CHAPTER 31 ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF RELIGIOUS LIFE

CHAPTER 31 ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF RELIGIOUS LIFE The development of religion comprises efforts to meet one of the basic rights of the people, namely the right to adhere to a religion and to worship in accordance with the faiths of each, as stipulated in the 1945 Constitution, Chapter XI, Article 29, Paragraphs (1) and (2), stating that The State is based on Believe in Almighty God and that The State ensures the freedom of all citizens to adhere to their respective religions and to worship in accordance with those religions and faiths. The development of religion comprises efforts to realize the agenda for enhancing the welfare of the people by enhancing the quality of religious services and understanding and the quality of religious life. In addition, the development of religion also encompasses the dimension of enhancing harmony among each of the religious adherents, that is buttressed by enhancing mutual trust and harmonization among various social groups. Such dimension on harmony is essential in the development of society that is aware of the reality of multiculturalism and that understands the meaning of social pluralism, so as to create an atmosphere of social life that is full of tolerance, mutual understanding and harmony. Through the nurturing of harmony among religious adherents, the agenda for creating an Indonesia that is safe and peaceful can be realized. A. THE PROBLEMS Understanding, cognition and practice of religious teachings in society are still inadequate. Religious life among some of society has still reached the level of religious symbols and has not yet become fully substantive. This is reflected among others in such negative aspects as amoral behavior, practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism, abuse of narcotics, pornography, porno-action, and gambling. In addition, the divorce rate is still high and lack of harmony in family life indicates the still weak role of the family as the basis for developing society and the nation. Various behavioral patterns that contradict Chapter 31 1

religious morals and ethics, have clearly described the gap between religious teachings and the understanding and practice of religion. Understanding, cognition and practice of religious teachings among students are also not yet satisfactory. This is a challenge for the education of religion and for religious education, that cannot yet be fully overcome by the government. The main constraint is the inadequate quantity and quality of teachers and other educational personnel, the limited facilities and infrastructure, and the minimum of other supporting facilities. On the other hand, the continuing effects of globalization, especially through the printing and electronic media, that have increasingly influenced the behavior of students, have tended to have adverse impacts, that should have been averted or mitigated through the understanding and cognition of religion. Religious services are also deemed to be not yet adequate. This is indicated by among others the inadequate facilities and infrastructure for worship, the not yet optimal utilization of places of worship, and the not yet optimal management of religious social funds. Services for the implementation of the hajj pilgrimage contain various weaknesses, staring from the phase of registration until the implementation of the pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. The often occurring problems are among others, the uncertainty for departure of candidates to the hajj pilgrimage, the inadequate accommodation conditions, the insufficient service facilities of the Indonesian government in Saudi Arabia, the insufficient understanding of the hajj pilgrimage implementation, and the low professionalism of hajj officers. Religious life among certain groups in society seems to be exclusive in the internal life of each religious adherents as well as in the relation among different religious adherents. This requires the attention of all parties, including religious social institutions and religious educational institutions. Religious social institutions and religious educational institutions need to have a greater role as agents for social change. Such function is mainly for enhancing the intellectual awareness of the people/nation and to give the opportunity to obtain education for citizens that are less fortunate, especially in rural areas. Chapter 31 2

Harmonious life in society cannot yet be fully realized due to among others the occurrences of social tensions, that have frequently led to internal conflicts and conflicts among different religious adherents. Such conflicts initially had been caused by social discrepancies and economic injustices, that have often exploited religious sentiments. In addition, such conflicts have also been caused by the low education level of the people and to the weak enforcement of the law. Beforehand, such conflicts had never surfaced to become big and large scale problems, such as is witnessed today, because in the social life of the people there had already been local wisdom and traditional values that could become the forums for communication and consultations. Such forums had been effected across regions, across religions and across ethnic groups. B. THE TARGETS On the basis of the above challenges and problems, the targets for enhancing the quality of religious life, until 2009, are as follows: 1. ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF SERVICES AND UNDERSTANDING OF RELIGION AND OF RELIGIOUS LIFE a. The increased quality of understanding, cognition and practice of religious teachings in the life of society, the nation and the country, so that in terms of spiritual values, the quality of society will continue to improve. These efforts are also aimed at school children in all education channels, types and levels of education, so that the understanding and cognition of religious teachings can be implanted since the early age of children; b. The enhanced concern and awareness of the people in meeting their obligations to pay the zakat, wakaf, infak, shodaqoh, collection, punia fund, and paramita fund, in the context of alleviating social gaps in society; c. The enhanced quality of religious services for all layers in society, so that everyone can have their basic rights in adhering to their respective religions and to worship in conformity with their respective religions and faiths; Chapter 31 3

