The Views of the Three Religious Leaders at the UMM Sarahsehan Kebangsaan.

Author : Humas | Monday, October 28, 2024 09:11 WIB

Various religious and cultural figures attended the Sarahsehan Kebangsaan Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) (Photo: Lintang PR)

Various religious and cultural figures attended the Sarahsehan Kebangsaan (Nationality Workshop) at the University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) on October 28. Three of them also had the opportunity to share their perspectives and views, including on peace and maintaining diversity. They were Secretary General of the Forum for Interfaith Communication (FKAUB) Malang Raya Pastor David Tobing, Chairperson of PHDI Malang Istianah, and UMM lecturer Pradana Boy, the International Ambassador for Interfaith Dialogue.

In his statement, Pastor David Tobing touched on the importance of interfaith communication, discussion, and dialogue. He also conveyed the perspective and role of Christians in realizing peace and unity in Indonesia. In Christianity, peace and unity are two things that are absolute and must be realized in life. As Matthew 5:9 says, "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God”.

"Interfaith harmony must be actively realized by building good communication. One of them is manifested in the FKAUB Barikan Anak Nusantara program, which is enlivened by children from different religious, cultural and belief backgrounds. By nurturing the spirit of peace and unity among the nation's children and interfaith communities, I believe religious diversity will realize peace and unity in the archipelago," he added.

This Sarasehan is a series of routine activities from the Nationality Festival which is held annually by UMM. It starts in early October to coincide with the Youth Pledge and will continue to involve interfaith leaders from various regions.

On the other hand, Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia (PHDI) Istianah highlighted the perception of peace and unity from a Hindu perspective. She emphasized the five beliefs of Hinduism called 'Panca Sradha'. The woman, known as Ratih, also emphasizes the importance of harmony in achieving a serene and peaceful fraternal life. According to her, the diversity of ethnicity, race, religion, and culture does not prevent us from realizing 'Living in Harmony' in the archipelago.

"All forms of devotion that we do in our respective ways are to serve God Almighty. As fellows brother and sister, we should uphold the moral values of "asah, asih, asuh" (nurture, love, foster) . Thus, the value of 'Tat Twam Asi' is also embedded in us, which means I am you and you are me," he continued.

Pradana Boy also explained the same thing, focusing on the fragmentation of current phenomena and world conditions. Some of the factors that cause it are global economy, geopolitics, war, climate change, disruption, and identity. Interestingly, he highlighted the importance of interpreting the historical side of Indonesia as a nation or state from the beginning of the Hindu-Buddhist period, the Islamic sultanate period, the independence period, to the nation-state period. According to him, the true meaning of the synthesis of diversity is the interdependence among people.

“Divisions exist because some people do not really understand the importance of history in realizing world peace and unity. The phenomenon of interfaith crisis that occurs is not the problem of the religion, but the people practicing their religion. Indeed, we can realize peace among differences. Although our religions are different, the muzzle of our religion is the same, namely virtue,” he concluded. (din/wil/Ind)

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