In a meeting facilitated by the International Religious Liberty Association, an Indonesian newspaper editor has called for greater communication between religious leaders in Indonesia as a vital step in stemming ongoing religious tensions in the region.

Aidir Amir Daud, vice-director of the daily newspaper Fajar, and Maksum Maksum, chief editor of the daily Jawa Post, visited the United States as part of a Department of State International Visitor program. Their program was arranged to focus on “Press Freedom and the Rule of Law” in the light of recent events in Indonesia. On February 14, they met with religious freedom experts at IRLA’s international headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland.

East Indonesia has been the arena for violent and bloody clashes between Muslims and Christians since January 1999.  Since then, an estimated 3,000 people have died in sectarian violence.

When asked what is driving these clashes, Maksum says that different communities have “difficulty in detaching themselves from religious matters.  There can be jealousy and suspicion between religious groups, and a very complex societal problem can develop that is very difficult to resolve.”

“The Indonesian constitution guarantees religious freedom but this is not always applied in practice,” explains Daud. “Religion is the right of the individual, but other factors such as [a disparity of affluence between different religious groups] can cause problems. The key is communication between religious leaders and working together for socio-economic equality.”

The IRLA was asked by the two newspaper editors to help provide assistance on the importance of tolerance and dialogue in maintaining peaceful coexistence and religious freedom.

Reflection on the American religious liberty experience was provided by Attorneys Robert Nixon and Mitchell Tyner.  The meeting was chaired by IRLA secretary-general John Graz. The IRLA was established in 1893 by the Seventh-day Adventist Church.  It is an independent organization that exists to promote the universal principle of religious liberty around the world. Members of IRLA represent a broad spectrum of religious faiths and civil rights organizations.