[ 123 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 RITUALS FOR HARMONY: EXPLORING THE BERSIH DUSUN LOCAL GENIUS  BEHIND RUBBER TAPPING Hasse J. Muhammadiyah University of Yogyakarta ABSTRACT Differences have long been a natural marker of the dynamics of the relationship of society. Differences often become obstacles in creating social stability. Diversi- ty can be a strength if managed properly, but may become a source of conflict in case of faulty management. This short article addresses the issue of how to man- age diversity so as to produce harmony in society that has different beliefs. There are three  basic things  defined  in this paper.  First,  a society  is capable of  being integrated through commonly shared events.  Second, providing  room  for all of the elements of society gives rise to collective solidarity which allows differences --even conflicts-- to be turned into unity. Third, the typicality of ritual that con- tinues to be practiced in society can be optimized to serve as the medium that manages the differences and turned them to peace. Keywords: Management of Diversity, Relations, Local Genius INTRODUCTION In the teaching of any religion, there is a doctrine which asserts the truth of each religion.  It is then  shifted  into  claims of  religious truth that aims to show  the faith  and  constancy  of the religion one believes in. However, conflict often emerged from such a claim because it tends to take sides. The difference  of perspectives  in understanding religious  truth makes  followers of religions  exclusive because  there is always  presumption that  their religion  is  the most correct, while  others  are wrong.  It is closely related to the religious teachings (especially  Islam)  that no  existing  religion  (will be accepted)  by  Allah  except  Islam  and thus  Muslims  strongly hold on to  this belief and practice.  People of  other faiths  also have  similar belief  so they  have  comparable  tendency, namely  claiming  their religion  to be the best and most correct. Religion is in fact the perfection of human existence, the source of vitality that embodies the changes of the world and preserves them. Religion is also one of the sources of value, role, significance, and even the highest contribution in [ 124 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 the life of  human beings.  Religion,  if seen  in the context of  the function,  is capable of being the power of integration for its adherents. Apart from that, religion  sometimes also plays the  role of  disintegration, becoming one of the factors in the occurrence of conflict among humanity, although this is still a debatable case. In the name of religion, people can come together and become strong, build a  civilization  and  advance together.  Nevertheless, also in the name of  religion, people can  kill  each other  and  destroy the existence  as well as the roles and functions of each other. Diversity  should be seen as the uncontested  reality  that becomes one of the  important  conditions  that must be  addressed  openly  and thoroughly.  Diversity  which  definitely  contains  differences  should  not  be considered a factor that triggers a conflict. Differences of identity (religion), often  triggers  the occurrence of  disharmony  among  a diverse  society, even war  such as  the crusade  involving  Islam and Christianity. Socio- religious  conflict  can be  minimized  when  religious  followers are  willing to appreciate and respect the existence of others who are different. As a matter of fact, not only do religious followers need to appreciate each other but at the same time  they also have to acknowledge  other groups  who  have their own creed. Recognizing the existence of other religions is not in order to state that all religions  are the same,  but to acknowledge in terms of difference  as something that we definitely have to live with. Cooperation  among  religious followers  can be reached  if it is done without any  prejudice,  suspicion  and when each  does  not stand on  his own  religion,  ethnic  group,  or  other  self-interest.  The presence of  religious groups  with each  attributes  could in fact open the opportunity for  the occurrence of  conflict  with each other. Religion  which is believed to be a factor of integration, on certain conditions, tends to create conflict involving many parties. However, in one of the rural areas in Yogyakarta, two religious groups,  while continuing to  compete  with each other,  can still  get along well side by side. One of the questions closely related to this condition is how do they manage their differences? To be more specific in this case, how is the process of unity running amid diversity that accompanies the two faiths? CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK There are two  important concepts  used  in this paper,  namely  dialog and ritual. The concept of dialog and the ritual used to view any relation established between Muslims and Buddhists who are united by a routine rituals they hold together in a hamlet inspired the writing of this paper. [ 125 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 Concept of  dialog.  This concept  is  used in order  to see  what kind of communication has been established among the residents of Pedukuhan Sonyo to date. Dialog is often understood solely as conversations between people. The focus  is only  on the method,  rather than on  a more substantive  level or what lies behind that dialog. In the tradition of a society, the dialog takes place not only in daily socilization, but also in various forms of activities. Up to now, we can still find a variety of routine activities of the residents of the hamlet in which there is a lot of dialog among them such as in festivals, rituals, and implementation of various activities that involve a lot of other people. In the context of  religion, dialog  is not  meant to  unify  the perception  of differences  because  every religion  has  a  point of  difference that  must be  emphasized to  differentiate it from  other  religions.  Dialog  in the context of  religion is in the form of interreligious dialog. The  dialog is  underway to  build peaceful  hearts and minds  between various  religious groups.  It is the  communication  between  two or more persons  in a religious  level.  The dialog is the way that leads to the truth. The dialog is also a form of cooperation in  projects of  common interest  which are not  afflicted with  hidden political objectives. One thing to note related to inter-religious dialog is the nature of the dialog itself. Dialog is not a debate in which each side insists on who is right and superior. The dialog  is nevertheless a  way of  affirming  one’s own faith in the  religion itself and  also a way of enriching  their knowledge and  understanding of the  truth  found in  religions  other than  his own. Such  dialog  will  affirm  the belief of the religion and give space to other followers of faiths to practice their own belief.  Information about  other religions  is very  important  in order to build  better perception regarding  the existence of  other religions.  The dialog also should never be an attempt to unify different religions, but it should be a form of cooperation  between  adherents of  different religions.  Dialog  is not a  charity, mission,  or  an activity  aimed at  inviting  other religious  group to embrace a certain religion. Related to  inter-religious  dialog,  four different  typologies  are offered.  First, the replacement model. This dialog model is born from the spirit of there is only one true religion. This spirit triggers exclusive views among the adherents of  a certain religion  because of the  claim that  only one’s own religion is  the most correct. No the truth is out there except in the religion one embraces the truth can be found. Salvation only exists and can be found in one’s own religion. Second, the  fulfillment  model. This dialog  models  originates from  the view that  the one fulfills  the  many.  This dialog  model  is actually  almost identical to  the first  model; the only difference is that it still  provides  room [ 126 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 for the  presence of  truth for  other  religions.  Truth in  one’s own religion  becomes  the source of  truth for  others  is  a simple  view of the model  of this dialog.  There is  salvation  in one’s own religion  that spreads  to the others so that the salvation of other religions is found. Third,  mutuality  model.  This dialog  model  is more open  to the truth of other religions. Out there there is a lot of truth so that it requires a dialog to find it. This model assumes that many true religions called to dialog. On a more philosophical  and  mystical level,  the truth  can be found  everywhere.  Truth is not focused on  one religion,  but it can be found  through dialog.  So is salvation. There are many paths that can be taken to reach it. This model of dialog  does not  impose  the will to  say  that one’s own religion  is  the most correct. Fourth,  acceptance  model. This dialog  is almost the same  model  as the third  model above.  The difference  is  in the assumption that  there are many true religions; so be it. This dialog model is considered the most open. The dialog goes from the assumption that there is a lot of truth. To achieve salvation is not  only through  one  particular religion,  all religions  allow  it.  Dialog  will be  much better  if based on an assumption  like this  model because there is no  will to  impose  on other  religions  to change.  All  religions (followers) remain at their respective beliefs, without propagating religious truth which may bring harms to other religions. Rituals. The second concept used in looking at the Buddhist-Islamic Relations in  Pedukunan Sonyo  is the ritual.  