Camelia Pasandaran – Indonesia's Religious Affairs Minister, in an apparent attempt to downplay the nation's rising tide of religious intolerance, suggested that inter-faith strife is "human nature" before calling the country "the best... in the world" in terms of religious tolerance.

"I can say that it's a normal part of human nature," Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali told the Indonesian newspaper Kompas. "Humans were created by Allah with traits like anger. But religions have rules on anger that order us to be patient and slow [and] especially not to hurt others."

Indonesia has come under fire from human rights groups and international observers in recent years over the government's reluctance to temper intolerance or address the oppression of religious minorities.

Human Rights Watch, the US Commission on International Religious Freedom and the Setara Institute have all issued recent reports detailing instances of faith-based violence and criticizing local government officials of cowing to pressure from hard-line Islamists.

Suryadharma denied the country had a problem protecting religious minorities, pointing to the fact that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, a Muslim, routinely attends celebrations of other religions.

"Now please show me any country like Indonesia," he said. "That's why I said Indonesia is the best country in the world in terms of religious tolerance. Is America like that?"

Religious leaders remained unconvinced. Antonius Benny Susetyo, an interfaith activist who is also executive secretary of the Commission of the Indonesian Bishops Conference, reminded Suryadharma that Indonesia's constitution offers protection to many of the same religious minorities who routinely face persecution.

"The escalating violent conflict using religious symbols is caused by government's inability to put an end to the violence," Antonius told Jakarta Globe on Wednesday.

He said it was the Religious Affairs Ministers job to maintain harmony and unity among Indonesia's diverse religious groups, not choose sides.

The spokesman for the nation's long-oppressed Ahmadiyah community offered harsher words.

"We're not questioning the conflict [itself]," Firdaus Mubarik, spokesman for the Indonesian Ahmadiyah Congregation (JAI), said. "It's true that it might happen elsewhere in the world. What we question is where the government stands in regards to the conflict."

While inter-personal religious intolerance is common in most countries, the government's role in recent events is unique, Firdaus said. "Suryadharma's efforts to convert Ahmadis," Firdaus said. "[That] is actually something that wouldn't happen in other countries."