Sydney, 23 May 2017
Last night, I posted a Facebook status saying "In Australia, you can find communist party to hizbut tahrir. People here fully support freedom of speech and equality. So, don't you ever think to be intolerant". I posted that status as the response of the news about an Indonesian restaurant in Sydney named "Willis Canteen". The owner was believed to be intolerant by posting a hate speech towards other group of religion on his Facebook account, in regard of the post political situation of Jakarta's governor election. As a result, the restaurant was rated very poor by people, their turnover dropped within days and nearly bankrupt now.
In Australia, and in most of other developed countries, the government does not really tell or regulate what kind of organisation or religion can exist and operate. Everyone can do anything they believe it is right for them as long as it does not harm other people. This is the way how they respect each other.
Meanwhile in Indonesia, democracy they have is a flaw democracy. Constitution guarantees the freedom of speech, to be gathered in a group, and to have a religion. But some people in Indonesia are not happy if they see some other groups have different perspective. They become so intolerant and attack those other groups.
For example, some Muslims are not happy to see other Muslims who have different maddhab (sect), such as Shia and Ahmaddiya. They say Shia and Ahmaddiya are not Islam, thus they cannot use the name of Islam. They feel if Shia and Ahmaddiya threaten and spoil the Indonesian Muslims' faith. They want to keep one true Islam in Indonesia.
But who can legitimate if their religion is the truest one among other religions? When some Indonesian Sunnis can claim their Islam is the truest one, then why can't the other maddhabs claim the same thing? Isn't it so selfish and unfair? Religion and belief is very personal business and nobody can tell you whether it is right or wrong.
Moreover, among Indonesian Muslim themselves, some groups are attacking other groups because they have different interpretations in practicing their religion, for example some extremists from HTI and FPI are not happy with moderate (or even liberal) Muslims. They become so radical in being moral police to other Muslim fellows (or even to non-Muslims). This is what I call intolerance. We don't really have the freedom after all. It is not even to mention how those intolerant groups disrespect other minorities such as Christians and LGBT communities just because they have different belief and values in life.
I really don't care whether they worship Allah, Jesus, or even if they worship a dog, a cat, or a goldfish, as long as they don't legitimate their belief to attack and kill other people. What happen now is that some Indonesian Muslims use their belief to legitimate their "intolerance" to discriminate other groups. However, they don't feel if they have been so intolerant towards other since they think they do nothing wrong by following what their religion says. This is actually the problem when people become so selfish and do not see from other people's perspective.
Of course, some other groups who have been discriminated respond and fight back. But this retaliation is regarded by Muslims as a means to discriminate and destroy Islam. Isn't it called a playing victim game?
I believe that the number of intolerant Muslims in Indonesia is insignificant. However, they gain their power by creating a fear within Islam. Many Indonesian Muslims are afraid to be labelled as sinner, infidel, or apostate. They are afraid of being judged, or being rejected by their group if they have different perspective. They have been indoctrinated not to ask anything, nor to critically think about their religion, a.k.a just believe it or leave it.
While, the other open minded Muslims and non-Muslims are usually busy with their own personal businesses. They fully support the freedom of speech and respect other people until they don't care and don't see what is coming with other people. And everything has been very late when the intolerant Muslims have controlled the rest of the people.
