Interfaith leaders in Indonesia’s Lampung province warned against the persecution of people at worship and urged communities to protect religious freedom as a fundamental human right.
Moh. Bahruddin, chairman of the Lampung Religious Harmony Forum, or FKUB, said disputes involving religious regulations should never be used to justify intimidation against people practicing their faith.
“The right to worship is the most fundamental human right,” Bahruddin said. “Never persecute anyone who is worshipping.”
He spoke during an interfaith arts and cultural celebration marking Indonesia’s 81st Independence Day at Asilo Hermelink in Bandar Lampung on Aug. 22, according to the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference.
Bahruddin said disputes involving regulations, particularly those concerning houses of worship, should be settled through legal and institutional channels rather than through intimidation or unilateral action.
He urged religious leaders to educate their communities about existing regulations so administrative disputes do not develop into conflicts among residents.
Bahruddin cited research by the University of Indonesia that placed Lampung’s religious harmony index at 80.36, above the national average of 79.
“Lampung’s harmony index has reached 80.36. That figure is above the national average of 79,” he said.
Bishop Vinsensius Setiawan Triatmojo of Tanjungkarang linked the protection of religious freedom with the broader pursuit of justice as Indonesia marked more than eight decades of independence.
“The aspiration of the Preamble to the 1945 Constitution: an Indonesia that is sovereign, just and prosperous,” the bishop said.
Triatmojo said justice should not be measured only by whether the needs of the majority are met, but also by how society treats those who are weakest and most in need.
“The people who are most in need must be given our primary attention,” he said.
The Tanjungkarang Diocese’s Commission for the Lay Apostolate and Interreligious Affairs organized the gathering with FKUB Lampung under the theme, “Through Arts and Culture, We Fill Independence by Nurturing Tolerance, Harmony and Peace in the Land of Lampung.”
Muslim, Catholic, Protestant, Hindu, Buddhist, and traditional belief communities took part in the event.
Organizing committee chairman Chrisantus Tri said diversity should be recognized as a national strength.
“Differences are an inevitability that must be accepted as the richness of the nation,” he said.
Asilo Hermelink, a facility of the Tanjungkarang Diocese, serves as a venue for education, interfaith encounters, and humanitarian programs. Wardoyo, who oversees the center, said it provides free meals to 300 to 400 people each week through its Selasih, or Selasa Kasih, program.
“The cost of creating that harmony is very high. That is why the bishop offers this place for free,” Wardoyo said.
The celebration featured traditional dances, poetry, and music, including a joint performance by Catholic and Muhammadiyah groups of patriotic and peace songs.
