Challenges in protecting religious minorities in Indonesia

Abstract

In the past decade, religious freedom in Indonesia, especially in relation to the rights of religious minorities, has been imperilled. Some reports claim that incidents of religious conflict have been partially driven by the rise of religious fundamentalism. However, such conflict is also triggered by the enactment of policies and regulations that discriminate against minorities and reinforce their vulnerable position within society. Furthermore, the unclear segregation of interreligious public spheres causes social and religious disharmony, frequently resulting in the persecution of these minorities. Their repression demonstrates the uneasy relationship between the state and the status of religion (i.e., as a pillar of collective identity) within Indonesian society. This complex relationship highlights the tension between religious freedom and the protection of minorities, examined here through the application of a human rights framework. This chapter argues that religious minorities have historically experienced various forms of discrimination because they are seen as challenging the established norms of the majority, which may include the exclusive interpretation of religious freedom in the constitution, the communal character of religion and the concept of religious pluralism, among others.