VOI - Voice of Indonesia | RRI - Radio Republik Indonesia

Delegates from the Islamic State of Afghanistan will pay a visit to Ambon, Maluku Province, to gain insights into how religious tolerance is practiced in the city.

"In line with the schedule we received from the Afghan delegations, they will conduct comparative studies in the city of Ambon on June 19-21, 2019," Ambon Mayor Richard Louhenapessy noted on Sunday.

Ambon was granted a recommendation from the Foreign Affairs Ministry as a destination to delve into the practice of tolerance among religious believers.

The city has a Christian-majority population, and Islam is the second-largest religion.

"The arrival of delegates from Afghanistan is a matter of pride for the people of Ambon. It means that the city is receiving increasingly more acclaim from the international community and, most importantly, Ambon has a brand," he noted.

Louhenapessy affirmed that Ambon is listed among "the most tolerant cities" in Indonesia on the basis of the human rights advocacy group Setara Institute report in 2018.

The group conducts annual research to rank the most tolerant cities based on practices of tolerance followed in 94 cities in the country.

Some of the points under observation are freedom of religion or belief, gender equality, and social inclusion guaranteed and protected by law. In addition, the statements and actions of city government officials regarding tolerance are taken into account.

Louhenapessy added that Ambon City had also bagged the Harmony Award from the Ministry of Religious Affairs for being the most harmonious city.

Out of several cities in Indonesia, Ambon was then designated in the category of being the city with the most harmonious religious life through Minister of Religious Affairs' Decree Number 1 of 2019. (ant)