“Laporan ini menunjukkan bahwa dalam banyak kasus, Pilkada turut berperan dalam terciptanya struktur kesempatan politik yang memungkinkan mobilisasi dan peran kekuatan-kekuatan sosial yang mengusung ideologi intoleran.”

Laporan Kehidupan Beragama di Indonesia ini mengkaji peran pilkada sebagai struktur kesempatan politik bagi menguatnya konflik atau kekerasan keagamaan. Tanpa bermaksud mendelegitimasi Pilkada langsung, Laporan ini mengulas tiga kasus kekerasan terkait hubungan antar dan intra-agama. Ketiga kasus ini dihadirkan untuk memberi ilustrasi pentingnya mengantisipasi efek samping dari Pilkada terhadap situasi keragaman agama di Indonesia.
Ketiga Kasus tersebut adalah kekerasan terhadap Masjid Ahmadiyah dan beberapa gereja di Bekasi (Jawa Barat), kekerasan terhadap penganut Syiah di Sampang (Jawa Timur), dan sengketa pembangunan Masjid Nur Musafir di Kelurahan Batuplat, Kota Kupang (Nusa Tenggara Timur). Ketiga kasus ini dipilih untuk memberikan ilustrasi tentang pentingnya memperhatikan Pilkada sebagai masa kritis yang bisa menentukan pola hubungan antar-agama.
Dengan demikian, bertujuan untuk memberikan pemahaman mengenai peta permasalahan terkait kehidupan beragama, beberapa karakternya, dan peluang-peluang atau cara-cara konstruktif untuk menanggapinya. Hasil pemetaan menunjukkan bahwa sesungguhnya selama 15 tahun terakhir ini, ada beberapa jenis isu utama yang muncul secara konsisten. Misalnya, sementara kekerasan komunal berskala besar cenderung menurun secara tajam, namun kekerasankekerasan sporadis yang terkait dengan “penodaan agama” atau isu pembangunan rumah ibadah tampak makin intens; isu lain yang kerap muncul sebagai akibat demokratisasi adalah menguatnya wacana pro-kontra terkait pembuatan kebijakankebijakan publik, baik pada tingkat nasional maupun lokal.
Laporan ini bisa diunduh: http://wp.me/P5Fa8A-4P

Ahmad Khotim Muzakka*

Penulis Buku: Budi Asyhari-Afwan
Penerbit : CRCS-UGM
Tahun terbit : Januari 2015
Halaman : 86
Harga : Rp. 25.000

Download Mutiara Terpendam Papua

Buku bertajuk Mutiara Terpendam Papua, Potensi Kearifan Lokal untuk Perdamaian di Tanah Papua karya Budi Asyhari-Afwan ini mengajak pembaca untuk melihat persoalan mendasar yang dihadapi masyarakat Papua. Staf peneliti di Divisi Riset dan Data Center CRCS UGM ini, dalam kata pengantarnya, memfokuskan kajiannya kali ini pada kekayaan budaya suku-suku bangsa di Papua. Satu hal yang, menurut penulis buku ini, jarang ditempuh oleh peneliti dalam konteks Papua karena, selama ini, Papua hanya dilihat dari kacamata politik, konflik, dan sumber daya alamanya semata.

Problem keragaman seperti konflik rumah ibadah dan intoleransi selama ini seringkali dipahami sebagai akibat dari menguatnya radikalisme keagamaan. Namun tulisan-tulisan dalam buku ini memberikan gambaran yang berbeda. Secara umum relasi antar kelompok identitas ditempatkan dalam dua bentuk: kontestasi dan koeksistensi. Istilah kontestasi digunakan untuk menunjukkan bahwa konflik-konflik sosial keagamaan yang belakangan banyak terjadi tidak dapat dilepaskan dari perubahan sosial politik di Indonesia yang menunjukkan menguatnya perebutan kendali atas ruang publik oleh kekuatan-kekuatan sosial di Masyarakat. Untunglah kontestasi ini bukanlah gambaran tunggal: beberapa tulisan dalam buku ini mengangkat tradisi di masyarakat plural yang menjadi mekanisme pengelolaan keragaman secara damai atau dapat disebut koeksistensi. Kedua jenis relasi ini diharapkan dapat membuka jendela untuk mengeksplorasi ragam praktik pengelolaan keragaman di Indonesia secara jernih dan bernuansa.

