Indonesia to Launch Love Curriculum for Religious Tolerance
- HUMAS/Kemenag
Jakarta, VIVA – Indonesian Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar emphasized the importance of strengthening interfaith tolerance in Indonesia through the development of a curriculum that instills values of love and peace.
"We will create a 'love curriculum' Currently, many religious teachers emphasize that their religion is the only true one, while others are deemed wrong or misguided. What happens when children are taught hatred in a nation as diverse as Indonesia? It will only lead to superficial tolerance, which is not what we want," Minister Umar stated on Friday (Jan 17).
According to him, genuine tolerance must be rooted in love for fellow human beings and fellow citizens of Indonesia.
He stressed that hatred should never be part of the educational curriculum.
As the Fifth Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, Minister Umar called on all members of society to foster a sense of togetherness and compassion amidst differences in faith.
The minister believes that universal teachings of love and kindness can be found in every religion.
"Our ultimate goal is the same. We want to create a new Indonesia with a new theological approach, where Indonesia serves as a model for interfaith harmony in the world," he concluded.