This is cool; Bangka Belitung is like a mini (version of) Indonesia, which is full of diversity, but peaceful.Pangkalpinang, Bangka Belitung (ANTARA) - Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has inaugurated Bacang Village in Pangkalpinang City, Bangka Belitung Islands Province, as a Religious Harmony Village to bolster tolerance among religious communities in the area.
"This is cool; Bangka Belitung is like a mini (version of) Indonesia, which is full of diversity, but peaceful," he remarked while inaugurating the village here on Wednesday.
All residents of Bacang Village have been able to maintain communal peace and harmony amid diversity, he noted.
"Hopefully, it will be an inspiration for all residents in other villages throughout Indonesia," the minister said.
Many people from different ethnic backgrounds live in Bacang Village, including the Malays, Chinese, Madurese, Minahasans, and other ethnics who are rarely found in other regions, he highlighted.
"This (living in diversity) is such a joy and I want to witness the harmony of the residents of Bacang Village," Qoumas remarked.
He also said that apart from several ethnic groups, the village also has five mosques, a Chinese temple, and a church.
"I think Bacang Village is (the showcase of diversity in) Indonesia and we have to take good care of it together," he added.
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Translator: Aprionis, Uyu Liman
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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