Jakarta – International experts on Christian and Muslim perspectives on religious freedoms have advised Indonesians to work together to show compassion for one another's religions.

Prof. Hugh Goddard of the Nottingham University in the United Kingdom, said all religions had their own ideals on freedom. "But local and international experiences show that no-one can maintain that ideal," he said.

He was speaking at a seminar on Saturday organized by the Center for Dialogue and Cooperation among Civilizations (CDCC) and the British Embassy in Jakarta.

"Every person has the right to practice their religion without any pressure from any party," Goddard said. "The freedom of speech, however, has brought major changes in the practice."

One member of the audience voiced a concern about Christians and their general ideology to help others in need, which he said was feared by the community as an effort to persuade Muslims to convert to the religion. In response Goddard said, "I don't see why Muslims and Christians can't work together in distributing help for the needy".

He further praised Indonesia's healthy religious atmosphere, where he said people of different religions can live side-by-side in peace.

Prof. Seyyed Amir Akrami, a visiting research fellow at the University of Birmingham in the UK, said, "it is very clear the Islam religion couldn't be a matter of compulsion and coercion". "However, it is true that Muslims all around the world are lacking the ability to express a basic compassion for others," Seyyed said.

"Being compassionate is actually (a) criterion of being a good Muslim. Faith in Islam is happening within the heart, when one experiences the internal, emotional connection with God," he said.

Syafi'i Anwar, executive director of the International Center for Islam and Pluralism, said the spirit of pluralism in Indonesia was clear and eloquent. "However, the rise of the radical conservative Islam is a threat to religious freedoms in Indonesia," Syafi'i said.

"There's a tendency that Islam in Indonesia is interpreted as merely the shariah, with many conservatives Muslims demanding strict implementation of the law in diverse Indonesia."

"Such textual interpretations, where texts and hadith (words and deeds of Prophet Muhammad) are seen only as text, is very subjective and undermines the context of modern Indonesia."

Syafi'i said recent research showed radical conservative Islam had an anti-gender characteristic.

"The radical conservative Muslims also show a strong belief in the conspiracy theory – that the West has an agenda to destroy the Islamic tradition of the East. This paranoia of the West has been their justification in using violence against others of different beliefs."

Syafi'i then called for more interfaith dialogs and cooperation to maintain a good relationship between religions in Indonesia. (lva)