Muslim youngster stays with Christian family in Indonesia to understand religious tolerance better
A Muslim girl in Indonesia who lived in a Christian home for several weeks under a student exchange program learned about religious tolerance, and it was likewise a learning experience for the host family.
"The first time I met them, I was so afraid because I was afraid of people of other religions," Apipa, a young Muslim girl, said of the Christian family she stayed with in Jakarta. In the video, she narrates that she had a classmate of a different faith in junior high school who was always angry and insulted her religion.
Two to three days into the program, she asked her mentor if she could be moved "because I'm afraid that they will take me to church." It was not only her, however, who found the adjustment difficult. Ratna Megarasi, a member of the host family, felt heartbroken at first because Apipa would not eat regardless of what they try to offer her.
The barriers were eventually broken, and Apipa and her host family warmed up to each other. She had a room where she could pray and read the Quran, and Raymond Lim, another member of the family, would take her to the mosque.
Looking back, Megarasi admitted to initially thinking that Apipa should learn from them since she's the guest and they're the host; however, "it turned out that we, as hosts, learned from her." Apipa, likewise, said that the experience was not as she anticipated, and "they are very good, and not evil like I thought."
The program that Apipa participated in is called Sabang Merauke, which is a student exchange program that brings kids from different parts of Indonesia to Jakarta to live and learn. It aims to instill "a spirit of tolerance, education, and keindonesian."
In a post on Our Better World, a digital storytelling initiative of the Singapore International Foundation, Sabang Merauke co-founder Ayu Kartika wrote that she and her friends felt that something needs to be done about the anger and misunderstanding between people of different religions or backgrounds. With the program, they bring together a child and a host family -- such pairing a Hindu kid from Bali with a Muslim family, or a Muslim child from Maluku with a Chinese Catholic family -- in order to promote better understanding and tolerance.
"We believe that these real interactions will open the hearts and minds of both students and hosts, and make them see that we are more alike than different," she wrote. "In turn, they will become peace ambassadors in their circles."
This year, the program will have 15 kids from different parts of Indonesia stay with a host family in Jakarta for three weeks.
"Understanding religious differences is important, especially when it comes to tolerance. Tolerance taught me to respect other people. I should appreciate people of different religions other than Islam," Apipa said. "Tolerance should not just be spoken of but should also be felt."
