Jointly Fighting Against the Hate Virus

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

A visitor leaves a message of peace at the 2020 Convey Day tolerance festival in Jakarta on Monday (17/2/2020). The activity, which took the theme "Be Inspiring, Be Tolerant", was filled with stories and life experiences about tolerance from people who have long been engaged in peacebuilding efforts without much public attention. This activity to protect diversity encourages every education agent to inspire others by being tolerant in the midst of the diversity of the Indonesian people.

When global citizens are jointly fighting against a new coronavirus, there are other viruses that must be dealt with. Prejudice and hatred, now, also spread like viruses.

As reported by Kompas, prejudice and hatred on the basis of ethnic, religious, racial and intergroup differences are like viruses, continuing to spread and infecting many people everywhere. Not only in Indonesia, the intolerance virus has also infected a number of developed countries (Kompas, 18/2/2020).

From various data sources it would even appear that the distribution of the intolerance virus is tending to increase. The Religious Affairs Ministry, late last year, published the index of religious harmony in Indonesia in 2019, with a nationwide score of 73.83. The province with the highest religious harmony index was West Papua with a score of 80. Aceh province had the lowest score, 60. The index of religious harmony in 2019 was higher than 2018, at 70.9. However, the religious harmony index in 2019 was lower than in 2015, 75.36. The index deals with tolerance, cooperation and equality.

The Economist Intelligence Unit links democracy with tolerance. Indonesia\'s democracy index in 2019, out of 165 countries being assessed, tended to be stagnant, with a civil liberty aspect score of 5.59 on a scale of 10. The greater the value, the better the condition. Civil liberties are related to tolerance, freedom of religion and a lack of religious and racial based discrimination. The Pew Research Center also shows that since 2007 the level of intolerance in Indonesia has tended to rise. Indonesia is vulnerable to radicalism.

The viruses of prejudice and hatred on the basis of differences have penetrated the schools as well. Cases of bullying based on differences feature in the mass media with many of the perpetrators still students. In educational institutions, as regulated in Law No. 20/2003 on the National Education System, the principles of education include democracy, fairness and non-discrimination and the upholding of human rights, religious values, cultural values and national pluralism.

Cases of violence in the community on the basis of differences are also rife, especially before and during general elections and regional elections. Throughout 2018, the Communications and Information Ministry handled 1.5 million items of negative content, including hate speech. In 2019, the public reported 431,065 complaints about negative content. There is a saying in Arabic, ikhtilafuhum rohmah (difference is mercy).

KOMPAS/PRIYOMBODO

Invited guests sing the national anthem at the opening of the Convey Day 2020 event in Jakarta on Monday (17/2/2020). The activity, which took the theme "Be Inspiring, Be Tolerant", was filled with stories and life experiences about tolerance from people who have long been engaged in peacebuilding efforts without much public attention. This activity to protect diversity encourages every education agent to inspire others by being tolerant in the midst of the diversity of the Indonesian people.

Open dialogue among different groups, carried out as early as possible, is believed to be an effective way to build togetherness. In Jakarta on Monday (17/2/2020) the 2020 Convey Day Tolerance Festival titled "Be Inspiring, Be Tolerant" stated that togetherness and openness are important in eroding prejudice and hatred on the basis of differences. Azyumardi Azra, a professor at the Jakarta State Islamic University, also pointed out that crime based on hatred could cause Indonesia to disintegrate and fall apart. Let\'s fight against the prejudice and hate viruses.