Religious Integration

It's been over a month since we've arrived in Indonesia. Next week, we've completed 6 weeks of intensive language training and immersion and will take an exam to ensure that we are at varying levels of intermediate for Bahasa Indonesia. We've successfully completed a week of teaching practicum and each group has planned and implemented their own English Camp (ours was filled with Super Heroes). Recently, our cluster (6 of us) have decided that language class is just better when we have it at each other's homes and once we take the time to think about it--this is just another way to further our community integration rather than being isolated studying at the village office.

My family has taken to integrating me into their daily lives. They've been preparing for the celebration of a nephew's circumcision- which is just as big as bar/batmitzvah / Sweet 16 / Quinceanera. The women on my block have been baking cookies for the past 5 days and have made about 400 small boxes worth for take-aways. I help them during my breaks in between morning and afternoon sessions and when I return home after classes finish whatever's left from the day's work. This past week alone, I've attended a PKK meeting and a "yasinya". PKK is the women's meeting where the women in the village or along a certain street all gather to discuss important topics and happenings in their area and this particular group as I'm sure others do, have their own "Arisan" which is where they have lottery every month or so, and everyone pitches in a certain amount of money and all that money goes to one member of the community and they are able to either save or invest that money and it continues to rotate so that everyone receives it. Yasinya (which I have no idea if I'm spelling this correctly) is a religious meeting where the women in the community gather in a neighbor's home to read Al Q'uran for about an hour and a half and each of these meetings is followed by the host supplying meals for everyone as well snacks and tea. For the yasinya, I had to wear a jilbab (hijab) and let me tell you- I should not convert because that is not a flattering look for me. 

Religion is so interesting because really it so much the same everywhere. The more I travel the more I see how no matter where we are in the world, people are still the same whether moderate, liberal or extreme they exist everywhere. For the majority of people, everyone is relatively moderate- reasonable in their application of religion in their daily lives. Just because someone may be religious does not mean they are conservative or extreme. 

For me, I think Indonesia is very similar to Sri Lanka in terms of religious application. Here they do not believe in a secular government as we do in the states. They believe that religion is not just faith, it is a way of living it is involved in politics and all parts of daily life. Indonesia has a majority population of Muslims just as Sri Lanka has a majority population of Buddhists and the Philippines has a majority population of Catholics. I'm not sure about the Philippines but in Indonesia and Sri Lanka, the majority religion is implemented in basic government structure, holidays and laws but the people because that religion is the majority are not extremists instead they are moderate. They follow their faith but that does not mean that they aren't forward thinking in fact most times, some people that I meet here are far more reasonable than conservatives I know in America. Sometimes in America, we become so familiar with our own ways that we become blinded or are quick to make assumptions and generalizations about people and places we think we know. 

For every time an Indonesian may be convinced I'm from India as are some Americans -.-, I simply think of how many Americans if they saw an Indonesian would definitely NOT guess that they were Indonesian, in fact if an American saw any Asian-looking person that was Muslim I'm sure they would be completely confused. Everyone is guilty of being ignorant in varying degrees and for different reasons but I think how people differ are the people that are willing to learn about these differences and proactively look to correct their [unintentional] ignorance.