This concept  is used  to understand  more about the  ritual  performed by the village  residents  twice in  three years’ period. The routine rituals are performed to ask for salvation to the Almighty so that  all  activities of the residents of  Pedukunan Sonyo will be blessed and safe. How is the ritual performed so that both religious followers can be involved in it. This concept is more directed at how the ritual functions and how they perceive the ritual itself. A ritual according to Victor W. Turner (1967:19 in Abdullah, 2002) is “ … prescribed formal behavior for occasions not given over to technological routine, having reference to beliefs in mystical being or powers”. It is done at a predetermined time and has a reference to something that has mystical powers. It is an expression of religious ceremonies that reflect the system of the human relations with the spiritual world.  Meanwhile  according to  Helman  (in  Mudjahirn  Thohir, 1999) essentially the ritual  has three  purposes:  psychological, social,  and protective. Having a psychological purpose means that any ritual organized is intended to acquire ways of expressing and receiving in the sense of unpleasant emotions. Having a social purpose because it is capable to reunite at least the [ 127 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 public perception  of the importance  of  the ritual  performed.  Similarly, the protective purpose of the ritual is that it is organized to protect those performing it from any kind of danger. Similarly, by performing rituals, anxiety, worry and other negative feelings can be reduced at least in terms of disease, death, and so forth. For the performers, the ritual has a very important function. Through a ritual, an expression of  obedience  and  submission  can be found.  For the residents of Pedukuhan Sonyo, and for other residents and communities, rituals are not just  a  blank  expression.  It is a  medium  to show  the position  of humans  in the presence of  the Almighty  where humans  are humble creatures.  The ritual is also a medium to ask for salvation as well as expressing gratitude for everything that  has been enjoyed  and  acquired.  Similarly,  through  a ritual, humans acknowledge the existence of power that exists outside of themselves. By performing a carefully planned ritual, humans can negotiate with the spirit (some refer to it as the supra-natural being) so as not to interfere with their activities and life. A ritual serves as the space for human beings to communicate with the invisible, with fellow human beings, and with nature. Both of  the above  concepts  are used  in order to  see the  dynamics  of relationship of  citizens Pedukuhan  Sonyo.  The concept of  dialog  is used  to see  the dynamics of the relationship and  communication of  the two groups in social practices and religious ritual. As for the concept of the ritual, it is  used to view  how far the ritual of Bersih Dusun  forms the  residents’ perception about the role of the other group. Through the ritual, all elements and the residents involved are united in a common purpose. The ritual perceived here is not focused on the symbols performed by the community members, but on how it functions as a medium to build togetherness in the presence of differences. In this paper, the author uses a structural functionalism perspective to analyze the problem. This perspective views society as functionally integrated into a form of  equilibrium.  This perspective  is  also known as the  integration  ap- proach, equilibrium approach, or structural-functional approach. The struc- tural functionalism perspective developed by Talcott Parsons has several basic assumptions, namely (1) the community should be seen as a system of parts which are interconnected with one another; (2) thus, the influence of the re- lationship  between  these  parts  is  double and  reciprocal; (3)  even though social  integration  can never be  perfect, it  is  fundamentally  the social  sys- tem that always tends to lean toward equilibrium which is dynamic; (4) even though  dysfunction, tension, and  deviation always take place,  these condi- tions will naturally be resolved by itself through adaptation and institutional- [ 128 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 ization processes, (5) changes in the social system in general is happening grad- ually, not revolutionary; (6) essentially, social changes arise from three kinds of possibilities: adjustment carried out by social system of adjustments coming from the outside; growth takes place through a differentiating and functional process;  and  new  discoveries  by  members of  the community;  (7)  the most important factor in the power of the social system integration is the consensus among members of the public about certain societal values. DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT STRATEGIES The community  of Pedukuhan Sonyo is  simple, still  basing  their life  on subsistence  patterns, they  believe  the  nature  has given  them  everything,  for that they have always been  friendly with  nature, and  are always trying to communicate with it with a variety of expressions. Their harmony with nature is reinforced by the new religion that came to them not long ago, hopefully full of teachings of love (Islam and Buddhism). When morning comes, the routines keep recurring  in the life  of the Pedukuhan village.  