in a larger compound, which also entails a gift shop, a massive shrine, a meditation room, and a gazebo for singing hymns.
The following picture is of the Sanctuary:

It was a wonderful experience because it really emphasized the importance of interfaith in Indonesia. I believe that every religion deserves the same respect, and this has been put into action by celebrating the different religious holidays in Indonesia.

The Clock is Ticking

Many people in Indonesia have no sense of time... but what else can you really expect from people in a developing country, right?!
I have come to realize over the past few years that the workpace is completely different in different parts of the world. In some countries, people are pressed for time whereas in other places people have no sense of it. Based off of my own observations, people are generally more efficient in Canada as opposed to in Indonesia or in East Africa.

I would like to clarify that my frustration stems from the disorganization of my first day of work. We left the house at 10:30 this morning to drop Sarah off at her work place at PKBI. When we arrived at 11:15, we were told that everyone had stepped out for a bit. We waited thirty minutes for someone to return. Around 11:45, Winona and I made our way to Dian Interfidi, only to realize that upon arriving, it was a half day for them. We ate lunch with them and discussed our plans for friday, since tomorrow is another national holiday in Yogya. Within the hour, we left Dian Interfidi and returned back to our place.

I'm extremely frustrated because we started preparing a couple months ago for this day, only to realize that it was going to be pushed back. The lesson to be learnt from this experience is to go with the flow and to accept that things will always be disorganized. As long as I keep myself motivated to accomplish my goals, I cannot expect anything from anyone else.

Fun in the Sun

Today was the most relaxing day I've had in a while. I spent the morning swimming and tanning at the Hyatt Hotel. I got to the hotel around 10:30 and made my way straight to the pool. The hotel had three different pools, and each was connected to the other by water slides. During the afternoon, the girls got a full body massage at a local salon. The massage was perfect. The main difference between getting a massage in Indonesia compared to getting one in Canada is the ambience. In Indonesia, there is usually one large room with many beds, so that everyone gets a massage at the same time. There are no curtains to separate each person. Although it lacked privacy, there was no difference in the method of their massage. In the evening, we went to Malioboro Street, the downtown of Yogya, and rode an Elephant pedal cart.

Suraiya the Explorer

Today was a day of exploration. We left early this morning to visit Volcano Merapi, an active volcano located approximately 30 km away from our residence. The journey to the volcano was beautiful. The streets were narrow but they were surrounded by lush green trees. Along the way, we passed many workers tending to their rice paddies. As we got closer to the volcano, the land had lost its greenery as a result of the 2010 eruption. The volcanic ashes, which reached 800 degrees Celsius, had destroyed everything in their path.

It was impressive yet heartbreaking to witness all the damage the volcano had done. 

Once we reached the volcanic compounds, we got out of our car and relocated into a jeep. The driver took us down a steep and  rocky road. At first, it didn't seem like there was much to see because there were rocks and sand everywhere- everything was the same. A few kilometres later, the driver stopped at a house. At first this house looked like all the other houses that had been destroyed, but in fact, the house was a museum of different artifacts that had been ruined. On display there were cassettes, clothes,  skeletons, a tv, cutlery, utensils and a motorcycle. After touring the museum we made our way to the bunker. The tour guide explained that in 2010 there were a few eruptions soon after each other. Although the bunker was a place of shelter, two people died in October but over a 100 died in November. This illustrates that volcanic eruptions are all different, since some are more intense than others. I felt emotional as I walked around because I found it hard to imagine how so many people could fit into such a tight, narrow and dark place.

On our way back to the parking lot I thought about all the people who had lost their homes and those that still chose to live close to the volcano, knowing that they were jeopardizing their lives.

Crabs on Crabs on Crabs

My first purchase in Indonesia is a crab that has a hot pink Angry Bird shell. Its name is Pamplemousse. Winona and Sarah also bought crabs, their names are Strawberry and Godzilla, and we pitched in to buy the three of them a mansion. The mansion is legitimately any crabs dream; it has a slide and a swing.

Once the excitement of our first purchase had died down, we returned to the house in time for a meeting with the heads of AUA. In our meeting we discussed our individualized work plans for our summer internship. My main task for the next six weeks is to write a short report about the life of the Shi'a community and the challenges they have faced in Yogyakarta.