Laman ini menampilkan rekam bibliografi tentang kehidupan beragama di Indonesia, dengan tema penyesatan dan penodaan agama di Indonesia yang berasal dari sumber koran, majalah, buku, jurnal ilmiah, skripsi maupun tesis. Sebagian besar bibliografi, tersedia link akses artikel penuh.
Wacana penyesatan dan penodaan agama niscaya terjadi di semua agama. Wacana tersebut merepresentasikan problem intra agama di mana kelompok mainstream menyesatkan kelompok lain yang berbeda tapi masih dalam satu agama atau memiliki kesamaan sebagian tradisi keagamaan dengannya. pemberlakuan undang-undang no. 1/PNPS/1965 memiliki banyak kelemahan salah satunya karena dikriminatif. Pada umumnya kelompok yang dituduh sesat selalu merupakan kelompok kecil di tengah masyarakat dengan pandangan keagamaan mainstream.
Selama tiga tahun (2008, 2009, 2010) CRCS berturut-turut merekam kasus-kasus penistaan dan penodaan agama, silahkan lihat laporan tahunan:
Peraturan Perundang-undangan dan Fatwa MUI

In general, the religious community in Indonesia was able to portray itself as powerful in strengthening cohesion, developing peace, and contributing to a constructive form of social criticism. But on the other hand some religious groups still played a role in acting destructively and igniting conflict.
Efforts to strengthen the cohesion of society were put into practice both communally and as initiated by individuals, as well as through government.
At government level, inter-religious encounters were actively facilitated by the Ministry of Religious Affairs through several institutions, such as the Center for Religious Harmony. Perhaps less widely known is that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs through the Directorate of Public Diplomacy participated actively in initiating inter-religious dialogue, mostly at regional and international levels. The dialogue involves not only religious leaders but also young people, academics, and the media, in international meetings in Indonesia or abroad. In 2009 the Directorate participated in forums such as the fifth Asia Pacific-level inter-religious dialogue meeting held in Australia; the Asia-Europe Meeting (in the ASEM context), also the fifth, held in Seoul; bilateral inter-religious dialogue with Austria and Russia; and the high-level Alliance of Civilizations meeting, which is a UN initiative, held in Turkey. It must be acknowledged that the Directorate of Public Diplomacy was established in 2002 (and began inter-religious dialogue in 2004), partly in the shadow of global concerns over religion-based violence after the events of 9/11 (2001) in the U.S. and the 2002 Bali bombings. After operating for over five years, it is now important to evaluate the impact of its activities. This includes the fundamental question of whether the paradigm of the dialogues it sponsored, formed partly in response to the above global concerns and accusations of Indonesia as a node in a terrorism network, is still appropriate or needs to be modified to be more constructive, and whether its activities should move beyond simply a showcase of the so-called Indonesian religious harmony.
At the local community level, 2009 manifested many positive examples of inter-community relations.
BOOKS

Since the Bali bombing attacks in 2002, terrorism, especially those involving Muslim perpetrators and done with islamic motivation associated with them, became one of the issues that characterize the religious life of Indonesia. Measures to deal done fairly systematically. In this regard, the Indonesian police often gets credit for the success they catch the perpetrators and the people in this terrorist network. Condemnation of the bombers came from many religious leaders and community organizations. Although there appears to be a tendency to decrease the number of cases, terrorism obviously has not disappeared from Indonesia.

Agama dan Budaya Lokal merupakan dua isu yang belakangan ini mendapat banyak perhatian tidak hanya kaum terdidik namun juga masyarakat luas. Perhatian ini terutama didorong oleh maraknya kasus kekerasan atas nama Agama di berbagai wilayah di Indonesia. Fenomena kekerasan atas nama Agama ini mendorong orang untuk menengok ke dalam peranan Agama dalam masyarakat. Kekerasan itu misalnya berbentuk “penyesatan” atas kelompok dalam Agama. Bentuk lain adalah “peminggiran” terhadap apa yang disebut dengan istilah “agama lokal” atau agama yang dipengaruhi budaya lokal setempat. Dari sini kemudian muncul istilah Agama resmi dan agama non-resmi.

