Postgraduate Profile
Mr Godlif Sianipar
PhD Candidate, School of Humanities & Social Science
Discipline: Sociology & Anthropology
Email: Godlif.Sianipar@studentmail.newcastle.edu.au
Current Research
PhD thesis title: Christian-Muslim Relationships in Medan and the ‘Dalihan na Tolu’ – A Social Capital Study of Bataknese Traditional Values and Their Effect on Interfaith Relationships
Since 1996 Christian-Muslim relationships in Indonesia have been shaken and marked with various incidents. Religious violations seem to have become an accepted and tolerated state of affairs. Many church buildings and mosques were destroyed and burned down, however this has not happened in Medan. The high levels of collective religious violence may endanger the democracy in Indonesia and in turn may rebuild a new kind of hybrid regime. The example of Medan is therefore important in understanding strategies to ameliorate conflict and to develop more positive relationships.
In Medan, the local government, religious institutions and also individuals of both religions have initiated the encounter in cultural or adat events, which also involve other religious representatives. As a result of involving culture in aspects of inter-religious encounters, the city of Medan has never experienced religious conflict, although the possibilities for religious conflict still exist.
The goal of this study is as follows: firstly, to describe the contribution of systems of beliefs of both religions to the problems in Christian-Muslim relationships and to describe and explore the significant contribution of the cultural values of the Bataknese “Dalihan na Tolu” among the people to the unusually peaceful relationships in Medan. Secondly, to explore how mutually interdependent factors of culture and religion can trigger inter-communal violence and persecution in all its forms and also to examine the more positive feelings of friendship and respect that Muslims and Christian can have toward each other in particular social circumstances, such as Medan.