The afternoon was filled with fun activities such as visiting the Sultan's Palace, Malioboro street and Bahasa Classes.
The Sultan's Palace was very different from any historic sight that I've seen before since it was not well kept like the palaces in Oman or the beautiful Cathedrals in Europe. It had a raw beauty to it even though it lacked the grandeur of other sites. I find it amazing that the servants of the Sultan serve him voluntarily and expect no salary in return. It really shows true devotion and loyalty. It is also interesting that even though these servants literally place the Sultan on a pedestal, there are some in Yogyakarta who do not like him. Generally the older people like him, whereas the younger people are not a huge fan.

I also had my first Bahasa class today. Bahasa is an easy language to learn because there are no changes in the tense of verbs. The structure of the sentence is also simple. In my opinion, the most important sentence we learned today was asking the driver, "Can you please take me to get a massage".

Under the Sea

I bought my hermit crab, Pamplemousse, a mansion today.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2RfNZsnuj4

Playing it Safe

It is safe to say that... I learned a lot today...

Today was the first day of orientation.  The whole morning was spent on learning the Do's and Don'ts of Indonesia. If there is one thing I've learned from the session, it would be that we are under no circumstance allowed to be on a motorcycle, even though it is the most convenient way to travel around Yogya.
After an intense and compact three hours of orientation, we walked to a restaurant for lunch. I admit that the highlight of my couple days so far has been trying new foods. Everything I eat is delicious. The meals are flavourful and unlike anything I've eaten in North America. Once again, I had trouble deciding what to eat. It's not only that there are too many options to choose from, but that I have to decide on my meals by looking at pictures since none of the menus are in English. Even though it's annoying, it makes me feel adventurous because every meal is a gamble. I'm happy to say that I won this round ;). I ate fried rice with pineapples, chicken, vegetables and raisins. I promise it tastes way better than it sounds.

Once we finished eating lunch, we were given a tour of the campus and where to get our groceries from. We returned back to the house since the head of the International Relations Department was going to give us a short lecture on Indonesia. The lecture was extremely insightful. Professor Eric explained how Indonesia is broken up into 5 main areas, where Java (where I am staying), consists of 60% of the population. He also explained the different ethnicities (impossible to count) and religions (Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Confucianism) that are present in Indonesia. It is amazing that even within Islam, there is a division between the Modernists, whom adhere to the rigid principles of Islam, and the Traditionalists, whom have infused Javanese culture with Islam. On another note, I also learned that Indonesia has many active volcanoes and there are over 10 in Java.

The rest of the evening was spent on great conversations over dinner.

It is safe to say that... the past couple of days have been focused on playing it safe. I've been enjoying the company of great people and great food!

Cheers to the rest of the summer!

Bright Lights Muslim City

Today was my first day in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.

In the morning, Fye, my Indonesian buddy, met me around 11 o'clock and then Ayu and Nana ( the country coordinators for AUA) came around 11:15. The three of us went to the campus for lunch because Nana was organizing an event called European week at Universitas Gadjah Mada. It was my first time trying Indonesian food. The food was really good.  I had a type of Indonesian sweet and sour soup, rice, fried chicken, vegetables, noodles and fruits. After having lunch, Fye showed me around the campus. The classrooms are moderately sized, they have little cafeterias everywhere and the people all looked really happy! The only problem was that it was excruciatingly hot...

During the afternoon Fye took me around the city in her car. There are motorcycles EVERYWHERE. On our brief tour I saw: the Sultan's palace, the local markets, malls and cheap places to get food.  Fye also showed me a field that had two trees. According to superstition, if you walk straight between the two with your eyes closed, your wish will come true.  Before dropping me back to the house we stopped by the field on campus because her friends were playing dodgeball. I met her friends and they seemed really nice and outgoing. I told her to invite me if they ever go out during the weekends since I want to make more Indonesian friends! 

Dinner was AMAZING since there was live music and the food was delicious. 

Overall, I had a good first day in Indonesia; the day was full but I had time some time for myself as well. During my downtime I realized that I really like the sound of the Adzan . I can hear it from my window because the campus Mosque is close to my house. It makes me feel serene and peaceful since it reminds me of Zanzibar. I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring!