(AKI) - Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim country, is tolerant of religious minorities. That is the message that Indonesian participants want to share at an international conference organised by the scientific committee of Oasis in the Jordanian capital Amman this weekend.Participants from predominantly Muslim countries will attend the conference which will focus particularly on freedom of expression and religion.
| Should be a short meeting ... |
Greg Soetomo, director of the Catholic weekly Hidup, agreed with Heru. “What Father Heru and I want to say, is that despite the ugly news that capture the front pages of newspapers, Indonesia is tolerant and Muslims also participate here in the activities of the church.'
'The openness is incredible and in this sense Indonesia is a unique country,' he added.
| Which is why they have a jihadi infestation ... |
In Indonesia, Christians and Protestants make up around five percent of the population, while Catholics account for three percent.
Heru Prakosa and Greg Soetomo who have prepared a joint report for the Amman conference, said that Oasis could offer others ideas on how the Catholic church can operate in a country with a Muslim majority.
'Of course there is not only one way that works for everyone. Every country has their own problems and peculiarities,' Soetomo said. 'But hopefully we can learn from the experiences of others and then adapt them here.'
Born in Germany, Franz Magnis Suseno has lived in Indonesia for more than 30 years. He is the leading spokesman for the country's Catholic academy and shares the views of his colleagues. Suseno, also a professor of philosophy and religion at Driyarkara University said he wanted to discuss the danger of 'relativism' which he considers to be the biggest enemy of all religions. 'Relativism says that all religions are the same and that no religion should claim it possesses the 'true' message,' he said.