Convey Indonesia Coordinator: Tolerance Must be Practiced, Not Only Taught

PPIM.UINJKT.AC.ID – “It is not enough to only teach tolerance. [We] should experience it as well,” Convey Indonesia Coordinator, Fikri Fahrul Faiz, said on Friday (24/7) in a virtual seminar series of #ModerasiBeragama (Religious Moderation) themed “Interfaith Millennials Talking about Religious Moderation”.

The seminar was organized by the Center for the Study of Islam and Society (PPIM) of the Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University (UIN) Jakarta through Convey Indonesia program.

In the occasion, Fikri shared his experience living as a minority during his study in Australia. He recalled a touching moment when his lecturer offered him some non-alcoholic beverage when they were having a casual talk after class, while his fellow friends drank alcohol, which was common for the people in that country.

“That is one of the real examples of religious moderation, the process of understanding and practicing religious teaching in a balanced way,” said the young researcher of the PPIM.

He was of the opinion that religious moderation was a “middle way”, the concept that could gather people from both left wing and right wing into one point, while tolerance was the result of the religious moderation itself.

Besides Fikri, the discussion that was moderated by Convey Indonesia Team Leader Jamhari Makruf also presented several other young figures from different religious backgrounds, such as Fernanda Ambar Pratiwi (a Catholic nun), Ida Ayu Prasati (a representative from Hinduism), Meilan Rahayu Putri (Head of Indonesian Konghucu Youth, Bogor chapter), Yerry Pattinasarany (a Protestant Pastor) and Anes Dwi Prasetya from HIKMAHBUDI.

Writer: Grace Rachmanda
Editor: M. Nida Fadlan