Sebagaimana Laporan Tahunan Kehidupan Beragama di Indonesia yang diterbitkan CRCS tahun 2008, 2009 dan 2010, keberadaan Ahmadiyah di Indonesia sarat kontroversi semenjak kedatangannya pada tahun 1920-an hingga sekarang. Kontestasi antara Muslim mainstream dengan Ahmadiyah semakin terlembagakan setelah penerbitan fatwa MUI tentang Ahmadiyah Qadiyan tahun 1980. Lalu dilanjutkan dengan fatwa tahun 2005. Di luar masalah tersebut, peran Negara dalam mengatur kehidupan beargama juga berkontribusi terhadap permalahan Ahmadiyah di Indonesia, Penerbitan SKB Tiga Menteri tahun 2008 telah memberikan ekses negatif yaitu penyerangan terhadap kelompok dan rumah ibadah Jamaah Ahmadiyah.
Laman ini menyediakan database bibliografi tentang kehidupan beragama di Indonesia dengan tema Kontroversi Ahmadiyah di Indonesia. Cakupan sumber yang terdapat dalam laman ini terdiri dari sumber koran, kertas kerja, artikel, jurnal ilmiah, buku, skripsi, dan tesis. Sebagian besar bibliografi tersedia tautan link akses artikel penuh.
Selanjutnya, silahkan lihat Laporan Tahunan Kehidupan Beragama di Indonesia tahun 2008, 2009dan 2010
Laporan Tahunan dan Investigatif

Laman ini menyediakan sumber-sumber literature perjumpaan antara agama-agama dunia dengan kearifan, penghayat kepercayaan atupun filosofi suku tertentu di Indonesia. Perjumpaan tersebut  meniscayakan lahirnya akulturasi, sinkretisisasi hingga kontestasi dalam prinsip-prinsip dasar yang dianut pemeluk masing-masing agama atau keyakinan. Hal ini tercermin dari banyaknya kekhasan ajaran yang dimiliki oleh suku tertentu sebagaimana tergambarakan dalam database literature di bawah ini.
Sedangkan dalam hubungannya dengan negara, penerbitan UU No. 23 tahun 2006 tentang Administrasi Kependudukan merupakan salah satu indikator kemajuan legislasi dalam bidang kebebasan beragama dan berkeyakinan di era reformasi yang antara lain memberikan jaminan hak sipil lebih luas bagi warga penghayat kepercayaan, disini identitas keagamaan dan sipil menjadi penting sebagai salah satu syarat pemenuhan hak sebagai warga Negara semisal terkait dengan KTP, SIM dll.
CRCS secara berkesinambungan mengupas isu di atas dalam setiap laporan tahunannya (2008-2010), namun untuk informasi terkini terdapat dalam laporan kehidupan kehidupan beragama tahun 2010.
Surat Kabar/majalah/artikel lepas

Problems Relating to Places of Worship in Indonesia Series of Bibliographic Database on Religious Life in Indonesia Places of worship in Indonesia are not only spaces for worship and conducting religious and social activities, but also symbols of the interaction between religious groups and their acceptance and rejection from their surrounding environments. In most cases places of worship of different religions coexist side by side and some even share use of a single wall; but sometimes the establishment and existence of places of worship bring about controversy.
Among the religious buildings adjoining each other, to name a few, in Malang, East Java, Jami’ mosque in the city of Malang is adjacent to the GPIB church. There is also Perbandhak Gurdwara, a Sikh house of worship, located right next to the Shri Mariamman Hindu temple on Jl. Tengku Umar in Medan. And in the city of Banten the Grand Mosque is adjacent to the Catholic Church. Also related to this interesting latter example, the main wall of the GKJ church literally adjoins the Al-Hikmah mosque in Joyodiningratan Surakarta, Central Java.
Among some of the examples, in 2009 in Fakfak district, West Papua, the residents of Urat Village celebrated the commencement of construction of the Shollaturrahim mosque. Construction of the mosque did not appear at all exclusive, but rather in fact reflected the villagers’ sense of togetherness. On June 6, 2009 village residents feasted merrily with traditional dances after the laying of the mosque foundations. Mothers, fathers, and teenagers danced to the tifa drum and flute. In the district of West Papua, government officials were also at ease visiting from one place of worship to another of differing religions. On June 11, 2009 the Vice Governor of West Papua visited mosques and churches on the same day. And this occurred not only at the executive level: as part of social activities, ranks of the Sorong Military Command 171/PVP in the Indonesian National Armed Forces performed devotional services with communities in the construction of Getsamani church in Sorong. Thus far we can see that processes of inter-religious cohesion remain strong at the community level. The government often actively encourages the efforts of inter-religious cooperation in the community. The state of harmonious interfaith relations and cooperation between religious communities may still be seen as a mirror of the general situation in Indonesia.
Nevertheless, undeniably conflict and even violence related to places of worship still occurred in several places. In terms of regions, areas in western Java (DKI Jakarta and West Java) need special attention because quite a number of problems have arisen there. There are various kinds of problems in relation to houses of worship, such as the absence of the permit to build a place of worship, the illegitimate occupation of public facilities for the purpose of holding religious services, as well as the opposition to the existence of certain places of worship by neighboring inhabitants. In 2008, CRCS’s Annual Report on Religious Life in Indonesia found 12 cases related to places of worship; in 2009, that number had risen to 19; andin 2010, that number has increased significantly to more than its double. Such statistics illustrate how cases involving houses of worship in Indonesia are still a problem that must be taken seriously by various parties.
(excerpted from CRCS’s 2009 Annual Report on Religious Life in Indonesia)
 
