Caring for religious tolerance to accelerate Papua's development

The people of Papua Province are known to be very diverse with various ethnicities, tribes, religions, languages, cultures and customs. However, in social life, tolerance among religious people in "Bumi Cenderawasih" is known to be very harmonious and peaceful.

Conducive inter-religious life is a big capital to build a more prosperous and just Papuan land within the framework of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).

"People's lives in Papua are very tolerant and live side by side with anyone. This is none other than because Papuans really value tolerance for inter-religious life," said the Chairperson of the Papuan Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) KH Syaiful Islam Payage while visiting Muslims and inaugurated the first mosque in the district. Supiori, not too long ago.

Payage emphasized that for matters of religion, the Indonesian state constitutionally obliges its citizens to embrace one of the religions whose existence is recognized as stated in Article 29 paragraphs (1) and (2) of the 1945 Constitution.

Tolerance for inter-religious harmony in Papua is an important value because they respect each other's religions by developing the basic concept of ukhuwah (brotherhood).

From the teachings of religious tolerance, he said, the awareness of a citizen to respect, respect, allow and allow opinions, views, beliefs, beliefs.

In fact, the value of religious tolerance will provide space for the implementation of customs, behavior and religious practices of other people with different beliefs.

"Religious tolerance is to respect and be tolerant of followers of other religions by not interfering in each other's affairs," he said.

He admitted that Muslims in Papua developed the basic concept of ukhuwah in three aspects, namely ukhuwah Islamiyah or brotherhood among Muslims through ukhuwah wathaniyah or brotherhood of one nation.

"And ukhuwah insaniyah or brotherhood with others as humans created by Allah SWT," said Payage.

Meanwhile, the type of religious tolerance, according to him, includes passive religious tolerance, namely the attitude of accepting differences as something factual.

While active religious tolerance, he continued, is the value of tolerance that involves oneself with others in the midst of different beliefs.

"Active religious tolerance is the teaching of all religions. The essence of tolerance is peaceful coexistence and mutual respect among diversity," he said.

He said the Papuan people worked together to make efforts in various sectors of development life to help each other.

"Gotong royong by helping each other for goodness as an implementation of the values of Pancasila and practicing the teachings of tolerance for inter-religious life," he said.

Meanwhile, the Regent of Biak Numfor Herry Ario Naap said that the tolerance of religious life in the midst of a very plural Papuan society can be united with Pancasila.

Pancasila in today's life, according to him, has the privilege of being able to penetrate ethnic, religious, cultural and linguistic differences.

"The teachings of Pancasila values are always imprinted on every individual, community and child from an early age to be practiced in the life of society, nation and state," he said during the commemoration of Pancasila's Birthday on June 1, 2022.

Through the values contained in Pancasila, the community is asked to support every government program as the implementation of the fifth principle, namely social justice for all Indonesian people.

"When there is a government program that is being realized in a place in the Papua region, the goal is to prosper the community, so it must be supported together," he said.

For example, Biak Numfor Regency has been included in the agenda of national strategic programs such as the construction of a space airport and the implementation of the Cenderawasih Bay Sail 2023.

According to him, the implementation of the government's national strategic program must run smoothly because the economic impact is very real to create job opportunities for Biak children.

"I hope that the people of Biak Numfor will support the local government program because this policy was made to

the welfare of the indigenous Papuan people," he said.