REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, SURABAYA -- The Forum of Religious Harmony (FKUB) said it greatly appreciates the construction of houses of worships side by side of six different faiths by developer Royal Residence in Surabaya. The houses of worships of Islam, Christian, Catholic, Hindu, Budha and Kong Hu Chu are built in Sumber Welut, Lakarsantri, in this East Java capital.

Chairman of the Surabaya FKUB Chalimi said here on Tuesday he felt stronger religious harmony in the city when Royal Residence approached FKUB to discuss its plan to build the six units of house of worship. "Thanks God, work is already in progress to build the six houses of worship and this is a concrete indication of stronger religious harmony in this Heroes' City," Chalimi said.

He said FKUB itself has taken a number of steps to maintain and strengthen religious harmony and at the same time to keep the condition conducive for religious people in Surabaya.

He said FKUB together with all stakeholders in Surabaya held seminars on religious harmony and organized camping of youths of different religions.

He said it is important to bring together the youths to share information and implant in their minds the need to defend the condition of diversity.

"Being different is not necessary hostile to each other. Diversity is like mosaic of life as a nation, a state and being religious," he said.

He said religious harmony in Surabaya is excellent and solid as all religious followers respect each other and the harmony has been created and implanted since the ancient Majapahit kingdom.

In addition, the religious people could well control their emotions and restrain themselves from committing negative action, he said.

"That allows us to maintain religious harmony in Surabaya," he added.

Chalimi said Surabaya already practiced three types of religious harmony or called Tri Kerukunan Umat bergama - first harmony among followers of the same faith, harmony between people of different religious faiths and harmony between religious people and the government.

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