Pluralism Outcry
by. iGhani
Indonesia, by the medieval age to globalization era, is nothing but an archipelago nation. Indonesia has such enermous island consisting its own uniquenes that has been well-known for the diversity it preserves. On the other hand, Indonesia, behind its success retaining the natioal heritage of diversity, possess a flabbiness toward one of the diversity itself–freedom of religion–whereas the constituion guarantees those. This issue has been a disease requiring a proper remedy among the rainbow of the legacy. Enhance, I should agree in case some parties demand that Indonesia need something extraordinary persistence to behond the national entity, one of which is pluralism. I believe that the absence of pluralism concept must be the key point triggering the cause and therefore we need to evoke pluralism from its eternal sleep.
First of all, Pluralism is not
synonymous with diversity[1].
Pluralism is the term that is used to unite the diversity. In accordance to
human-right concept, pluralism is the ability to embrace any other perspectives beyond ours either it is minority
or majority and understand those
rather than just offering our tolerance upon them. Diversity wihout the
presence of pluralism will mean nothing but an increasing tension in a society[2].
The pluralist society will not try to impose one believe into others but the
opposite; They shall make an effort to seek the meaning of the difference by
way of critism and self-critism. Furthermore, in the religious point of view,
the pluralist believe that all religions, inspite of the diverse deity one
another, has the same goal which is to reach the sacred contentment.
Unfortunately, Indonesia has different answer to the pluralism. We merely
understand the notion as the significance of tolerance and often leave the
ignorance to last deep inside our heart so that we are still stereotyped by the
old assumption that makes us to believe that our current faith is the truest
and most magnificent religion whilst others are not. These concepts thereby
create such chaotic circumstance that causes the presence of religon becomes
sensitive.
United States, at least, is the instance
where pluralism is uphold. Through the concept “E Pluribus Unum”[3], America has
indicated themselves as a plural nation. In the same way, Indonesia also values
the pluralism among its diversity along with “Bhineka Tunggal Ika”[4] within Pancasila.
Indonesia is such unique nation that requires real contribution of its citizen
in order to maintain the diversity, but the term remains a utopia. To these
days reality, the diversity in the freedom of religon is in jeopardy. It is no
longer like it was written in constitution of 29th subsection and
first verses of Pancasila. In the society of Indonesia, we acknowledge only the
fift of religions; Islam, Christ, Budhism, and Hindu, and hence left big
question to those affiliating with other believes. How their life are going to
be? What religion they will have to select in the field of religion form? The
religion issue has become so testy to discuss that any other believes beyond
the commonence can be judged as a cult belief. Ahmadiyyah, for example, is the
International moslem organization whose the existance considered diverged in
our country. The presence of Ahmadiyya is a strong evidence that even
Indonesian government also supports contributing to the purification of its own
through the joint decree that consist of the ministers of religion, interior,
and attorney general in 2008[5].
Therefore, if the problem lasts, the freedom of religion can be excluded from
the term of pluralism and we, as the citizen of Indonesia, will not longer find
these phenomenon as the prejudice.
Possibly, some parties may consider the
side-effect of pluralism that the minority’s power might goes beyond the
majority due to the human rights policy that spoils their presence. They afraid
that someday within the policy, they might grow steadily and thereby become
stronger with a million of followers. Nevertheless, have we already adjusted
pluralism to the core of society? Or we, all the time, only admit the pluralism
as the sense of tolerance? Often I find many incidents demonstrating that
either personal or communal necessity vanguishs the public benefit. Back in
2012, Islamist mob whose penchant belief pelted HKBP Filadefia with plastics
bag filled with urine and wastewater[6]. I
am afraid this phenomenon obviously not reflects neither the pluralism nor the
beauty of religion. In addition, is this the very evidence that Indonesia is
such beautiful country and the enermous diversity within?
To conclude, Indonesia has already
enriched with an amazing heritage lies from its natural resources to humanism
diversity, but it is inevitable that misery always comes after the happiness in
order to derive the wheel of life. Therefore, we should evoke the dream we have
made back in time to our independence years. We, as the good citizen of
Indonesa need to appreciate and practice the notion of nationalism by the way
we understand the beautiful notion of pluralism rather than remain ignorant and
apathetic to our surrounding. Regardless what necessity we currently hold,
pluralism has constantly need to be the prior task that we have to obey.
Bumper Sticker Theology for a New Age…. To borrow from Rodney King during the 1992 Los Angeles riots, “Can we all get along?”
[1]
[2] Ibid
[3]
[4]
[5]
[6]
