Interfaith believers welcome joint commitment to tolerance, dialogue

JAKARTA – As Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta signed a joint declaration calling for tolerance and an end to climate change, believers of all creeds welcomed the message, and the pope’s presence.

Speaking to Crux in English, KH Mubarok, a Muslim with Istiqlal Mosque who helped organize the pope’s Sept. 5 interreligious meeting in Jakarta, said “we are very happy” to welcome the pope.

“Somebody who is the leader of one of the religions who arrived in Indonesia is Catholic and he’s coming to Indonesia, so of course we’re very happy,” he said, saying, “We try to receive the pope as much as possible, because the relationship among religions in Indonesia, there is no problem.”

“Every religion gives respect to others, so this is just to prove that Indonesia is harmonious,” he said.

“It’s a long, long time that we live together with other religions, there is no problem,” he said, recounting how since he was a child, he has had friends who are Christian, Hindu, and who belong to other faith traditions.

He said they also have a “very close” relationship with the Catholic Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption across the street, and which is connected to the mosque by an underground “Tunnel of Friendship.”

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On one of Islam’s major feasts, he said, the cathedral gifted them a cow for their celebrations, and they also invite Catholics to join their activities.

Mubarok welcomed Pope Francis’s call for an end to violent extremism and for the promotion of peace and tolerance in a speech to national authorities, saying that while a small number of Muslims in Indonesia might be unhappy with the pope’s remarks, “most are accepting, and we can meet him with happiness.”

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During Thursday’s interreligious encounter, Pope Francis and the Grand Imam of Istiqlal, Nasaruddin Umar, signed a joint declaration voicing concern over the issues of climate change and “dehumanization.”

Dehumanization, the declaration said, “is marked especially by widespread violence and conflict, frequently leading to an alarming number of victims.”

“It is particularly worrying that religion is often instrumentalized in this regard, causing suffering to many, especially women, children and the elderly,” saying the global role of religion “should include promoting and safeguarding the dignity of every human life.”

Francis and Umar also condemned the exploitation of creation as a cause of climate change, saying it has had tragic consequences such as natural disasters, global warming and unpredictable weather patterns.

“This ongoing environmental crisis has become an obstacle to the harmonious coexistence of peoples,” the declaration said.

Faced with these crises, Pope Francis and Umar issued a series of appeals based on their respective religious teachings, the first of which was to promote their religious traditions “in order to defeat the culture of violence and indifference afflicting our world.”

“Indeed, religious values should be directed towards promoting a culture of respect, dignity, compassion, reconciliation and fraternal solidarity in order to overcome both dehumanization and environmental destruction,” they said.

They also urged other religious leaders to cooperate in responding to dehumanization and climate change, “identifying their causes and taking appropriate action.”

Interreligious dialogue, they said, should be “recognized as an effective instrument for resolving local, regional and international conflicts, especially those incited by the abuse of religion.”

“Moreover, our religious beliefs and rituals have a particular capacity to speak to the human heart and thus foster a deeper respect for human dignity,” the declaration said.

A healthy and peaceful environment is key to being good custodians of creation, it said, and called on all believers of all creeds to “take decisive action in order to maintain the integrity of the natural environment and its resources, for we have inherited them from past generations and hope to pass them on to our children and grandchildren.”

The signing of the declaration Thursday was witnessed by members of several other faiths, including members of the Hindu, Buddhist, Confucian and Protestant traditions.

Speaking to journalists, Engkus Ruswana, leader of the indigenous Majelis Luhur Kepercayaan religion, said his faith’s priority “is humanity and community, and the relationship between the human and nature.”

“Indigenous religions have a good relationship between human beings and nature. Our principle is that we have to care for the Earth, for the world,” he said.

Reverend Kriese Anki Gosal, a Presbyterian minister and vice general secretary of the Communion of Churches, the main ecumenical body in Indonesia, said the pope’s visit “is very amazing for us. We want to have our pope’s message.”

“He is the pope of all people. He has messages we must pass on,” she said.

Likewise, Uma Parwati, a Catholic from east Jakarta who stood next to her Muslim friend awaiting Pope Francis’s arrival at the mosque, said Pope Francis “is very amazing for us, so we are very happy and very grateful for him being here.”

Referring to the interreligious meeting, Parwati said that in her view, “this is the important moment” of the trip, “because the pope is here and so many religions can be here, so this is the moment.”

“Catholics feel that the pope is a very, very important person for the world and for people. It’s touching,” she said, saying that since the pope’s arrival in Jakarta Tuesday, Muslims themselves were also excited about his presence and lined the streets waiting to see him at his event venues.

“It’s very touching, and very, very important for Indonesia,” she said, saying Indonesians generally “can see that the pope is a very, very important person for the world.”

Referring to the pope’s message on tolerance and the need to end extremism, Parwati said she believes it’s an important message, and Pope Francis’s presence is an occasion for helping this tolerance grow in the country.

“Tolerance is very important for people in the entire world, so the pope being here is a momentum for us…it is the moment of truth that tolerance is very important,” she said, and voiced hope extremist activities would end.

“This is the important, tolerance in Indonesia, so [the world] can learn from Indonesia,” she said.

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