Sectarian conflict could be minimized by respecting diversity

Jakarta, NU Online
Young people in predominantly Muslim countries should be taught to respect diversity to minimize the risk of sectarian violence, a youth leader from Pakistan has told students in Jakarta.<>

“High tolerance among religious followers is very crucial to minimize violence,” Hussain Mohi-Ud-Din Qadri told about 5,000 Indonesian youths in a public lecture, titled “Pakistani Youth Role in Preventing Pro-Violence Ideology,” organized by non-profit pro-peace group Lazuardi Birru and Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic University in Jakarta recently.

Hussain said the state needed to build tolerance among young people.

“An education that builds character and [respects] tolerance should be promoted by the government, especially in countries that have religious diversity,” he said.

Hussain urged religious leaders to engage in discussion to maintain religious harmony and minimize radicalism and violence that uses religion as a pretext.

“I also would like to suggest the next generation of young Indonesians to not be easily provoked by incitements that could lead them to commit violence that could hurt other people,” he said.

Lazuardi Birru chairwoman Dhyah Madya Ruth SN said there had been 12 suicide bombings in Indonesia’s history, with more than 300 civilians killed in terrorist violence during the reform era starting in 1998.

“If we don’t prevent it, Indonesia will become like Pakistan within 10 years,” Dhyah said, adding that there had been about 1,000 suicide bombings in Pakistan over the past decade.

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq