by Nick Gier, Professor Emeritus, University of Idaho
In 2014 I published a book entitled The Origins of Religious Violence: An Asian Perspective (nfgier.com/1171-2). In my research I discovered that there was relatively little religiously motivated violence in pre-colonial Asian societies. The only exception was Buddhist Tibet before the current Dalai Lama.
Europeans Responsible for Religious Extremism
This led me to suspect that it was primarily European colonizers and Christian missionaries who introduced the idea that there was only one true religion. My conclusion was that these outsiders convinced Asians to become Hindu fundamentalists in India and like-minded Buddhists in Burma and Sri Lanka.
In my initial book research, I came across writings about Indonesia that indicated that Sufi missionaries, along with peaceful Muslim traders, were responsible for the moderate Islam that we find there today. A recent trip to Southeast Asia inspired me to write the chapter that I would have written had it not been for a deadline imposed by my publisher.
Muslim Traders: Peaceful and Honest
In contrast to the traders who sailed peacefully from India to present-day Malaysia and Indonesia, Muslims armies moved west and north spreading (in mostly violent clashes) their one true religion to Syria, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, North Africa, and finally Spain. Muslim rule in Spain (711-1492) was a remarkable era in which Muslims, Christians and Jews lived in relative peace.
Historian Nazeer Ahmed claims that the people in present day Malaysia and Indonesia were “impressed by the honesty and integrity of these merchants and a large number accepted Islam. They were sought after as ideal spouses. The immigrants did not force their own customs and culture on the local populations. Instead, they adopted the local culture.”
The Sufis’ “Gentle Approach”
The Sufis are the mystics of the Islamic tradition. With their claims of direct access to and union with God, mystics were always held suspect by Jews, Christians, and Muslims. Mystics, however, are found right at the center of Hinduism and Buddhism.
Some Indian Sufis fled east after being persecuted by the Sultan of Delhi (ca. 1335). When they arrived, they were welcomed warmly by the people of present-day Malaysia and Indonesia. Their pantheism (all things are divine) meshed well with similar views in the Hindus and Buddhists who had been present in this area for 14 centuries. According to one source, Sufis “sparked intense intellectual activity among the Malays, and they produced some of the most sublime literature in the Malay language.”
According to the Indo Islamic Heritage Center, Sufis “embraced local customs and traditions, creating a harmonious blend with Islamic teachings that resonated deeply with indigenous communities. The gentle approach of these missionaries not only attracted followers but also helped Islam flourish amidst diverse cultural landscapes.”
Indonesia Protects Religious Minorities
As I explained in a previous column (nfgier.com/religious-tolerance-in-muslim-majority-indonesia) modern day Indonesia is a democratic republic that protects its religious minorities. The state recognizes nine religions in addition to Islam. Religious instruction is required in public schools, but parents can choose a teacher of their own faith.
Many Indonesians believe that their government has been too tolerant of the presence of militant Islamic organizations in their country. Over the decades there has been strong evidence that the Indonesian army has been funding, equipping, and sometimes training the militants. This is especially true of Islamic attacks in Eastern Indonesia where there are large Christian majorities.
Islamic Militant Attacks
Since 1976, there have been about 50 violent incidents caused by Islamic militant groups. Many assaults were on police and government officials deemed “un-Islamic,” but I will focus on attacks on Indonesian Christians and Westerners.
Since the 16th Century, Muslims, Protestants and Catholics in Eastern Indonesia had been living together in peace. In 1999, religious conflict between Muslims and Christians broke out in the province of Maluku. The conflict, exacerbated by the influx of Islamic militiamen from Java, spread to islands in the south and an estimated 9,000 people were killed.
On Christmas Eve 2000, Islamic militants carried out attacks on churches in eight Indonesian provinces. The bombings caused 18 fatalities and many injuries. In the same year Christians took revenge on a Muslim village in Central Sulawesi killing 165 and raping the women before taking their lives.
The Bali Bombings of 2002
On October 12, 2002, Indonesian militants allied with Al Qaeda set off two bombs in a Bali tourist district killing 202 people, including 152 Westerners. Bali’s Hindus were not targeted, indicating that the motivation was primarily political and not religious. Critics complained about continued nation-wide security lapses, and three years later to the month, Bali’s resort area was again attacked killing 20 and injuring 100 others.
In May 2018, as evidence of what religious fanaticism can lead to, a Muslim mother and her two children joined suicide bombers who attacked three churches in Surabaya killing 15 and wounding 57 others. The last incident happened in March 2021, when the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Makassar was bombed, injuring 20 people.
With the threat of Christian nationalism in the U.S., which in its extreme forms even excludes Jews, Muslim Indonesia serves, ironically, as a good example of celebrating religious pluralism, not destroying it.
Nick Gier of Moscow taught religion and philosophy at the University of Idaho for 31 years. He was also coordinator of religious studies from 1980-2003. Read a summary of his book on religious violence at nfgier.com/1171-2. Email him at ngier006∂gmail.com.