d. The enhanced quality of management in the implementation of the hajj pilgrimage, with the aim of attaining savings, preventing corruption, and enhancing the quality of services to participants in the haj pilgrimage; and e. The enhanced role of religious social institutions and religious educational institutions as agents in increasing the resilience of society in facing various crises. 2. ENHANCING INTERNAL HARMONY AND HARMONY AMONG VARIOUS RELIGIOUS ADHERENTS The realized social harmony in the internal life and life among different religious adherents, that is tolerant and mutually respecting, in the context of creating an atmosphere that is safe and peaceful, so that conflicts that have occurred in various regions, can be resolved and will not be repeated in other regions. C. POLICY DIRECTIONS In accordance with the agenda of national development, the policy directions for enhancing the quality of religious life, are as follows: 1. ENHANCING THE QUALITY OF RELIGIOUS SERVICES, RELIGIOUS UNDERSTANDING, AND RELIGIOUS LIFE a. Enhancing the quality of understanding, cognition and practice of religious teachings; b. Enhancing the quality of education of religions and religious education in all channels, types and levels of education; c. Enhancing the quality of teachers in religion and religious aspects; d. Enhancing awareness of the people in the payments of the zakat, wakaf, infak, shodaqoh, contributions, punia fund and the paramita fund; and enhancing professionalism of the management of such funds; Chapter 31 4

e. Enhancing the quality of religious information personnel and of other religious services, especially personnel that are assigned in conflict prone areas and in isolated areas; f. Enhancing the quality of organization and management and development of facilities in the implementation of religious worship, by taking into account the interests of all layers of religious adherents, with equal access for every religious adherents; g. Providing guidance to harmonious family life, so as to place the family as the main pillar for the forming of moral and ethical values; h. Enhancing savings in the costs of going on the hajj pilgrimage, preventing corruption, and enhancing the quality of services to those going on the hajj pilgrimage; i. Enhancing the quality and capacity of religious social institutions and religious educational institutions; and j. Enhancing the quality of research and development on religion in order to buttress the formulation of development policies on religion. 2. ENHANCING HARMONY WITHIN RELIGIOUS ADHERENTS AND AMONG DIFFERENT RELIGIOUS ADHERENTS a. Enhancing efforts for maintaining social harmony in religious groups by utilizing local wisdom in the strengthening of social relations in society; b. Preventing the possible emergence of conflicts in society that involve religious sentiments by the ability to anticipate the emergence of conflicts in the early phase; c. Resolving social conflicts that have religious overtones, through a conflict resolution mechanism, by placing the emphasis on justice and equality of rights, for attaining lasting peace; d. Restoring the social and psychological condition of communities in post-conflict areas, by providing information and religious guidance; and e. Increasing cooperation within and among religious adherents in the social and economic fields. Chapter 31 5

D. DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS The policy directions for enhancing the quality of religious life, are further specified into the following development programs: 1. PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING UNDERSTANDING, COGNITION AND PRACTICE, AND DEVELOPMENT OF RELIGIOUS VALUES This program is aimed at enhancing the understanding, cognition, practice and development of values of religious teachings for each individual, family, community, and the state apparatus. The main activities that will be carried out encompass the following: 1. To provide religious information and guidance for communities and the state apparatus through operational assistance for religious information providers; to provide facilities and infrastructure for providing religious information and guidance; to train information providers, those providing guidance, religious teachers and to provide orientation to prominent religious leaders; and to develop the teaching materials, methodology, and management for providing information and guidance on religious maters; and to provide package assistance for religious sermons in left behind areas, isolated areas, post-conflict areas and areas affected by natural disasters; 2. To provide assistance for the implementation of the MTQs, Pesparawi, Utsawa Dharma Gita, Festival on the Art of Reading Buddhist Religious Holy Books, and for similar activities; 3. To establish the network and cooperation among sectors and communities for eradicating pornography, porno-action, practices of corruption, collusion and nepotism, abuse of narcotics, gambling, prostitution, and various a-moral practices; and 4. To consolidate the regulatory framework for overcoming pornography and porno-action. 2. PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING THE EDUCATION OF RELIGIONS AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATION This program is aimed at: (1) making teachers to have high faith in Almighty God and for them to have noble moral values; and (2) Chapter 31 6

preparing schoolchildren to become members of society that understand or become experts on religion and to practice the values of religious teachings. The main activities that will be carried out encompass the following: 1. To improve the curriculum and teaching materials on religion, with a multicultural orientation, to improve concepts on social ethics, based on religious values, to develop the methodology of teaching and evaluation system; 2. To develop the orientation and deepening of teaching materials through various workshops, seminars, comparative studies and orientation studies; upgrading and to make equivalent to the D-II and D-III degrees for basic education religious teachers, S-I degree for senior high education religious teachers and the S-2 and S-3 degrees for university teachers; and to meet the need for teachers and education personnel on religion; 3. To carry out camping activities for schoolchildren/students, contests on scientific religious papers, and to carryout art performances on religion; to carry out pesantren (religious schools) short courses, pabbajja/samanera/samaneri; and to guide and develop talents on religious leadership for schoolchildren, santri (students of the pesantren), brahmacari, university students, and religious university teachers; 4. To provide assistance on facilities, stationary, religious teaching books, other books of reading on religion at general schools, general universities and institutions for religious education; and 5. To carry out international cooperation in the program for the education of religions and religious education. 3. PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING THE PROVISION OF SERVICES TO RELIGIOUS LIFE This program is aimed at enhancing the services and facilities for religious adherents to implement religious teachings, encouraging and enhancing the participation of communities in activities of providing services to religious life: The main activities that will be carried out are among others: Chapter 31 7

