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.