Collective Home for Our Diversity
Diversity is a fact of life. With such an awareness, families are able to maintain peace despite political differences.
Despite their political differences, South Jakarta-based couple Dana, 39, and Ika, 37, still see each other as “home”.
The couple made different choices in four past elections, namely in the 2012 and 2017 Jakarta gubernatorial elections and the 2014 and 2019 presidential elections.
Dana is a loyal supporter of President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo while Ika has always voted for Prabowo Subianto. “We have [voted differently] for a long time,” said Ika at the couple’s home in Pondok Indah, South Jakarta.
Dana and Ika are not the only ones who made different political choices in the family. Members of their extended family also had their political differences. Sometimes, such differences led to heated debates on social media and in messenger groups. “We will use the occasion of Idul Fitri this year to cool things down. We will reunite the whole family,” Ika said.
A newlywed couple from Palembang, Hasan Al-Asy Ari, 30, and Liza Novita Sari, 24, had the same problem. Their wedding ceremony in Tiuh Balak Pasar, Baradatu, Way Kanan, in Lampung, went viral after the couple chose to show their political preferences along with the hand symbols on their wedding invitation. Liza chose Prabowo and Sandiaga Uno while Hasan chose Jokowi and Ma’ruf Amin.
Ari said that political differences should not tear friends and family apart. Political differences are part of democracy. Ahead of this year’s Idul Fitri, the couple chose to visit Liza’s home town of Lampung.
“We want to show our family that political differences must not tear families apart. We got married and we have no problems with our differences,” Hasan said.
The national coordinator of the Gusdurian Indonesia Network, Alissa Wahid, said that this year’s Idul Fitri should serve as a way to turn over a new leaf toward peace. Everyone must open the doors of forgiveness. Indonesia, a collective home that accommodates diversity, must be protected by all.
Living in harmony
Living in harmony amid differences is also practiced by people in Thekelan hamlet, Batur village, Getasan district, Semarang regency. People in the hamlet adhere to different faiths. A majority of them are Muslims, but there are also Buddhists, Catholics and Protestants.
On Sunday (2/6) before dusk, Muslims invited their neighbors of other faiths to join a breaking-of-the-fast event at the Abu Bakr as-Siddiq Mosque in the hamlet. “In every Ramadan, we invite people from other faiths to taste our breaking-of-the-fast meals. This tradition has been going on for a long time,” Thekelan hamlet head Supriyo, 44, said.
Tugimin, 41, who manages the Bhumika Buddhist Vihara, who attended the event, said that interfaith harmony in Thekelan was a decades-long tradition.
Differences are not reason for hostility. Everyone must respect one another’s faiths. (SKA/RAM/DIV/DIT)