NEWSPAPERS/MAGAZINES
The Problem Houses of Worship 1945

Menyebut etnis Dayak pada hari-hari ini barangkali lebih gampang membangkitkan imajinasi yang tidak mengenakkan di pikiran banyak orang, terutama setelah sejumlah konflik komunal berdarah yang melibatkan etnis ini dalam kurang lebih sepuluh tahun terakhir. Tetapi laporan penelitian ini menyajikan sesuatu yang lain, yakni kemampuan orang Dayak Meratus (dan juga orang Banjar) membangun kapasitas mereka untuk hidup berdampingan secara damai dalam kondisi yang tidak sepenuhnya memuaskan.
Penelitian ini berusaha melihat relasi antara etnis Dayak dan Banjar: bagaimana negosiasi-negosiasi identitas terjadi di antara keduanya, apa saja potensi-potensi konflik antarkedua etnis tersebut, dan secara umum kaitannya dengan berbagai faktor yang dapat menyebabkan terciptanya hubungan baik antara etnis Dayak Meratus dan Banjar atau sebaliknya.
Di desa Loksado, dengan komposisi penduduk yang menganut tiga agama relatif seimbang, konflik, negosiasi identitas cenderung lebih menonjol. Konflik tampaknya lebih potensial antara penganut Islam dan Kristen, ketimbang antara penganut kedua agama tersebut dengan penganut agama lokal (Agama Balian/Kaharingan). Dalam pola hubungan antaretnis dan agama itu, negara cukup berperan, terutama dalam kaitannya dengan kebijakan pembangunan untuk “masyarakat terasing” yang melibatkan misionaris Kristen, penentuan agama-agama resmi yang tidak mengakui agama lokal, dan keterlibatan aparat negara yang didominasi oleh orang Banjar Muslim dalam membantu perkembangan dakwah Islam di daerah ini.
Hubungan sosial di sini memang tidak selamanya harmonis. Kadang-kadang ketegangan terjadi, terutama menyangkut soal perbatasan tanah dan kebakaran lahan, namun belum pernah sampai mewujud dalam bentuk konflik komunal yang keras. Adannya “pembagian” ragam mata pencaharian tampaknya berhasil mencegah terjadinya kesenjangan sosial ekonomi yang menyolok di antara para penduduk dengan tiga identitas agama tersebut, dan dengan demikian ketegangan tidak menjelma menjadi konflik yang keras.

Since 2008, Pluralism Knowledge Programme Indonesia has been producing some publications: annual reports on religious life in Indonesia, a position paper on religious defamation, and a series of monograph based on research findings on religious problems in some provinces of Indonesia.


