REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA – Ambassador of Canada Mackenzie Clugston admits ASEAN is a region with the biggest variety of religion in the world. Indonesia has the biggest population in ASEAN and also has the most islands in the world. 

“It is the home for the big religions in the world.” Clugston said in International Conference on Religion in Public Spaces in Contemporary South East Asia, on Tueasday.

He said, Canada also had the variety on culture, ethnic, and religion. The complexity is a chance to grow better. “The chances should be studied and understood. It can also become the model for other places in the world,” he said.

Clugston further said the purpose of the conference was to grow objective approaches about various faiths in South East Asia. “This is our responsibility, government and public, to refuse the intolerance,” he added. He hopes the collective commitment can grow to prevent intolerance.

On the same occasion, Rector of State Islamic University (UIN) Syarif Hidayatullah, Komaruddin Hidayat, discourages politicians from using religion for their political means. Instead, Indonesia with its diversity must explore its potential to instigate Islamic civilization in South East Asia. 

“Every election, religious symbols is always be used for political gains,” Hidayat said. History tells, Hidayat says, that Indonesia is the place for important meeting for the unity of west and east civilization.

The Executive Director of ASEAN Foundation, Makarim Wibisono, admits the religious intolerance becomes a problem in South East Asia. Compared to other South East Asia countries, Indonesia has developed basic norms although incidents still occur from time to time.

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