Intolerance Must Be Buried To Revive Peace in Tolikara

Fears that people's unity and integrity could be possibly disrupted are reasonable if people start reacting with intolerance on some of the most sensitive issues of religion, race, group and ethnicity (SARA).

During the regime of former president Soeharto, SARA issues were compared to 'dangerous' mines that could explode when hit. Therefore, religious, racial, group and ethnicity enmity should be buried at the bottom of the earth.

So, irrespective of who it is who tried to stoke SARA issues and offend people, the government should not hesitate to uphold the law if it wants to maintain peace and prevent other extremists to take the law in their own hands.

Regarding the Tolikara incident, the government hold up the majesty of the law and track down the perpetrators behind the incidents. Religious, community and tribal leaders can jointly agree to maintain unity, but if the government failed to act against the perpetrators, the problem can emerge yet again.

After all, some fear that the Tolikara incident of intolerance in Papua  was only a tip of the iceberg that needs serious addressing. And one cannot bring about a thaw with just meetings and talks among religious leaders.

"The grassroot people have to be involved," chairman of the Hajj and Umrah Association of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PP Asbihu NU), KH. Hafidz Taftazani, said on Friday.

Hafids said it was high time and urgent for the country to have a nationally effective regulation regarding religious tolerance.

Fortunately, the police are now moving speedily. Of course, the people hope they will reveal the culprits and send them to the court in a transparent fashion. Police should act against the perpetrators regardless of their religions and status.

The police have questioned 50 people as witnesses in connection with the incident that took place in Karubaga district in Tolikara, Papua, on Eid ul Fitr on Friday, July 17, the Papua police chief said.

A group of people, believed to be members of the Evangelical Church of Indonesia (GIDI), went to the Baitul Mustaqin Mosque in Tolikara when Muslims were performing Eid prayers on Friday. They protested against the use of a loudspeaker during the prayer service, claiming it was disturbing an event being held at their church at the same time.

One Muslim house of prayer and about 70 kiosks were set on fire.

"The police are still questioning people who had directly witnessed the incident when Muslims were performing Eid prayers," Inspector General Yotje Mende, the Papua police chief, stated on Friday.

He pointed out that the 50 witnesses included 27 civilians and 23 police officers who were present at the scene when the clashes occurred.

Besides interrogating the 50 witnesses, the police have also named two suspects in the case. They have been detained at the headquarters of the Papua Police Command in Jayapura for further investigation.

Both suspects, who worked in a bank in Karubaga, were arrested on Thursday, July 23.

According to Mende, the suspects were arrested because the police have enough preliminary evidence against them, based on statements of the witnesses and video footage of the incident.

In the meantime, the Devotees' Committee of Tolikara (Komat Tolikara) has urged the Muslims to maintain peace following the tragic clash on Friday.    Komat Tolikara is an organization formed by Indonesian ulemas after the clashes in the district.

Hidayat Nur Wahid, a member of Komat Tolikara, said Muslims should not be easily provoked because of the incident and must uphold unity of the nation.

"Muslims should not be provoked easily and worsen the situation, as this can be manipulated by other parties to undermine the country's unity," he stated on Thursday.

Chairman of the Legal Affairs of the Komat Tolikara, Didin Hafidhuddin, said the incident should not disrupt the integrity of the state. Such an incident as the one that occurred in Karubaga, the capital of Tolikara District, Papua, should not happen again in Indonesia.

"We should work hand-in-hand with the police and the military to maintain the country's integrity. The Komat Tolikar does not want the presence of any group that bans any other group from performing their religious rituals," Didin Hafidhuddin told a press conference on Friday.

In the meantime, Chief security minister Tedjo Edhy Purdijatno said Saturday that the situation in Tolikara, Papua, had remained peaceful following a riot on July 17.

"The situation is now peaceful. That is the important thing. I reiterate that Tolikara has been peaceful. I was also assured about it at a Regional Leaders' Communication Forum (Forkompimda) meeting yesterday," he said.

He added that the situation had been confirmed as peaceful based on reports from various parties, including security agencies, religious figures and Papuan executives.

"According to the reports that I received, including from you, the journalists, Friday prayers had been held peacefully yesterday in Karubaga. There were no prohibitions or disruptions," he said.

The Forkompimda of Papua Province will be able to resolve the Tolikara incident, he said.

"In a meeting, local leaders from all sides said they will be able to resolve the Tolikara incident," Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Tedjo Edy Purdijatno, said here on Saturday.

The minister said the local forum expressed its commitment to resolve the problem during a meeting at the governor's office where the Tolikara incident was discussed.

"The Muslims and Christians themselves had asked to solve their problems in Tolikara. They asked the authorities that they want to resolve their own problems. The statement was made by religious figures of Papua such as Toni Wangga, including those from the Indonesian largest Muslim organization NU," he said.