The freedom of religious belief and the right to practice one's faith are protected by our Constitution. Indeed, Indonesia – with its myriad religions and ethnic groups – has been touted as a role model for religious tolerance, despite having a strong majority of people who belong to the Muslim faith.

We can point to many examples of mosques and churches standing side by side, and of communities celebrating different religious holidays in harmony and a spirit of oneness.

But with recent instances of religious strife and discrimination against minorities, the nation's social fabric has begun to fray.

To restore religious tolerance and harmony to the country, lawmakers are now working on a draft bill they are touting as a long-term solution to the religious conflict that has plagued the country in recent years.

Human rights groups and minority communities are not convinced, though. Many have raised concerns over some of the articles in the bill.

They rightly point out that the root cause of many cases of religious conflict is weak law enforcement, not an absence of regulations. Religious harmony, they note, can only be achieved if the state guarantees every citizen's religious freedom and rights. The new bill, as it currently stands, does not clearly spell out the state's responsibilities and duties in protecting religious freedom.

What it does is to set out regulations for how people can spread their faith, celebrate religious holidays, construct places of worship, hold funerals and carry out religious education.

The bill, therefore, must go further. It must spell out punishment for those who attack places of worship or who injure those of a different faith in the name of religion. The punishment must be severe if it is to act as a deterrent.

Maintaining religious harmony in this country is as crucial as having a strong military defense against foreign invaders. Religious tolerance is the very fabric of this multi-faceted nation. If we do not protect minority groups and ensure their safety, the nation's internal security will be undermined.

The state has a responsibility and a moral duty to every citizen in the republic to enable and preserve their freedom of worship. This is what the new draft bill must address.