Maintaining Community Cohesion

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Dancers from the Gubuk Sufi Jabung community and the Gusdurian Malang community perform a Sufi dance after Christmas Mass on Wednesday (25/12/2019) at Saint Vincentius A. Paulo Langsep Parish Church in Malang, East Java. The 30 members of the Gusdurian community participated in the Christmas procession as a display of friendship and support for the spirit of diversity and tolerance as taught by Adurrahman “Gus Dur” Wahid.

Christmas was celebrated peacefully across the country. The celebration was carried out in accordance with the traditions of each region.The celebration of religious holidays by following the traditions of each region illustrates the diversity of tribes, religions, races and various groups within the Unitary State of Republic of Indonesia.

In a country where people are diverse, we cannot do anything except respect, tolerate and recognize each other as well as maintain social harmony together, just like the Christmas theme of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia and the Indonesian Bishops Conference, "Live as Friends for All". Cardinal Ignatius Suharyo interpreted the theme as an effort to fight the flow of hate speech, intolerance and the politics of identity.