 

 

Abstract:
In 2000, we have witnessed the widespread phenomenon of the Islamist movement in various high schools in Indonesia. In the initial stage, the target was university students, nowdays the target was senior high school students. The movement was initatiated by the students’ organization call Rohis (Islamic organization in Senior High School). Rohis politically is known to have a network with Islamist movements outside the schools atmosphere.
They mentored students in the schools toward Islamic culture. They imposed the regulation upon the female students to keep the long head scarves. They also imposed the strict regulation of maintaning a distence between male and female students. The implication of such rules in the schools which is the common space for people from different background are enrolled, is imposed toward monoculture. This norm has become a challenges for some Muslim students who do not want to reveal their religious identity and also a threat for non- Muslims students.
This research was conducted in three major senior high schools in Yogyakarta to explore the practices and impact of Islamization in public schools space. To identity the responses of the students toward the regulation and to look at the goal of the individual organization functionaries who attempt to enforce people exclusive under the single religious norms or culture. There are also number of students who refused to accept and did not follow the regulation. Students who fought against the regulation could be understood as one of the examples toward maintaining the pluralism in the society. This exemplary initiative will lead us to social transformation, building peace, harmony and social justice.
Contents:
Kata Pengantar
Ucapan terima kasih
Glosarium
Abstrak
A. Latar Belakang

Healthy pluralism requires space for all religious adherents to worship and construct places of worship in accordance with their convictions. The state should protect this right as an essential matter, Despite this normative ideal, there is still much controversy surrounding the construction of places of worship in Indonesia. In the last few years, the planned construction of a number of places of worship has been disputed, although others have been able to overcome these problems by relying on different strategies.
This research seeks to examine the factors that play a role in initiating and resolving conflict over places of worship. Places of worship are specifically limited in this study to Catholic churches and Protestant churches that are members of the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (Persekutuan Gereja-gereja di Indonesia, PGI).
The methods used were participant observation and in-depth interviews of church members representing one of four categories: (1) undisputed churches; (2) disputed churches that have since resolved the dispute; (3) originally undisputed churches that have since become disputed; and (4) churches that have never been able to resolve the dispute.
Based on thirteen case studies, the research on which this report is based confirms the influential role of state regulation and social factors. The cases show that the obstacles some churches experience are generally related to weak government agencies due to political, social or ideological reasons. In terms of social factors, demographic factors were not found to have an influence. Resistance to churches was more often caused by a lack of communication, or provocation or intimidation by specific groups. After describing and analysing the thirteen cases selected, this monograph closes with conclusions and recommendations.
Download PDF Version.

SUMMARY
The Problem of building churches in Indonesia has been a long threat among the believers in Indonesia. There were many changes taken place both in the government and the state level in revising the rules towards the maintainence of religious diversity, but no transformation has taken place to end the issue. The constant fear is the tension exist among the people which leads toward escalating conflicts. The formation of People of Religious Forum after the reformation era and the joint effort initiative between the government and Ministerial Regulation of 2006, still did not solve the problem. There are many other factors that need to be thoroughly examined.
This monograph is the result of the research done by the Research Team CRCS and other patners like Paramadina Foundation, Master of Peace and Conflict Resolution Gadjah Mada University (UGM) and the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP).
The research was done to analyze the problem of establishing church buildings in Jakarta and surrounding areas. This study also aim to look at the role played both toward escalating and de-escalating the conflicts in the particular field
In addition to the existing problems of the state regulatory, the research have also found the lack of communication between church leaders and some group of people, that resulted in provocating and intimidation. Such weaknesses has become a good lesson for every citizen to develop the importance of communication among one another to build a good relationship and mutual understanding. Thus, every citizen will benefit the atmosphere of living together in unity and strength.
CONTENTS
Kata Pengantar
Abstrak
Glosari
Pendahuluan: Genealogi Kontroversi Ruang Suci

SUMMARY
Pluralisme Kewargaan: Arah Baru Politik Keragaman di Indonesia (Civic Pluralism: New Directions of Politics of Diversity in Indonesia) seeks to shows some real efforts discussing current issues related to negotiations of state discourses in society. This book not only offers a new concept of how to analyze society negotiates the state, but provides also several discouse domains in which the public authority actually plays important role in processing and managing diversity. Written by some academics-cum-activists, make this book finds its significant, both for academic discussion and debate as well as social guides for policy makers.
CONTENT;
Kata pengantar
Bab 1. Pluralisme Kewargaan: Dari Teologi ke Politik

