8 - Christian–Muslim Relations in Post-Conflict Ambon, Moluccas: Adat, Religion, and Beyond

Summary

INTRODUCTION

Indonesia is a religiously plural state. Freedom of faith is constitutionally granted — at least concerning the six officially acknowledged religions. Pluralism in Indonesia thus not only implies diversity, but also the “right of every religious … community to be itself and maintain its own traditions, practices and attitudes” (Sharpe 2005, p. 43). However, as recent acts of religious intolerance show — be it the forced closure of Christian churches, attacks on Ahmadiyah Muslims or, earlier, the “religious war” in the Moluccas — religious pluralism is often at stake and constantly needs to be renegotiated and put into action again. During the authoritarian Soeharto regime, any tensions, conflicts or media reporting having to do with issues of ethnicity, religion, race or class (SARA) were kept in check or suppressed. After his stepping down in May 1998, SARA tensions all over the country exploded or were taken as a welcome excuse to instigate conflicts and mobilize local people for violence. This chapter aims to outline two ways of how Indonesians in the Moluccas try to cope with inter-religious clashes: one being focused on adat, that is tradition and customary law, as a seemingly neutral means to reintegrate people, the other being focused on religious dialogue. The contribution intends to deconstruct the simplified image of a harmonious traditional past versus religious strife that neglects the diverse and complex processes of negotiation in which the two domains — religion and adat — have always been involved in.

The Moluccas are part of Eastern Indonesia, a region that stands out against the rest of the country due to its (colonial) history, its former importance as spice granary, and its religious composition (Bräuchler and Erb 2011). In Muslim-majority Indonesia, the Christian share of the population in Eastern Indonesia is substantial; in some of its provinces Christians even constitute the majority. According to recent government statistics, the Moluccan population is almost 50 per cent Muslim and 50 per cent Christian (comprising Protestants and Catholics) (Badan Pusat Statistik Propinsi Maluku dan Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Daerah 2010). Spending some time in the Moluccas, it is obvious that religion very much determines daily life. The majority of people is, one way or the other, on a regular basis busy with social or praying activities organized by churches or mosques. This has a strong impact on social networks in the Moluccas.