This  is  truly  a  beautiful stagnation for them, but of course will probably give the impression of being ‘old-fashioned’  for those who fond of  modernization  and globalization  that are all fast-paced, stylish and new. As a Pedukuhan that cannot be categorized as traditional, it will be important to tell how individuals in the community can maintain and strengthen each other in dealing with various issues of neighborly life, up to the more complex life in a  village.  When  the ‘invasion’  of information through  print  and  television media  that illustrate  the violent character of a particular religion  because of different symbols, or news about the sectarian violence that occurred across the archipelago,  between individuals,  between groups,  tribes, even  between  the races, but it does not affect the community of the Pedukuhan. Admittedly, there are  some  issues  in everyday life,  between individuals,  between  families, even  between groups  also happened in  this Pedukuhan, but it  did not involve physical  clash, and all  could be resolved  through  a  simple mechanism  that is run  and believed  by the whole  members of the community.  The mechanism is simple  because it is complicated and consists of a variety of rules, but every citizen strives to do what is called consensus,  and in addition, the residents  of the village  also  know the  5  basic foundations  in the  community  (1)  one shall not  violate any applicable state law, (2) one shall not hurt fellow human beings (3) one shall not lie (4) one does not expect to have enemies and shall not necessarily try to find  friends, and  (5)  one shall always look for  true virtues.  The five basic rules  is  the implementation, or  perhaps  part of the  essence  of Pancasila [ 129 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 that becomes the basis of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia today that seems  increasingly  not  so strong anymore to be  the  philosophy of Indonesia. Looking at the harmony  of people’s life  at Pedukuhan  Sonyo  of course will raise the following question:  what is  the main factor  that encourages  those community members to be  able to endure  the hardship of  their lives  amid the hustle and clash of globalization that go hand in hand with the changing environment and  the invasion of  pop culture  from many unexpected sources. In real life, society constantly changes and moves towards that in line with the more modernist community. In the past, every home had a joglo (a gathering place) which is usually separate from the main house. Now things have changed. We no longer see a  joglo  for  guests but instead  spaces  inside the house are used for people to gather. They no longer sat on the floor cross legged but instead on modern chairs or sofas. It is in fact a big change. Classes  among the community  also  have gradually  been created although it does not stratify people based on ownership of objects or wealth. Many of the youths  at Pedukuhan Sonyo have higher level of education.  Some even have a college degree and managed to work in government offices. The changes that occur  in such a  massive  and  sporadic manner of course  require  values and norms or at least a guideline in which the whole community will be able to maintain harmonization of  relations between  community members  without discriminating  each other by judging on the basis of status and  identity of every individual in the community. This is certainly  not an easy thing  to realize since  identity is  not  singular in nature,  but  it  is something that  is  constantly  changing,  adapting to time, place  and circumstances (context); it is the fact that  identity  is composed of  a set of  relations, but it is  equally important  to  affirm that  identity  can also be  a single entity, something that is  natural  in  a whole.  Similarly  the status of someone that is normally obtained through hard work or efforts, is also something important to appear, assert and maintain in the community. The fact that strengthening identity will not (temporarily) replace the values that have been  instilled  so long  by  community members.  The community of Pedukuhan  Sonyo  has applied the basic  values in which they believe in the shared understanding of ways of life,  and that the whole  family  of the community is the nuclear family without having to look at identity, religion, status, and gender of its members. Community members who see themselves as a  nuclear family always  have to  take care  and protect  each other. Of course there will be  a lot of  problems that might occur, but  all sorts of  issues  can be  resolved through  a family  mechanism that has been passed down from [ 130 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 older generations which is intertwined with the basic values of public life. BERSIH DUSUN RITUAL: CREATING A ROOM FOR COMMUNITY INTEGRATION Social relations  that have been strongly established in  Pedukunan  Sonyo can never  be separated from the  involvement of all  elements of  the community itself. Although the village is situated behind a mountain, Pedukuhan Sonyo has demonstrated a potential for wisdom developed in a broader sphere. In the dynamics of their daily life,  the  residents of  Sonyo  are not  