Protestant and Catholics in Indonesia in the 20th Century by Nihayatul Wafiroh

In the past, actually, there was not tension between both. Although Islam was introduced to Indonesia about three centuries earlier than Christianity, the latest religion could penetrate to Indonesian people since basically Indonesian people welcomed from foreign cultures or religions. Both religions could develop well together. As Islam, missionaries introduced this religion with using indigenous symbols of belief. As a result, this religion could be received by local people easily. The case of Zakheus is the one example.

During independent movement, Christian-Muslim hand in hand struggled to achieve independent. Even though Christianity and Islam were foreign religions, they already became parts of Indonesian. As a result, people from both religions established organizations to support Indonesian independent. The different beliefs did not make any conflict. They gathered in one voice.

It is exactly what happened in Zakheus. In 1952, or seven years after the independent day, his opposition was claimed having mental ill, so he was sent to the north coast of Irian Jaya to be treated. For sure, it was just a strategy to stop the development of his community although in reality this strategy did not work. Zakheus’s community still grew.

Actually the conflicts between Christian-Muslim occurred since they dealt with politic. After independent, religions involved in politics, and it was the cause of disunity of religions in Indonesia. The main purposes were changed. Having power in state was to be the goal of religious organizations. During Soeharto era, the government supported the religious organizations to take place in the social development. Soeharto always used the ‘Pancasila’ to promote his ideas. Government attempted to moderate the discussion regarding a common statement about their future relations, but it was not easy because every single religion had agendas.