REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- "Muhammadiyah provides Christian education to [non-Muslim] students. It's a form of respect to students' beliefs."
Chairman of the Central Executive (PP) Muhammadiyah Haedar Nasir said that education is one of the tools.
Muhammadiyah educational institutions in the eastern region of Indonesia, he said, to provide room for a non-Muslim.
"They had the opportunity to get an education in our schools," Haedar said, Tuesday (26/11). So, the school was transformed as a learning medium for religious tolerance.
Thus, Muhammadiyah is the pioneer of education tolerance in eastern Indonesia. Because, said Haedar, most of the students studying in Muhammadiyah educational institutions were not Muslim.
These schools stand in Christians community cncentrations. In fact, the non-Muslim students consisted for 50 to 75 percent. Haedar said, Muhammadiyah also fulfill the needs of their religious education.
"Muhammadiyah provides Christian education to [non-Muslim] students. It's a form of respect to students' beliefs," said Haedar.
He stated, this phenomenon could be found in a few islands in Indonesia, for example, in Ende, Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) predominantly Catholic.
Also in Serui, Yapen Island, Papua. Most of the residents there were Protestants. Haedar said, in these various places the role of tolerance nurtured by Muhammadiyah.
Muhammadiyah leaders were active in the religious world forums. On Wednesday (20/11), Chairman of Muhammadiyah Din Shamsuddin was appointed as Co-President of Religious for Peace, a worldwide organization of religious leaders, based in New York, United States.
According to the Secretary General of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Marsudi Syuhud, the organization also nurtured a significant step for tolerance in society. NU emphasized moderate Islam. Currently, the organization was a driving force of moderate Islam.
It was manifested through the Friendship Institute of Islamic Organizations (LPOI). NU also had developed a model of tolerance in Islamic boarding schools (pesantren) education for a long time ago in Muslim minority areas, such as in West Sumba, NTT.
Marsudi said, the region has only nine per cent Muslim population. By instilling the principles of tolerance, pesantren would be acceptable in society of non-Muslim majority. He asserted, NU was used to communicate with people from other faiths.
He explained, the efforts had been pioneered by leader and clerics of NU. Currently, NU representatives also served as Chairman of International Conference of Islamic Scholars (ICIS), namely KH Hasyim. He is a former chairman of NU.
Ed: Damanhuri Zuhri
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