stuck  on  the question of conflict based on  differences  of belief, especially  in terms of  the distribution of roles each group in the community plays. In any activity, with no exception to religious activities, the involvement of all the elements of the community is very visible. Both Buddhists and Muslims engage in one form of cooperation in order to facilitate the festivals. On a three-yearly cycle, the residents of Pedukunan Sonyo  hold a shared ritual participated by all members of the community. Every three years’ period, there are two rituals in the village which are filled with a series of events. In fact, in the ritual, prayer is conducted together. Similarly, in the ritual that takes place in this hamlet, the main event is praying to the Almighty so that the residents are given  salvation and  blessed  throughout  their activities.  In addition,  the purpose of this ritual at the same time is to serve as an expression of gratitude for what they have achieved in previous years. The ritual is performed every Friday  Kliwon  (Javanese calendar) in the month of December. The  Bersih Dusun ritual held on December 27, 2013 took place at the home of the hamlet head. The ritual  performed  by the  residents  in this hamlet has a lot of  unique features.  Among  the uniqueness  in the series of  ritual  is the way the  prayer is performed.  As  mentioned  earlier that  in Pedukuhan Sonyo there are  two groups  with different  beliefs,  and each  would like to  contribute to the hamlet.  One of the forms of  the  contribution  is  praying  to God  for the safety of the residents in the days to come. In this ritual, both Buddhists and Muslims pray according to their own beliefs. It is a prayer event and is carried out in the same room, which is at home of the hamlet head where the event is centered. Muslims  pray  with  interspersed  praises to  Allah and  blessings on Prophet Muhammad.  In addition,  tahlilan (recital of the oneness of Allah)  is recited by  adult males.  Their clothes  were  distinctive; those often worn when doing activities of worship such as wearing skullcap, sarong, and Islamic prayer beads as well as other attributes. They solemnly pray, led [ 131 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 by  a religious  leader  (imam). The ritual of  praying  is performed  at about  8 p.m.  at night  after  Isha  prayer time.  The  male  adults sit  with  their mouth busy chanting a series of prayers of salvation. Not far from these Muslim men, sat some adult males but were not included in the group reciting the prayer. They are Buddhists who also had the same purpose. They also  joined the activity of performing  a ritual  prayer  for the salvation and harmony of the Pedukuhan Sonyo residents. When the Muslims started praying, they did not leave the room. They took the position of sitting in the corner of the room because the same room will be used for prayer by them (the Buddhists). They pray in accordance with their own belief which also asked for salvation. The ritual was also filled with other activities held by the village residents especially activities related to  entertainment.  Jatilan and  wayangan  were  two  events organized between prayer events. Kelompok Jatilan (the Jatilan Entertainment Group)  is a  group  that originates from  Pedukuhan Sonyo  and all the instruments are played by  the local residents).  Before the performance  in each event, they always do a series of rehearsal. They have a routine practice each week. The owner of the musical instruments were also locals and happen to be a devout Buddhist. The practice is done at night to avoid interfering with their regular jobs  during the  day.  The residents  involved were  composed of men and women. The voice artists also come from the hamlet. The Group’s music is often played during events held both at Pedukuhan Sonyo, and outside the hamlet. The Wayangan (Javanese puppet show)  is also shown as part of the entertainment  in a series of  rituals  in the hamlet of Pedukuhan Sonyo.  The puppet  shown is usually held  night  which takes place  after the  events  of common prayer  is completed. Sometimes, a puppeteer  in a wayangan  show comes from outside the hamlet, in addition to the available puppeteers. During the entertainment, there is no  divider  between  Buddhists  and Muslims.  They  share the joy of the entertainment together.  In addition, the players  are never segregated because of the difference of religion. They play musical instruments and perform together to entertain residents of the hamlet all night long. The phenomenon of the rituals conducted in the hamlet as outlined above can at least  demonstrate first,  the effort to  build  mutual  understanding  among the residents, especially  between the Buddhist  and Islamic  followers.  Both  Buddhists  and  Islamic adherents come together  in a forum called a ritual. Rituals in other places usually do not involve groups outside of one’s own. What happened at Pedukuhan Sonyo is a reflection of how the [ 132 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 residents put forward a sense of humanity without being blinded by sentiment in which one often considers their own group to be the most correct. Second, the  ritual  conducted in the hamlet  is the  medium for  unification of  different  groups.  