Laporan ini terdiri dari 3 bagian. Bagian pertama, mengulas rentetan bencana alam yang melanda Indonesia pada tahun 2010 (Banjir Bandang Wasior Papua Barat, Tsunami Mentawai Sumatera Barat, dan Letusan Gunung Merapi Jateng-DIY), penanganan kasus terorisme atas nama agama, dan UU Pornografi. Bagian kedua membahas 39 kasus rumah ibadah, dan tuduhan penyesatan. Bagian ketiga mengulas kehadiran agama dalam ranah kebijakan publik dan politik, khususnya politik lokal, seperti: UU Pencegahan Penodaan Agama, RUU Kerukunan Umat Beragama, keterlibatan agama yang terjadi pada Pemilukada 2010 (sekitar 200-an Pemilukada).

This article explains Zainal Abidin Bagir responds to R. Scott Appleby’s article “Fundamentalisms, Secular and Otherwise” in Open Democracy. Zainal pointed fundamental problems with how religion and religious community abroad are represented in the report and many seem to come from the use of American national security interests as the framework.
USEFUL LINK:

• Full article of “On Equal Terms, Please”

Laporan 2009 ini terdiri dari tiga bagian. Pertama, menyangkut peraturan dan hukum yang terkait agama, di antaranya Perda dan Raperda terkait Islam, UU Kesehatan, serta RUU Jaminan Produk Halal. Kedua, membahas kasus-kasus pertentangan dalam masyarakat terkait agama seperti 18 kasus Rumah Ibadah, serta wacana penyesatan dan penodaan agama terutama kasus Ahmadiyah. Ketiga, menelaah peran agama dalam kampanye Pemilu 2009 dan fenomena film yang merepresentasikan agama.

In this paper, Prof. Sitharamam Kakarala presented an interesting review of the conceptual approaches and strategic actions of human rights – and secular action groups in complex plural societies. His analysis particularly referred to the context of communal violence and conflict issues in contemporary India. He explores salient concerns around religious pluralism and relates them to issues of caste, gender and ethnicity. The paper shows that the inadequacy problem is not confined to civil society practice. Similar struggles can be identified in the realm of social theory development. Concisely the paper explores recent theoretical challenges to the “too simplistic dichotomy between the universal and the particular in understanding the ideals of democracy, human rights” and other core concepts which are closely related to pluralism. The paper goes on to identify a number of key lessons and emerging scenarios which creatively challenge our thinking about social theory and social action for pluralism.

In this paper Justice Aftab Alama proposes to present a perspective on the role of the Supreme Court of India in upholding the ideal of secularism while balancing the interests of a deeply plural society like India. He will try to cover, very broadly, three areas; one concerning community based rights or minority rights and how in recent years the Court has tended to give priority to individual rights and freedom over community based rights; two how the Court has perceived secularism and how in some of its later decisions it has tended to take a mono-culturist rather than a pluralist view of secularism and third, how the Court has tried to regulate the State’s intervention in religious affairs.

Kehidupan relasi keagamaan di Indonesia tahun 2008 masih banyak diwarnai praktik kekerasan (fisik). Sejauh catatan riset ini, kelompok Ahmadiyah adalah korban kekerasan keagamaan terbesar. Tidak kurang dari 20 peristiwa kekerasan menimpa kelompok ini. Kasus konflik keagamaan di seputar keberadaan rumah ibadah masih banyak. Dalam catatan riset ini setidaknya terdapat 12 kasus yang menyangkut masalah keberadaan rumah ibadah. Kekerasan juga masih terjadi pada kelompok agama lokal seperti di Yogyakarta dan di Sulawesi Tengah. Pemahaman tentang keberadaan kelompok agama-agama lokal dengan berbagai hak sivik yang melekat pada mereka merupakan pemahaman yang urgen untuk disosialisasikan di masyarakat. Tahun 2008 masih banyak diwarnai oleh praktik kekerasan terhadap perempuan yang antara lain disebabkan tafsir agama yang patriarkhis dan pandangan materialis yang menempatkan tubuh perempuan sebagai objek.

This working paper presents two interesting examples of ‘practices of pluralism’ in Indonesia. The Authors, Farid Wajidi and Darmiyanti Muchtar work in the NGO sector and participate in the Regional Team of the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge program in Indonesia. Both describe their engagement with the challenges they meet when trying to effectively promote pluralism in local communities.

