PORTALJABAR, BEKASI REGENCY - The Interfaith Women's Forum (Forwala) of Bekasi Regency continues to strengthen the role of women in maintaining harmony and tolerance between religious communities through a Tolerance Seminar themed "Harmony in Diversity" at the Hall of the Interfaith Harmony Forum (FKUB), Simpangan Village, North Cikarang District, Monday (5/10/2026).

Representing the Acting Regent of Bekasi, the Assistant for Government and Public Welfare (Asda I) of Bekasi Regency, Hudaya, said that the diversity of the Bekasi Regency community is a wealth that must be protected together.

"Bekasi Regency is a region with a very diverse population. We live side by side with people from various backgrounds, ethnicities, cultures, traditions, and beliefs. This diversity is a treasure that we must be grateful for and protect together," said Hudaya.

He believes that differences shouldn't be a reason to distance oneself from others, but rather an opportunity to build mutual understanding and respect. The Bekasi Regency Government also welcomed the Forwala program as part of its efforts to strengthen harmony within the community.

"Harmony doesn't mean we have to be the same. Harmony is when differences can coexist, respect each other, and remain in the spirit of brotherhood," he said.

Hudaya believes that women have a strategic position in building a tolerant society, especially because the values of empathy, concern and respect for differences can be instilled from the family environment.

"Mothers and female leaders have a strategic role in instilling the values of empathy, caring, and respect for differences, especially within the family environment," she said.

Therefore, she hopes Forwala can continue to be a space for friendship and a platform to strengthen women's roles in maintaining harmony. Tolerance, she continued, is not only defined as accepting differences, but also as understanding, respecting, and being able to live side by side peacefully.

"The Bekasi Regency Government will certainly support various positive community initiatives to maintain harmony and unity. Creating a safe, peaceful, and harmonious region is not just the government's responsibility, but our collective responsibility," Hudaya emphasized.

The Chairperson of Forwala Bekasi Regency, Sri Sugiarti, explained that the seminar was part of a series of Interfaith Harmony Festivals which had previously begun with visits to a number of places of worship with elements of the Bekasi Regency Government.

"This series of activities began on September 23rd with visits to places of worship with the Acting Head of Kesbangpol. Then, in the second series on October 5th, we held a seminar on the theme of Harmony in Religion," Sri explained.

He said the activity involved various community organizations and interfaith religious organizations with the aim of broadening understanding of the importance of tolerance, especially among women.

"Our goal is to continue our efforts, especially for women, to foster tolerance toward other religions. There have been many indications and several experiences where friction has arisen during religious gatherings. However, thanks to our continued relationship with religious communities, thank God, these issues have been resolved," she said.

According to Sri, the involvement of various religious groups demonstrated a spirit of togetherness in maintaining harmony in Bekasi Regency. Participants came from several Islamic and non-Islamic organizations, including Fatayat Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muslimat (Muslimat), Alisa Khadijah (Affiliated with the Indonesian Muslim League), LDII (Indonesian Muslim League), GAMKI (Indonesian Muslim League), representatives of Hindus, and the Buddhist Association.

"Thank God, all religions, including the wings of other religious organizations, are present here as representatives. Before the event opened, the Regent was also present to provide support and encouragement to Forwala to be more active in promoting religious tolerance," he said.

Sri assessed that the condition of interfaith harmony in Bekasi Regency is generally good, although public understanding still needs to be strengthened through communication and social interaction.

"I'm confident, and in fact, Bekasi Regency is doing very well now. However, the general public still needs to be educated. Therefore, the FKUB, through Forwala, must continue to strive to strengthen ties," he said.

He believes that communication and relationships built between communities can be important capital to prevent friction, including when there are religious activities in the community.

"God willing, once we've done activities regularly and gotten to know each other, even when we go to worship, because we already know each other, there won't be any rejection. The problem usually comes from a lack of communication," Sri explained.

Sri added that since its establishment in 2023 as a wing of the FKUB, Forwala has not only held seminars but also built direct relationships with various communities and places of worship, developing joint activities that address social, economic, and cultural aspects.

"Every activity has three elements: economic, social, and cultural. We visit all places of worship, socialize, introduce ourselves, and then organize activities together," he said.

He gave the example of festival activities involving participants from different religions in cooking competitions as a simple way of building togetherness amidst differences.

"One group must include six religions. They cook together. It's one example of how unity in diversity is extraordinary and can produce something good," he explained.

Going forward, Forwala will also continue to play a role in providing understanding in environments that still require strengthening tolerance. Sri believes that a humanistic, relationship-based approach to women can be one way to gradually build acceptance.

"Forwala has a responsibility to provide enlightenment in places of worship that have not previously been approved. Perhaps the primary step is for women to enter, then create economic, social, cultural, and educational activities. It doesn't always have to be formal, but rather to integrate first," he emphasized.

Sri hopes that government support for the harmony movement will continue to be strengthened, because peaceful social conditions are the foundation for development in various fields.

"When we are at peace, we can do various things together, whether in the economic, social, or other fields. Therefore, the government must continue to support and advocate for the harmony movement," he concluded. (Bekasi Regency Communications and Information Office/rka)