This ritual is  not  claimed by  a certain  group with a certain belief, so as to allow the creation of a sense of shared responsibility in developing the hamlet for all people  in the broad sense.  Both the  Muslims and Buddhists have a sense of belonging of the hamlet they live in. They (the two groups) do their best to contribute  in accordance with  their respective  capacities  without getting  rejection from the other.  Here, the  ritual  performed in the hamlet  serves  not  only as a medium to  ask for salvation  to the Almighty, but also  as the room  that brings together  both groups to reach the same goal with their own way.  Tensions, however,  at the very least  can be  minimized  and even  reduced  so that it  is no longer a belief difference as a factor that triggers conflict. Third,  through  the Bersih Dusun  ritual,  recognition of  other groups  can be established.  The involvement of  both groups  in the ritual has  confirmed us that  in the community (especially in rural areas)  people still  have very high appreciation  of the existence of  human beings or other  groups.  The existence  of  other groups  in the context of  Buddhist  and Muslim relations  in  Pedukuhan Sonyo  is not only  found in  theory,  but it is  also manifested in  a variety of shared activities such as  the involvement of  each member of the  groups in  a ritual, including religious one. The Bersih Dusun ritual, however,  is not  based on religious groups, but rather it is based  on a  common  vision  about  the importance of  the ritual  so that it becomes  a collective  activity of the residents  in general. It is at this point that the brotherhood between the residents is becoming more powerful. The ritual  requires each other’s participation  and  gives each other  a chance to  do  and  contribute in  various  forms  on  every opportunity they can share together. The above discussion of the harmonious relation between the Muslims and the Buddhists, if  traced  back, shows that Islam  is actually very  open and  respects  other people’s existence.  In  the  non-theological  or social  development area, Islam  is so very  accommodating  to the existence of other groups, unlike  the case with  other  areas, especially  with regard to  the theological  aspects  (aqida/creed).  With regard to  Islamic  theology (creed), Islam draws a clear line of demarcation. In this matter, Islam appears to  be  very  exclusive.  This  affirmation  of Islamic creed is  enshrined  in the Qur›an surah Al-Ikhlas and surah Al-Kafirun and reflected in the sahadah (two sentences of profession).  This  is  the central doctrine  of Islam [ 133 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 called the tawhid, which is the profession of omnipotence and absolute God and  assertion that  Muhammad  being the last Prophet  sent by  God  to mankind on Earth. The exclusive  claim  of Islam  as reflected in  the  theological  doctrines  does not mean Muslims  should become  exclusive  and deny  pluralism.  Because Islam  also  emphasizes  inclusivism, as stated in  Islamic  primary  sources  (e.g.  Q.  S  al-Kafirun: 6,  Q.S.al-Hujarat: 13) and  also  as  practiced  in  the early history of  the formation of  the Islamic community. Description of the ideal of harmony between Muslims and non- Muslims, as exemplified by  the Prophet and  which later became the  model for the behavior of Islamic state and community life can be seen in the details of  the “Charter of  Medina”.  In  the Charter, the  rights of  the followers of Judaism  to coexist  peacefully  with Muslims are explicitly stated.  , with the Charter, the status of the Jewish people was lifted from tribal clients into the legitimate  residents along with  the Muslims.  There is no  difference in  treatment  between the two.  Such a  position  was never  owned by  Jewish people since the invasion of Babylonia in 586 BC. In the state of Medina, the Jews could observe the teachings of their religion in accordance with  the teachings of  the  Torah.  In addition, the State  of Medina also guaranteed and assumed the responsibility related to the Jewish people. The Medina State provided such fair treatment without discrimination, in particular, against the Jewish community. It was during this period that the Jewish civilization with a variety of its aspects reached its «golden age» under the rule of Islam. The  condition was  also  enjoyed by  the  Nazarenes, especially  during the post-”futuhat”  Mecca.  The  Christians  of Najran  Yemen  went to  the Prophet to clarify their position vis-à-vis the Islamic State. Their delegation was well received by  the Prophet.  Some of them  later  converted to Islam.  While the other remained on their religious beliefs within the framework of the Islamic State. The Prophet then solidified their position as the special ummah, a status enjoyed by the Jews. The practice of harmony as exemplified by Prophet Muhammad was succeeded by the Companions of the Prophet, as did Omar bin Khattab when expanding into Byzantine  Christian  territories.  