On the 10th of September 2009, violent unrest broke out in Kampala, the capital of Uganda in East Africa. Groups of youngsters attacked people and destroyed property. Police and army responded with force. Within two or three days, 27 people were killed and many more injured. Journalists were arrested and hundreds of people taken into custody. In this paper, Emily Drani and John De Coninck of CCFU reflect on the September riots. The conversation took place in October 2009, when Ute Seela, co-chair of the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme visited them to discuss ongoing work. The conversation sheds new light on the background of the unrest and its implications for the work of the knowledge programme in Uganda.

This paper is a presentation of Professor Abdullahi Ahmed An-Na’im when he was invited to deliver a keynote speech at the conference “Promoting Pluralism through Civic Reason: Rethinking Secularism” in Utrecht, The Netherlands on the 25th and 26th of May 2009. The conference was initiated by the Kosmopolis Institute of the University for Humanistics and organized in cooperation with Hivos. In his presentation, An-Na’im discussed the highlights of the first chapter of his noteworthy book, “Islam and the Secular State” (2008). In his presentation, An-Na’im presented his key ideas on the secular and offered valuable insights for the Promoting Pluralism Knowledge Programme. The regional coordinators from the Indonesia program, Dr. Zainal Abidin Bagir, and the coordinator from the India program, Prof Sitharamam Kakarala, both responded to An-Na’im at the conference. All three contributions are included in this paper.

This paper is written by Henk Manschot & Caroline Suransky. They indicate that, “There is a special relationship between modernity and humanism, particularly since the Enlightenment.” They share many basic values such as autonomy, civil equality before the law and democracy. They both defend the separation of church and state and advocate the existence of a secular public sphere and of public morality as solid foundations of society. However, in the past decennia, the project of modernity has increasingly come under siege internationally and its key values are challenged from many perspectives. There are philosophical and theological critiques, as well as challenges from the field of political theory. Throughout the globe, fundamental questions have been raised about the meaning and impact of modernity from within diverging political and religious movements, particularly from non-western locations. With modernity heavily in dispute, modern humanism too seems challenged to rethink its own relationship with modernity. The authors argue that this is particularly so in terms of the separation of church and state and with regard to the incongruity of the secular and the religious, something that modern mainstream humanism so far has considered to be fundamental for modern societies.

This study looks at the practice and discourse of pluralism in contemporary Indonesia. The time period covered here is from 1998 until end of 2007, which is marked by, among other things, two significant events: the Reformasi of May 1998 in the specifically Indonesian context, and the 9/11 attacks in the US as the main global context. The main issues of the study are practice and discourse of pluralism. The practice is covered by two components: a portrait of Indonesian Muslims in terms of their views and attitude toward the others, by reviewing empirical surveys; and a review of governmental policies with regard to religion, especially freedom of religion. The discourse component is shown in the features exhibited in the discourse by the supporters and opponents of the idea, based on their writings in newspapers, magazines, journals, and books. The practice and discourse of pluralism is translated here as about views and attitudes of a religious community (or persons) toward the religious others. The focus is here is on Muslims.

This Report is made based on the result of research on the mapping of pro-pluralism movement in Indonesia with the focused issue on pattern of transformation and the use of knowledge. The research used combined method between the review of literature, field research and focused group discussion (FGD). The field research was carried out during the period of February to March 2008. The research interviewed on average 5 organizations and 4 individual informants for each region. Those selected are in general advocacy-based organizations or grass-root organizations by having to consider the representation proportion between secular, religious and women’s groups. This research focused more to the effort in mapping the type and pattern of knowledge developed by the pro-pluralism groups during the post New Order era, as well as the transformation process of that knowledge into their program or activities. This report contains two basic essences. First is the context of the emergence of pro-pluralism movement as well as the challenges. This means this research should be able to present a more complete context on various factors affecting the emergence and development of this particular movement as well as the actual challenges faced nowadays. Secondly is that it is related to various findings. In this part there are six primary themes presented, which are the responses and roles of pro-pluralism actors; endeavored issues; the use of knowledge; the knot of knowledge among the academics and pro-pluralism activists; typology of the knowledge; and the method of knowledge transfer. The last two issues are the important ones that bundled into the recommendations of this research.