Religious leaders, academics and regular citizens call for increased dialogue in order to foster co-existence and better relations among the country’s faiths.

(ABNA) – The latest reports on religious tolerance by the Wahid Institute and Human Rights Watch have put Indonesia in the spotlight. The reports highlight attacks on religious minorities including Shia Muslims, Christians and Ahmadis.

Handoyo Sudiro, a 52 year-old resident of Tangerang, West Java, says the findings offer an opportunity to improve religious harmony after two very difficult years………………….

Handoyo believes Indonesians should see the reports positively.

“We can use the reports as a way to continue improving our tolerance and harmony in the region,” he said.

“Not too late to overcome”

A similar response came from Sampang regency in Madura. Abdur Alkawi, a religious leader in Sampang, said religious leaders must get together to hold a dialogue among their followers to determine what needs to be done to improve religious tolerance in their region……………..

Recipes for recovery

Hasyim Muzadi, Secretary General of the International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS) ..said most of the religious conflict in Indonesia was caused not by religious fanaticism but by political, social, and economic problems.

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