Study on sacred sites considers tough questions in four parts of Indonesia

Source: CRCS.

Protecting the Sacred: An Analysis of Local Perspectives on Holy Site Protection in Four Areas in Indonesia by Dr Suhadi Cholil (ISBN 978-602-72686-4-7), has just been published. The book is a collaboration between the Center for Religious and Cross-cultural Studies (CRCS), Graduate School, Gadjah Mada University Indonesia; Search for Common Ground (SfCG) in Indonesia; and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Jakarta.

According to the CRCS, Indonesia is home to communities of believers in the world’s major religions and traditions, in addition to various indigenous religions and other smaller world religions. Holy sites, varying from mosques to temples to churches to tombs, can be found in all corners of the archipelago. Despite this abundance of holy sites, there is a general lack of knowledge, understanding, and respect for these sacred spaces.

The book investigates three key questions in four areas of Indonesia, Manado, Pontianak, Bali, and Bekasi: 

To what extent can the Universal Code of Conduct on Holy Sites be used to campaign for respect and protection towards houses of worship and holy sites in Indonesia 

What are the public’s perceptions and public knowledge about houses of worship and holy sites as well as their attitude towards the recognition and respect for such sites

How social change affects the relationship between religions and the protection of houses of worship and holy sites in certain areas of Indonesia 

Interested?

Download the complete Universal Code of Conduct on Holy Sites (PDF) or the one-page summary (PDF)

Download Protecting the Sacred (3.67 MB)