1. To provide assistance for: the rehabilitation of places of worship and the development of libraries of places of worships; certification of wakaf lands, church lands, pelaba pura and wihara and grants; and to provide assistance of holy books and religious lectures; 2. To enhance services for the guidance of harmonious families; to increase marriage services by enhancing the capacity and coverage of marriage registration officers and to construct and rehabilitate marriage halls, as the centers for learning and empowerment of local communities by providing assistance for developing libraries; 3. To enhance the quality of guidance, services, protection of worshippers, to enhance efficiency, transparency and participation of communities and the business community in the implementation of the hajj pilgrimage; to increase guidance for guaranteeing the halal (religiously palatable) of products and to train businessmen, auditors, to enhance cooperation among government agencies and the local communities in guaranteeing that the products are halal; and to consolidate the regulatory framework in the provision of services for religious life; 4. To enhance services and management of the zakat, wakaf, infak, shodaqoh, contributions, punia fund and paramita fund, and other social religious contributions; and 5. To develop the information system on religion matters and to enhance the facilities and quality of technical officers on the hisab and rukyat. 4. PROGRAM FOR DEVELOPING RELIGIOUS SOCIAL INSTITUTIONS AND RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS This program is aimed at empowering and enhancing the capacity, quality and participation of religious social institutions and religious educational institutions in supporting social change, reducing the negative impacts of extremism in society, an providing educational services and developing human resources, especially for communities in rural areas and for the economically weak communities. The main activities that will be carried out are among others: 1. To empower religious social institutions, such as religious worship groups, religious organizations, management of religious social Chapter 31 8

funds, by increasing the quality of the management personnel of the religious social institutions and of the religious educational institutions; 2. To provide assistance for the implementation of various activities of the religious social institutions and of religious educational institutions; to provide subsidies and block grants for the construction and rehabilitation of facilities and infrastructure of religious social institutions and of religious educational institutions; and to provide block grants for the development of the management of religious social institutions and of religious educational institutions; 3. To develop networks for cooperation and information system of religious social institutions and of religious educational institutions; and to make study tours of the religious social institutions and of the religious educational institutions; and 4. To assess, study and develop the quality of guidance given to religious social institutions and to religious educational institutions. 5. PROGRAM FOR RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT ON RELIGION This program is aimed at providing data and information for the development of policies for the development of religion, to provide data and information for the academic community and for the general public, in the context of supporting the realization of programs for the development of religion. The main activities that will be carried out encompass the following: 1. To assess and develop for enhancing the quality of guidance and participation of communities, in supporting the enhancement of the quality of religious life; to empower and utilize religious lectures; and to make studies for anticipating the negative impacts of modernization, globalization, and social changes that have become ever more rapid and complex; 2. To identify and formulate performance indicators on the development of religion; 3. To increase the creativity of communities in yielding scientific works and papers on religion; Chapter 31 9

4. To assess regulations on the life of religious adherents and the draft law on harmony in the life of religious adherents; 5. To develop research products in the context of enhancing the quality of services in religious life. 6. PROGRAM FOR ENHANCING HARMONY AMONG RELIGIOUS ADHERENTS This program is aimed at consolidating the principles for harmonious relations within and among religious adherents, based on the noble values of religion, in order to attain social harmony, towards national unity and cohesion. The main activities that will be carried out encompass the following: 1. To internalize religious teachings and to socialize the multicultural orientation among religious adherents; 2. To develop relations among religious adherents, religious leaders and the government, through dialogue forums and scientific meetings; 3. To establish a joint secretariat among religious adherents in all provinces and to provide data on the harmonious life of religious adherents; to enhance the potential for harmonious life among religious adherents by utilizing the local culture and through the participation of local communities; and to encourage the growth of forums for promoting harmony as the engines of development; 4. To carry out mutual visits among religious adherents, at the national as well as regional levels; to form the Forum on Communication For Harmony Among Religious Adherents at the provincial level, district/city level and at the sub-district level; to continue the formation of the network on communication for the harmony among religious adherents and to enhance the role of the cooperation network among religious adherents; and to carry out mutual visits among religious leaders, religious intellectuals and prominent religious people; 5. To reconcile religious leaders and to guide religious adherents in post-conflict areas; and to carry out contests of religious activities with the orientation of attaining harmony in conflict prone areas; and Chapter 31 10

6. To develop the multicultural forums for religious teachers and to enhance the quality of those involved in disseminating the importance of harmony among religious adherents. Chapter 31 11