When the region  was conquered, Umar made an agreement with the local Bishop in which it was described that Islam would guarantee the existence of Christians in the reign of Islam under the principles of equality, justice and freedom granted by the rulers of Islam to these peoples, that later led the Christians to grow and develop. Even in the first century of the Hijrah, the majority of the population in the Muslim political [ 134 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 entity  were  Christians,  the condition which was not found in  previous periods such as during the Christian reign of Byzantine, Rome, or Greece. The noble principles of the unity can also be found in most areas of Muslim rule, such as  in  the subcontinent of  India.  The region›s  adherents, the Hin- dus and Buddhists have the same rights as the Jews and Christians. When Is- lamic  rule  came to an end, the followers of other religions  remain in  their original belief. This proves that the principles of tolerance or harmony remain the grip for the Muslim rulers. Even  the development  of Islamic civilization  which  reached its peak  during the Abbasiya (Caliphate), among others,  was caused by  the development of  the theology of  this harmony.  It would be inconceivable  to imagine the advances  of science  and civilization  of Islam  without participation from other religious adherents. In this stage of the development of Islamic culture with all its aspects almost always rests on a root of unity. The development of science and technology at the time of the Abbasiya that gave birth to various branches of science began with the involvement of experts from non-Islamic society  starting with  the massive  translation  process  as from the Nazarenes and the Persians. In  the smallest  scope,  the brotherhood established  shows  how  the practice of tolerance and respect for differences take place in Pedukuhan Sonyo. The ritual  is just  one of the  events in which  the practice of  tolerance  by the residents  can be found. The ritual  serves as a room  or medium  capable of uniting  various  differences.  The differences  in both  the  habits  and  beliefs of  the groups (Islamic and Buddhist) are reduced and even united by  the ritual.  All  people  have a common perception  regarding the  essence of the ritual conducted without looking at the origins and identity inherent in each group. What takes place at each performance of ritual in Sonyo provides some clues  about how  interest  groups  are able to accommodate  aspiration to minimize the potential conflict. The differences that are often seen as a source of tension  have thus  become a new strength  to create  harmony.  Departing from the ritual, social  integration of the community in Sonyo remains strong. Social integration  in society  can be achieved  when  elements  in it have the opportunity to interact  socially.  In addition,  social norms  and customs  are also among other important factors in achieving  social integration.  This is due to  the fact that social norms  and customs  that govern the  behavior of the community members  by upholding the imperative  about  how  people should  behave.  Nevertheless, the achievement of  social integration  in society  requires  sacrifice, in terms of both immaterial and material [ 135 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 sacrifice.  The basis of  sacrifice  is  the  adjustment between  the difference  of feelings, desire, the size and the assessment in the community. Therefore, social norms  of reference  to act  and  behave  in society will provide  the guidelines for a way to socialize within the community. Portrait of unity backed by growing social integration can also be seen in the relations between Muslims and other groups in several other places. In South Sulawesi,  for example, while  the Bugis-Makassar  community  is often identified with Islam, in terms of social contact, they are very open to other groups.  This happens  in  Makassar Sidenreng Rappang  where  there is encounter  between  Islam and the  Towani  Tolotang (Hinduism).  Both groups live and unite in a settlement. The Towani  Tolotang  settlement  which is situated next to the other community groups  has enabled mobility and  social relations  between the two  communities.  The pattern of  the  relationship  between  Towani Tolotang and the Muslims in the vicinity is not only limited to neighborhood matters, but it could also take the feeling of kinship. At the neighborly level, the relationship is  based on intensity of  the  encounter  can happen  at any time because the groups coexist. Helping each other in some daily activities serves as one of the main factors that strengthens their relationship. When the help each other, they no longer display concerns about different conviction they believe in but  sense of brotherhood  based on the  neighborly  relationship  is more important to them. Settlement patterns of the Towani  Tolotang and the Muslims that happens to be side by side has allowed intensive communication to occur. The frequency of their encounter also occurs intensely. At Amparita, the homes belonging to the Towani Tolotang or the Muslims other do not have a significant difference. The architectural construction  and  is the same, which is a  typical  house of the  Bugis.  