Interfaith Courses for University Students and Teachers

Background

Indonesia has the largest population of Muslims in the world, more than Iran, Iraq and Saudi combined. The need for mutual understanding among the religions of the country is ever more clear in the face of the worldwide spreading of Islamic Terrorism. Most Indonesian Muslims decry the misuse of the Koran as a rationale for terrorism. All the major Islamic groups here have strongly condemned recent terrorist attacks in Europe and Pakistan. Yet there is widespread misinformation and prejudice about other religions. The same is true of the other five official Indonesian religions.

Objective

To give university students, from various religions, an opportunity to share their faiths, to learn to reverence other faiths, to deepen their own faiths, to lessen prejudice and to promote peaceful collaboration in developing the nation.

Activities

There will be three weekend sessions, one surely in Bandung (Parahyangan University); the other two in Jakarta and the Puncak (a mountain resort area where it is easy to find off-season lodging at a reasonable price).

Students will receive input (one of the speakers is Gera RSCJ). Speakers will share how they pray and what their scriptures lead them to.

Outcomes