TOWANI TOLOTANG RELIGIOUS FREEDOM: A COMPREHENSIVE EXAMINATION OF THE DYNAMICS AND RAMIFICATIONS OF INDIGENOUS RELIGIOUS CUSTOMS IN INDONESIA

Teguh Ahmad Asparill, Gabriel Durah Langoday, Dawid Bunikowski, Arwanto Harimas Ginting

Abstract

Keragaman agama di Indonesia menimbulkan tantangan yang signifikan bagi agama-agama lokal seperti Towani Tolotang, yang berjuang untuk mempertahankan identitas dan kebebasan beragama sambil menuntut pengakuan sesuai dengan prinsip-prinsip hukum internasional tentang kebebasan beragama. Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk menyelidiki tantangan-tantangan yang dihadapi oleh agama lokal Towani Tolotang dan implikasinya terhadap keberlangsungannya. Menggunakan metode kualitatif dengan pendekatan etnografi, studi ini mengkaji berbagai literatur dan data etnografi untuk memahami konteks sosiokultural masyarakat Towani Tolotang. Temuan penelitian ini mengungkapkan bahwa Towani Tolotang, sebuah kepercayaan lokal yang menyembah Dewata Seuwae, mengalami diskriminasi dan penindasan selama penumpasan Partai Komunis Indonesia (PKI) melalui TAP MPRS XXV/1966. Meskipun menghadapi tekanan untuk mengadopsi salah satu dari enam agama yang diakui secara resmi, komunitas Towani Tolotang tetap bertahan dengan memasukkan beberapa aspek Hindu ke dalam praktik-praktik mereka. Dinamika ini mengakibatkan perpecahan di dalam komunitas antara mereka yang menganut kepercayaan asli mereka dan mereka yang memeluk agama Islam. Penelitian ini menggarisbawahi pentingnya kebebasan beragama sebagai hak asasi manusia yang diakui secara internasional yang sering diabaikan dalam praktiknya di Indonesia. Kebijakan pemerintah dan interpretasi hukum yang cenderung teistik membuat kepercayaan agama lokal, seperti Towani Tolotang, mengalami diskriminasi. Studi ini menyimpulkan bahwa perlindungan hak beragama bagi komunitas penghayat kepercayaan lokal harus ditingkatkan melalui penegakan hukum yang inklusif dan tidak diskriminatif.

Kata Kunci: Towani Tolotang; Hukum Kebebasan Beragama Internasional; Agama Adat

ABSTRACT

Religious diversity in Indonesia poses significant challenges for local religions such as Towani Tolotang, which struggle to maintain their identity and religious freedom while demanding recognition in accordance with international legal principles on religious freedom. This study aims to investigate the challenges faced by the Towani Tolotang local religion and their implications for its survival. Utilizing a qualitative method with an ethnographic approach, this study examines various literature and ethnographic data to comprehend the sociocultural context of the Towani Tolotang community. The findings reveal that Towani Tolotang, a local faith that worships Dewata Seuwae, encountered discrimination and suppression during the crackdown on the Indonesian Communist Party (PKI) through the TAP MPRS XXV/1966. Despite facing pressure to adopt one of the six officially recognized religions, the Towani Tolotang community persevered by incorporating some aspects of Hinduism into their practices. This dynamic resulted in a split within the community between those who adhered to their indigenous beliefs and those who adopted Islam. This research underscores the significance of religious freedom as an internationally recognized human right that is frequently overlooked in practice in Indonesia. Government policies and legal interpretations that tend to be theistic expose local religious beliefs, such as Towani Tolotang, to discrimination. This study concludes that the protection of religious rights for local faith communities must be improved through inclusive and non-discriminatory law enforcement.

Keywords: Towani Tolotang; International Freedom of Religion Law; Indigenous Religious

Keywords

Towani Tolotang; International Freedom of Religion Law; Indigenous Religious

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.20961/habitus.v9i1.89946

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