The Faithless

Recently, it's always one of those days when I get into semi-serious conversations with my friends. It's probably the college-made-me-an-activist mode activated a tad too late into my college career. Either way, these conversations are always enjoyable because for some strange reason none of us (though we all had somewhat similar upbringings) have the same sentiments towards our home country.

The worst part is, none of us seem to have positive, full-of-hope sentiments at all.

One of my friends conjectured that there'll probably be another case of 1998 in the next decade or so. With all the extremist minority threatening other minorities at the moment, it's not exactly impossible. We haven't been so good with minority rights at all. Not even mentioning the decades before 1998 and the fall of the New Order, we've had plenty of aggression towards minorities in the past few years.

Talk about unity in diversity.

For example, army violations of human rights in conflict-ridden regions such as Papua is common. A video of them torching a hostage from the Papuan liberation group went viral a few years ago. In the latest, less-extreme case, religious hardliner groups rallied and cancelled the Lady Gaga concert scheduled for earlier this month WITH the consent and support of the government. In fact, our religion minister (the controversial figure, as always) released a statement to the press claiming that she should be denied entrance because she is a "satanist". Wow. Seriously?

Government support, in fact, seem to be crucial in oppressing minorities. Big supporters of it, in fact. When the government declared a certain Muslim sect illegal, a small scale massacre occurred of members of those sects. When the bystanders were questioned, they merely implied that they had to cleanse their village of dirty things.

Oh, and the perpetrators got a teeny few months in jail. On that note, a child who stole a pair of sandals from a police officer was threatened with 5 years in jail.

Bravo. Catching petty criminals and denouncing satanists by their wardrobe choice seem to be a more pressing issue in our country.

Some municipalities are even openly denouncing minority religions, refusing a court order that demanded them to allow church constructions. Said municipality also banned churches from streets with Muslim names.

Arguably, I'm attacking the other side too much. Violence perpetrated by minorities also occur, however, they are less often, considering the lack in numbers and authority. In truth, minorities probably react just as hardly towards majorities and other minorities. Government support, I tell you.

I mean, what kind of government would openly agree with a controversial, hardliner group? Our government, apparently.

Of course, we could argue that many of my friends are minorities, including the friend who mentioned the possibility of another riot. However, another friend, who was the epitome of the majority, also said that our country is hopeless.

In fact, he said we were doomed from the start. Let's not even get to minority oppression, oppression and fights also occur between sub-groups within the majority. Why force together a country with so many different ethnicities and beliefs?

Religion and ethnicity is never to blame. I believe that every civilization teaches love and compassion. It's the people who are to blame.

Of course, it's too wide a generalization for me to antagonize the majority. Not all of them are like that. Perhaps it could even be said that the perpetrators are a minority within the majority.

It's just scary that they're getting away with it. I've heard stories of people being herded into warehouses and burnt. I've heard various stories about people being forced into cars doused in gasoline then burnt. I've heard stories of people being beheaded and put on display.

It's just like the Rape of Nanking. The Holocaust. The Crusades. Another piece of history. These atrocities, however, are never admitted in government records. In fact, no statement has been publicly made admitting the riots. Of course, the anti-fascist demonstrations that happened in the same week was recorded so fervently, but none was written about the massacre, the rapes.

My mom listened to the radio, hearing people calling for help. Hearing people scream. She said the worst part was listening to the silence that ensued.

There shouldn't be a best part to these riots. But where there is cruelty, there is always kindness. There is always humanity.

I heard many stories about people being saved and hidden, passed off as a member of the ethnic majority. I've heard stories of victims being kindly offered refuge. Kindness is universal. There will always be those who will put themselves in danger in order to save.

And those are the people we should put our faith in. Not in things that make us fear, but things that make us believe in the power of kindness. There are still those who believe inherently that there is unity in diversity.

In times of trouble, there is always room to believe in altruism.