Fears Rising…

When I was on a Fulbright in Indonesia (studying Advanced Indonesian, Islamic mysticism, Javanese gamelan, traditional puppetry [wayang], & martial arts [pencak silat]), I was placed with a Christian host mother in a predominantly Christian city in Java (we lived next to a volcano!). Since my expertise on religion in Indonesia is focused on Islam, it was an eye-opening experience for me to live among the ethnic Chinese Christian and Buddhist minority. Many of my neighbors openly shared their experiences of ethnic and religious discrimination and their fears of being persecuted. It ended up being as much of an educational experience as my Fulbright responsibilities. Now, in the wake of the Christian governor of Jakarta being suspected of blasphemy, fears are rising among the ethnic Chinese population that they too will soon be targeted for suspicion and persecution.