GUR DUR, THE MOST CONTROVERSIAL INDONESIAN FIGURE OF TOLERANCE

picture taken from: www.matanews.com

For many Indonesian people, especially The Old Man, Gus Dur is the man who is too bold in taking decisions that can trigger national disintegration. For example, during being the fourth president of the Republic of Indonesia, Gus Dur took his policy to change the name of the Province of Irian Jaya into Papua province in 2000 and called the people Irian into the people Papua. It of course led to political controversy. In Gus Dur's opinion, defending the sovereignty of the Unity of Republic of Indonesia in Papua could not be done using military force but by peaceful and accommodating means. 

During his reign, Gus Dur gave his full attention not only to the people of Papua but also to the Chinese-Descendants, a minority groups by giving space for them to live honorably and regaded them as part of the Indonesian nation. In the era of Gus Dur, Chinese culture wa officially regarded as part of Indonesian culture. Moreover, Gus Dur allowed Confucianism to develop in Indonesia without any restraints. Gus Dur protected minorities who embrace religion or belief outside the mainstream group's great religions. 

From Gus Dur’s several policies, the most very controversial was his participation in the membership of the Jewish religion epistemic communities. For Gus Dur, those who adhered to divine religions as the descendants of Prophet Abraham were brothers. According to him, respecting the Jewish religion was in accordance with the pillars of faith in Islam that recognizes the books of God from the Torah, the Psalms, the Gospel to the Qur'an. Gus Dur also taught nonsectarian principles, a very difficult thing in this era. To Gus Dur, diversity in the unity of the Indonesian nation is God's blessing that must be kept and preserved.

Not surprisingly, thanks to Gus Dur, now are developing many youth groups from various religions and ethnic and racial discussions about the future of the Indonesian nation without any separating wall among them. Gus Dur’s style in teaching tolerance is not common. With the application of these principles, Gus Dur is very deep on heartstrings of humanity, not only in Indonesia, but also in the world. Although very controversial, for his supporters, Gus Dur is a hero and father of tolerance.