Dutch Peace Envoy: Indonesia an Exemplary Country in Religious Freedom

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia, as a country for many religions, is an exemplary country in religious freedom. Ambassador to the Holy See and Special Envoy for Freedom of Religion and Belief of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Paul Bekkers, made the statement to RRI Voice of Indonesia in Jakarta, Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

According to him, while Muslim is a majority, the country still respects other faiths. "Your majority is Muslim, clearly. But you respect, even by law, other faiths and these faiths can be practiced freely. And that's for us wonderful to see, so I think you are a good example for many others in the world," Ambassador Bekkers stated.

This recognition and freedom of beliefs extend beyond the six most common religions such as Islam, Catholicism, Protestant Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism. Indonesia according to him also includes the local belief.

On local belief, the Ambassador welcomed the Day of Belief in the Almighty, which was announced by the Minister of Culture Faldi Zon on Monday, July 6, 2026. He saw the day as an appreciation to everyone with a different belief system.

He added that the Day of Belief in the Almighty also fits in the general concept Indonesia represents. "So, if the minister has made that decision, I think it would be a logical consequence of the government of Indonesia's policy," Ambassador Bekkers said.

Paul Bekkers also admitted to be very impressed with the interfaith harmony in Indonesia during his recent visit to various locations and projects. The example he mentioned was the Jakarta's Cathedral and Istiqlal Mosque that are connected through the Tunnel of Friendship.

In that visit, he felt the wisdom from the ministers, Grand Imam of Istiqlal about interfaith dialogue and understanding each others' faith. "So, I'm impressed with the many projects and the many people I visited. So, I feel very enriched when I leave this country," he said.

With all examples of religious freedom as well as multilateralism, Ambassador Paul Bekkers hoped Indonesia will promote it to the world. "Multilateralism is the key to coming to solutions, and my hope would be that Indonesia brings its leadership and voice through multilateralism to the world," he said.