Indonesia’s non-Muslim religious groups join rallies in support of Palestine: ‘matter of humanity’

More than 1,000 people attended a rally for Palestine held in the North Sumatran capital of Medan on December 10. There have been many such rallies in Indonesia recently, including one in Jakarta on November 5 attended by tens of thousands, and while Muslims typically account for most of the attendees, the number of non-Muslims in attendance has been significant and on the rise.

It is not just support from individuals. The local Inter-Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) in Medan took part in the rally, which also saw religious organisations representing Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Confucians in attendance.

Medan rally attendee Bonefasius Olda Bombang, 37, a barber, said he suggested to his colleagues that they raise funds for Palestine through “charity barbershops”, after he heard about the rally.

“I immediately thought of doing something to contribute, because I thought it was for humanity,” said Bombang, who is Catholic.

His friends in the local barber community, most of whom are Muslim, welcomed his idea and extended fundraising to their customers, raising 5.9 million rupiah (US$380.50) that went to rally organisers the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI).

“This is a matter of humanity. If you look at it from a religious perspective, Christians should also join in calling for the freedom of Palestine, because there are also Christians there. I hope that the world will not be silent about the conditions in Palestine, and that the rest of the world will join in calling for peace,” Bombang said.

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Unified voices

Representatives from 90 religious organisations attended the Medan event, including those representing Christians, Buddhists, Hindus and Confucians, said Affan Lubis, chairman of the North Sumatra Committee for Palestine that coordinated the rally.

The rally collected 1.6 billion rupiah (US$103,000), with donations still coming in three days after the event, he said.

The aid, he said, would be distributed by the MUI to Palestine based on civilian needs, and would include food, medical supplies and clothing.

The interfaith committee agreed that the Israel-Gaza war was not a religious issue but a humanitarian one, said Abdul Rahim, chairman of the North Sumatra FKUB.

Father Moses Elias Situmorang, a Catholic clergyman from the Archdiocese of Medan, who is also a representative of the FKUB and supported the rally for Palestine in Medan said Pope Francis had conveyed the call for peace over the Israeli and Palestinian conflict in October.

“The Palestinians are friendly people, and our Catholic brothers are also there, they are also victims,” he said.

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Pinandita Manogren, chairman of Parisada Hindu Dharma Indonesia, said his organisation supported the Palestinian cause for reasons that went beyond religion.

“[Our participation in the rally] is in support of our common sense of humanity, we do not enter from the realm of religion, because we as humans, when we see our brothers experiencing difficulties, our sense of humanity is called upon to see how [the Israeli-Palestinian conflict] can be resolved peacefully,” he said.