Jakarta – In the spirit of strengthening national unity and maintaining social harmony, more and more elements of society are emphasizing the importance of protecting public spaces from narratives of intolerance.
Head of the Center for Religious Book Assessment, Lectures, and Religious Literacy (PPBAL2K) of the Research and Development and Training Center of the Indonesian Ministry of Religion, M. Sidik Sisdiyanto, said that strengthening religious literacy, which is part of the government’s national strategy for religious moderation, is important in order to avoid intolerance.
“Religious literacy is not just about understanding one’s own religion, but also about how we respect the faith of others and this is in line with the government’s efforts to strengthen the values of tolerance in national life,” said Sidik.
Sidik continued, religious literacy plays an important role in forming an inclusive and tolerant society.
“Religious literacy plays a role in preventing radicalism, strengthening democracy, and respecting human rights. This is because religious literacy includes an understanding of basic religious concepts and an inclusive and wise attitude in responding to diversity,” he said.
Furthermore, Sidik also said that a number of strategies need to be implemented to improve religious literacy, including the need to strengthen religious education, empower religious institutions, develop interfaith dialogue, and strengthen regulations that support harmony.
“In addition, we also need to provide training to religious and community leaders, as well as religious moderation campaigns that can be reached by the wider community, such as through social media and digital literacy programs,” he explained.
Meanwhile, the Head of the Study and Research Division of the West Kalimantan (Kalbar) Terrorism Prevention Coordination Forum (FKPT), Didi Darmadi, said that the narrative of intolerance which is often spread through hate speech, discrimination, and stereotypes against certain groups, is a serious threat, especially on campus.
“The results of our latest research conclude that one of them is that the younger generation is the most vulnerable group, because they are in the phase of searching for their identity and are very active on social media, which is a special concern for the government in strengthening national character,” said Didi.
According to him, manifestations of intolerance on campus include rejection of the establishment of places of worship, discrimination against wearing the hijab, intimidation of groups with different views, and support for religious-based violence, and although several such cases are still found, the government continues to encourage resolution through persuasive and regulatory approaches.
“Through a pentahelix approach involving the government, academics, communities, media, and business actors, we encourage campuses to become tolerant, safe, and patriotic spaces as part of the government’s national strategy to build a tolerant and Pancasila-based educational ecosystem,” Didi emphasized.
Indonesia is a big home for all, it is time for us to ensure that every corner of public space truly reflects the spirit of mutual respect, mutual cooperation, and unity in diversity.
