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| From left: Prof Syamsul Arifin, Prof. Tore Lindholm, Prof. Heiner Bielefeldt, and Lena Larsen PhD. (Photo by Naila / Bestari UMM) |
UN human rights (HAM) Informant Prof. Heiner Bielefeldt considered that human rights violations could happen anywhere, and by any modes. It can be found through bureaucracy, school, workplace, by involving religious issues, violence, and terrorism.
“Within the context of Indonesian society, its challenges are more diverse, because it is may spread freedom of religion and belief violations," said Heiner who was also a professor of human rights at the University of Erlangen, Germany.
That was delivered by Heiner on a session of the Master-Level Course (MLC) on Sharia and Human Rights, which was held by the Center for the Study of Religion and Multiculturalism (PUSAM) University of Muhammadiyah Malang (UMM) on July 24 toJuly 28, 2017.
In addition to Heiner, international human rights experts who attended were Prof. Tore Lindholm and Lena Larsen PhD (Oslo Coalition, Norway), Prof. Brett Scharffs (Bringham Young University, USA), Prof. Jeroen Tempermen (Erasmus University Rotterdam, Netherland), and Prof Mun'Im Sirry (University of Notre Dame, USA).
Some national human rights experts were also presented to be contextual with current issues in Indonesia, including Prof Syamsul Arifin and Cekli Setya Pratiwi LLM (UMM), Ihsan Ali Fauzi (the Asia Foundation), and Dr. Ahmad Nur Fuad (UIN Sunan Ampel Surabaya).
Particularly, Prof. Tore Lindholm admitted he was admired with Indonesia which he called as a promising democracy. "We (the Oslo Coalition) cooperate with various institutions in Indonesia, to jointly research, how far the implementation of human rights can be optimal in the public space," Tore said.
In the context of cooperation with UMM, said Tore, Oslo Coalition stressed an importance of combination between human rights and sharia, due to Indonesia is the largest Muslim country. "I also put hope for UMM and Muhammadiyah to participate in international human rights issues which involving religion, as happened to Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar," Tore said.
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| United Nations human rights (HAM) informant Prof. Heiner Bielefeldt speaks to the participants of MLC held by PUSAM UMM. (Photo: Distya / UMM Public Relation) |
Tore also expressed his pride toward PUSAM that was able to maintain the activities that were unusual for most general public. "It is a crazy idea to unite sharia and human rights, so I congratulate you for your presence in this forum," Tore told the participants.
The MLC’s activities has started since 2011, and now were the seventh generation. This Activities were the result of cooperation PUSAM UMM with Oslo Coalition-Norwegian Center for Human Rights, the University of Oslo, Norway; International Center for Law and Religion Studies, Brigham Young University, Utah, USA; And The Asia Foundation. The event was attended by 30 selected participants consisting of student activists, lecturers, researchers, and human rights activists from various regions in Indonesia, including Aceh, Yogyakarta, Banjarmasin, Jakarta, Riau and several cities in East Java. The best participants will be dispatched to Norway for a short course of human rights at the University of Oslo.
PUSAM UMM Head Prof. Dr. Syamsul Arifin MSi said the purpose of this event was to provide an understanding for activists or students about the relationship between sharia and human rights, within the context of harmony, conflict, interaction, and responses toward various contemporary issues.
"As well as to open an awareness for human rights activists on various human rights issues in Indonesia, especially those who have links with sharia or Islamic law," UMM Vice Rector I explained. (Naz)
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