03/06/2024 Indonesia (International Christian Concern) – The tolerance quality in Indonesian cities has shown no significant improvement in recent years, according to data from the Tolerant City Index (IKT) score compiled by the Setara Institute. The IKT serves as a metric to gauge the performance of city governments and societies in managing harmony, tolerance, national insight, and social inclusion.  

Religious minorities in Indonesia, especially Christians, as we’ve historically reported on, face higher levels of persecution from intolerant religious majority groups, including Islamic extremist groups.  

Setara Institute measures the IKT in 94 Indonesian cities using eight indicators, including regional development plans, discriminatory policies, incidents of intolerance, civil society dynamics, government public statements and actions, religious heterogeneity, and socio-religious inclusion. The results are scored on a scale of 1 to 7, with 1 indicating very intolerant and 7 indicating very tolerant.  

Since 2015, the national average IKT score has hovered between 4 and 5, indicating stagnation in intolerance management across Indonesian cities. In 2015, the average score was 4.75, and in 2022, it was 5.03.  

According to the Setara Institute’s data for 2023, the most intolerant cities include Depok City, Cilegon City, Banda Aceh City, Padang City, Lhokseumawe City, Mataram City, Pekanbaru City, Palembang City, Bandar Lampung City, and Sabang City. These cities scored between 4.01 and 4.45 on the IKT scale.  

Conversely, the institute also identified ten cities as the most tolerant, including Singkawang, Bekasi, Salatiga, Manado, Semarang, Magelang, Kediri, Sukabumi, Kupang, and Surakarta. These cities demonstrated higher levels of tolerance, with Singkawang topping the list. 

Ismail Hasani, the Chairman of the Setara Institute Management Board, highlighted the criteria that distinguish these tolerant cities. He emphasized the importance of collaboration between leadership, politics, social structures, and bureaucracy in fostering tolerance. Hasani also praised mayors whose cities ranked among the most tolerant, commending their alignment with policies that promote inclusivity and harmony among citizens.  

Despite efforts to address intolerance, the Setara Institute’s report underscores the need for continued focus and innovative strategies to foster greater tolerance and social inclusion across Indonesian cities. 

Join us in praying for tolerance to increase in Indonesia for minorities and those who are oppressed across Indonesia. Pray for the oppressors’ hearts to soften and grow in tolerance.  

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