"Families and households, as the social components, must be strengthened to optimize their role in nurturing values of peace and religious moderation in their children," the academic stated during a seminar on women's role in promoting religious moderation and nationalism held in Sigi, Central Sulawesi, on Saturday.
Religious moderation must be promoted to nurture the habit of applying noble religious values as a principle in establishing peace and preventing violence in society and contributing to achieving national cohesion and unity, Pettalongi remarked.
The rector highlighted four qualities that determine a person with high commitment to religious moderation: their loyalty to the national ideology of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution; opposition to physical and non-physical violence; tolerance to other religions and their adherents; and respect to traditional and cultural values espoused by society.
"Hence, promoting religious moderation in families must start by nurturing the four qualities that I have expounded," Pettalongi stated.
Promoting a moderate religious outlook in families is paramount to preventing religious intolerance and radicalism from sprouting in families, he noted.
"This is since families and parents have a paramount role in nurturing the young generation," the academic affirmed.
He pointed out that mothers and fathers, with a moderate religious outlook, will always shield their children from intolerance, radicalism, and terrorism thoughts.
"By becoming the closest figure to children, mothers have an essential role in serving as an agent of peace to guard their children against intolerance and radical thoughts in the household," Pettalongi stated.
Translator: M Hajiji, Nabil Ihsan
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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