AsiaCalling

Download With hundreds of malls that offer play equipment for children, many Jakartan parents choose air-conditioned convenience over the park.

But over recent months, 8 mothers have come up with a novel way to both entertain and educate their children outdoors.

Each Saturday at Central Jakarta’s Amir Hamzah Park, they gather to teach the importance of religious tolerance in the world’s most-populous Muslim nation.

Arin Swandari pays a visit to the small class with a huge vision...

It’s Saturday afternoon. Forty children and their mothers have gathered at the park.

The children are choosing songs to dance with. This is how the class begins every week.

First off, it’s storytelling time.

Today, they’re listening to a folk story from South Sumatra called “Si Pahit Lidah” or “The Bitter Tongue.”

It’s about a fungus that is considered useless by others.

“Don’t envy or hate others just because they’re different,” reads one line in the story.

But, this is exactly what happens to Cut Linda’s daughter who attends an Islamic school. The family comes from Aceh, referred to as the “porch of Mecca.”  

“I told the teachers that my daughter loves to dance, she can recite prayers like others. But just because I don’t wear any veil, they don’t believe me. It feels like my daughter is being stamped with a negative stamp, that she cannot do anything, because of how I look like. It’s not right.”

The name of the alternative school at the park is Rainbow of the Archipelago.

Muayati started the class with seven other Jakartan mothers.

“I want to teach tolerance from very early to the children, so they understand deeply about pluralism in Indonesia. Thus when they grow up, they will not do anything violent, for example, in the name of religion, which happens a lot lately.”

Rights groups say a spate of religious attacks across the country this year point to a growing intolerance in Indonesia.

An activist from the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace, each week Muayati organizes teachers from mosques and churches to visit the alternative school.

Lusia Wenehet, a church volunteer, is one.

“We understand that intolerance is still a very big problem in the society. We hope that through communities like this, from early age, they will learn about pluralism, how to appreciate others with different religious, cultural and economic level backgrounds.”

The school is also preparing material on human rights issues.

But Muayati assures that these big issues are tackled in a child-friendly way.

“We mix heavy materials with games that would introduce the children to differences, tolerance and pluralism, how to be responsible. They can share stories, sing, play music and do role plays.”

The school is free of charge and everyone can join.

That includes Sumitri, who comes from a mixed family.

“It’s good because here no one is treated differently based on their religion. The same way goes with my family, we have different beliefs. I’m Christian, my sister is Muslim. It’s not a problem; everybody is free with their own opinion in my family."

Eva, Sumitri’s daughter, is learning first hand how to value different religions.

“Eva, when you do your prayer, you pray according to your belief. If your Muslim friends pray, how do you pray?”

“In Christian way,” Eva replies.