Jakarta, 18 October (AKI) - One of IndonesiaÂ’s leading advocates of inter-religious dialogue has singled out philosophy and humanitarian studies as the best way to fight rising Islamic fundamentalism.
Catholic priest, and leading academic Franz Magnis-Suseno, said it is vital to include Muslims in the philosophical debate, because it will make them see Islam in a different light. “We need people who can think critically and all-embracingly – in short, we need philosophers,” he told the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).
It isn't a Muslim calling for reasonn in faith. And that Regensburg Address still has power.
The German-born cleric added: “It is a matter of having the courage to learn how to think.” A long-standing Indonesian citizen, he teaches philosophy at the Catholic University of Jakarta.
Magnis-Suseno claimed many Muslims who study natural sciences tend to develop an inferiority complex, and often develop fundamentalist views in reaction to the perceived superiority of the Western world. “But Muslims who study philosophy and the humanities tend to have a broader outlook,” he said, warning against the trend to cut these studies.
“This could add to the surge in Islamic fundamentalism.”
Somewhat surprisingly, most of the Islamic fundamentalists in Indonesia have studied in state universities, he noted. Magnis-Suseno said that relations between Muslims and Christians in Indonesia have improved considerably, despite occasional attacks on Christian churches.
More than 85 percent of Indonesia's 240 million people are Muslim, making the country is the most populous Muslim country in the world. Christians make up just 9 percent of the population, and the remaining 4 percent are Hindus, Buddhists or members of tribal religions.
Most of the population follows a moderate version of Islam, although there has been an increased tendency towards radicalism in recent years. In Indonesia, it is illegal to be atheist or to abandon Islam in favour of another faith. |