A Muslim leader heading an interfaith group said the education system has contributed to religious discrimination in the predominantly Muslim country.

“Religious discrimination happens because of our education system, which is under control of the ministries of national education and religious affairs,” Siti Musdah Mulia from the Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace told about 200 people from different religious backgrounds attending an August 5 seminar in Jakarta.

The seminar, with the theme “God, please heal our nation,” was jointly organized by the Jakarta Christian Communication Forum (FKKJ) and the Communion of Churches in Indonesia to anticipate the 66th anniversary of Independence Day, which falls on August 17.

The education system has also bred hatred, said Mulia, a lecturer at Syarif Hidayatullah State Islamic University.

“Ironically, the government seems to let it happen.”

Mulia said that only the Ministry of National Education should have control over the nation’s curriculum.

“We must be brave to speak up if the state does something discriminatory,” she said.

Also speaking of the seminar, Theophilus Bela, who heads the FKKJ, pointed out that the theme was chosen because “we have fought with our own strength too long and forgot to ask God to heal our nation.”