THURSDAY, March 28, 2024
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House of worship tour celebrates religious diversity

House of worship tour celebrates religious diversity

Wayan Sumerta felt excited when he was informed that a group of Muslim teenagers would visit Pura Segara Temple in North Jakarta to learn more about Balinese Hinduism.

Although he knew the visitors would arrive at 11.30am, he waited by the temple for three hours. Sitting cross-legged in a gazebo, he gave his best smile to welcome them. Wayan showed his guests every corner of the temple while answering their questions. 
“In Islam, we have ustad [clerics]. How about in Hinduism?” a hijab-wearing girl asked. “We have pemangku [Hindu leaders]. But, in higher positions, there are pendeta [pastors],” Wayan replied. 
His curious Muslim visitors asked about many things during the tour, from the definition of the swastika to the offerings given to deities. Wayan was pleased with the visit, believing that it would strengthen inter-religious harmony in the country and widen the teenagers’ perspectives of other religions.       
“On TV, I see flowers placed above Hindus’ ears. What does it mean?” another girl asked. Wayan said that the frangipani flower was a sign that they had finished praying.
The teenagers were participants of Milenial Islami, a three-day programme held during Ramadhan by Bayt Al-Quran Islamic boarding school in Pondok Cabe, South Tangerang, Banten. 
In addition to Pura Segara, they also visited other houses of worship in North Jakarta, including Tugu Church, Salib Suci Church, Lalitavistara Vihara and Temple and Al-Alam Mosque in Cilincing’s fishing village. This is the programme’s second year.
“By visiting these places of worship, we want Muslim youth to understand that Islam is Rahmatan lil alamin [a blessing for the universe]. All people should be thankful for differences and not pit one against another because they are all given by God,” Day Firmansyah, the co-founder of Milenial Islami, said.     
During the Islamic holy month of Ramadab, Milenial Islami teaches its students not only to recite the Koran, but also to be tolerant of people of different faiths and religions. The programme targets young people because they are at an age vulnerable to radical thoughts, Firmansyah said.
For the tour, the Milenial Islami committee teamed up with Jakarta Food Traveller (JFT), a community with a mission to introduce people to Jakarta’s history and culture through the city’s signature food and historic sites.
One of the historic buildings on the itinerary was Tugu Church in Kampung Tugu, a village of the Mardjiker people, a Creole Portuguese community. Built in 1747, the modest church is the second oldest in the city.
Pura Segara Temple is relatively new, having been constructed in 1992. The building, however, was still special because it was the only Hindu temple in Greater Jakarta adjacent to the sea, JFT founder and the day’s tour guide, Ira Lathief, said.  
Prior to Nyepi (the Hindu Day of Silence), all adherents of Balinese Hinduism in the city flock to Pura Segara to perform the Melasti ritual to cleanse the soul and nature. 
To the tour participants, Ira also explained that Buddhism was different from Confucianism even though their places of worship, vihara (Buddhist monastery) and kelenteng (Chinese temple), were usually found in the same compound, a feature unique to Indonesia.
During their visit to Lalitavistara Vihara and Temple, the young participants learned how this unique cultural feature traced back to the New Order regime, when Chinese-Indonesians were forbidden from practicing Confucianism because it was associated with communism.

Most memorable      
At that time, many Chinese-Indonesians chose to convert to Buddhism. Viharas were then constructed in the same complex as kelenteng. During the New Order era, the sites benefited followers of Confucianism who could pray at kelenteng in secrecy.  
The tour participants later visited Al-Alam Mosque where they met cleric Aan Rukmana, who gave a talk about how Islam was a blessing for the universe. The Paramadina University lecturer said he hoped that all Muslims would follow the example of Prophet Muhammad, who lived in harmony with non-Muslims. 
Senior high school student Aditya Sujana said the Milenial Islami programme was the coolest and most memorable thing he had ever done during a school holiday.
“I’ll never forget this moment,” the 16-year-old said.
Thanks to the programme, he finally saw the inside of a church. In his hometown in East Kalimantan, he said he often passed by churches, but had never gone inside. He had wondered how Christians prayed and was eager to see the interior of a church.    
He said he had also learned that visiting houses of worship of different religions was not sinful. “All religions teach about the good and peace, not the bad,” he said.

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