Nabire – Interfaith harmony is being strengthened in Central Papua as part of efforts to maintain peaceful community life amid the province’s religious and social diversity.
The Central Papua Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB) is promoting regular communication and coordination among religious communities to prevent social issues involving religious identities from developing into wider conflicts.
Chairman of the Central Papua FKUB, Ignatius Robertus Adii, said social tensions could still emerge within communities. However, during his approximately 16 years leading the forum, conflicts directly pitting followers of one religion against another had been almost nonexistent.
According to Ignatius, issues related to the construction of houses of worship and internal religious matters can still arise. However, such issues can be addressed through communication and appropriate approaches.
He said maintaining this situation requires continued interfaith dialogue and public awareness of the importance of tolerance, religious harmony, and moderation.
“Ini yang kita mau menjaga dengan dialog-dialog seperti ini, memberikan pemahaman kepada masyarakat luas, supaya memang toleransi, kerukunan, dan moderasi beragama itu penting. Inilah solusi yang kita bisa berikan, memberikan pemahaman,” kata Ignatius kepada tim LPP RRI Nabire, Sabtu 3 Oktober 2026.
“We want to maintain this through dialogues like these, providing broader public understanding that tolerance, harmony, and religious moderation are important. This is the solution we can offer: providing understanding,” Ignatius said.
He explained that strengthening religious harmony does not always require large-scale initiatives. Simple interactions between religious communities, such as getting to know one another and visiting places of worship, can help build mutual understanding.
The Central Papua FKUB has previously visited five places of worship representing five religions. The visits were intended to strengthen relationships while reducing misconceptions and prejudice among religious communities.
“Selain itu, hari raya keagamaan. Kenapa kita tidak bisa saling sapa? Karena hal-hal seperti ini sepele, kecil, tapi itu yang menjaga toleransi kerukunan umat beragama,” ujarnya.
“Religious holidays are another opportunity. Why can’t we greet one another? These things may seem simple and small, but they are what help maintain tolerance and religious harmony,” he said.
Regular Coordination
Central Papua FKUB Secretary Muhammad Syarif said regular coordination is one of the mechanisms used when issues emerge that could potentially take on a religious dimension.
The forum first examines the nature of an issue and its potential impact before determining an appropriate response. Representatives from different religious communities then meet to discuss possible solutions.
“Kalau kami di FKUB memang rutin kami rapat koordinasi, karena dengan rutin bertemu seperti itu maka itu akan membuat setiap perwakilan agama akan lebih terbuka, akan saling mengerti, akan saling mengetahui,” kata Muhammad Syarif.
“At FKUB, we regularly hold coordination meetings because meeting routinely in this way makes representatives of each religion more open, understand one another better, and know one another better,” Muhammad Syarif said.
He added that consistent communication provides religious representatives with an opportunity to understand different perspectives when an issue arises, helping prevent individual problems from escalating and affecting the wider community.
“Ketika ada muncul permasalahan, tidak akan meluas dan kita bisa menekan dan tidak berdampak lebih luas,” ujarnya.
“When a problem arises, it will not spread, and we can contain it so that it does not have a wider impact,” he said.
The interfaith coordination model is part of broader efforts to maintain social stability in Central Papua by prioritizing dialogue and mutual understanding before differences can escalate.
Through sustained dialogue, community interaction, and coordination among religious leaders, Central Papua is strengthening its foundation of tolerance and peaceful coexistence, demonstrating how religious diversity can become a foundation for a stable and inclusive society.