The distance  between  one house and the other is not far away, usually only  separated by  a fence  and the  yard  which  is  approximately  5 meters.  The Towani  Tolotang,  despite living in the same  hamlet, are not exclusive. In between their houses, there is also the home of the Muslims. The condition at  Pedukuhan Sonyo  is also not far different.  People of both  religions  mingle and  communicate well.  On  other  issues, such as appreciating and respecting each other  (recognition of  other groups)  are also carried out  by residents  with the  exchange  of foodstuffs  such as  during lebaran (Islamic holy day)  can be seen during  both Eid al-Fitr  and  Eid al- Adha.  After  celebrating the  Eid al-Fitr, Muslim  residents  for example,  hand out alms  (zakat) collected. The alms are distributed to those entitled to receive them. [ 136 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 One  interesting  phenomenon  that occurred  among the  Muslim residents  at the time  of  zakat distribution  (where there was plenty of rice  left) was that it was distributed to the Buddhists. It also occurred after the feast of Eid al- Adha.  When  the distribution of sacrificial  meat  took place, the  Buddhists also received coupons just like the Muslims. According to Suparno (39), the gift coupons were intended for anyone to pick up the meat in person. Suparno reported that up to now, they have always come take sacrificial meat provided by the committee. The above  view  shows that  at least  in practice,  socio-religious life  of  the people  has  a very intensive  and dynamic relationship.  Segregation  does not occur  in particular concerning  religion  among  them.  Both  religious groups under certain conditions are very exclusive but in other conditions they are very open to the existence of other groups. It does have a direct impact on the already established communication that  occurs where  various  activities demonstrate the success of positioning one group in the presence of another so that conflict can be avoided. The solidity  shown  and group  solidarity  built are  getting stronger  because it  is based on the  mutual  understanding  and  commonality of  vision  related to the needs  or position of the groups respectively.  They managed to  sort and  select  appropriate  actions  done without denying the  existence and  each other’s role. Ritual and  other social  activities  do not  scramble the role, but instead  serve as  adhesive and  reduction of tension  among  residents.  In the end, the existence of different groups thus increasingly provides opportunities for  the  harmonization of  life  among the people because it is  based on the principle of openness and respect for others. COCLUSION The relations between  Buddhists  and  Muslims  in Pedukuhan Sonyo  show  how communities in  a  small  Hamlet  build solidarity  that goes beyond  religion.  What this  study  demonstrates is  how different groups of people manage  diversity  that is  built on the difference itself  and gives birth to  cohesion  between them.  The difference, as  can clearly be seen  in many places,  thus  often became  justification  to blame  the other.  The case in this study  shows  the opposite,  both groups  live together in harmonious situations that even penetrate the boundaries of belief. At this level, the diversity is no longer a question of beliefs that are considered urgent  among groups.  With similar culture, different  groups have been able to show understanding of sublime  cultural  values  which are relatively  the same.  Here, they  no longer stress on the polarization of  non-Muslims  and [ 137 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 Muslims, but the  similarity of  the Javanese  culture.  It  confirms  that the  commonality of  culture  that  eventually gives birth to  a bond that is important in establishing a good relation among members of different groups. Here, social capital serves as a reinforcement of social solidarity. Solidarity is formed because people do things together, not because the individuals are of the same value or belief. This research  confirms  that solidarity  demonstrated by  the community of Pedukuhan Sonyo  is a  portrait of a community that is successful  in overcoming group’s selfishness  and ego.  There are three  important things responsible for managing diversity based on the findings of this research. First, diversity is not always a trigger for conflict, on the other hand, it should serve as the adhesive to form a society despite different beliefs. In spite of difference in  belief,  it turns out that intensive  and  balanced  communication without involving  the interests was able to  reduce  the tension  in the middle of  the community. The difference of belief is just one of the many differences which, if  managed well,  will deliver  a secure  and peaceful  condition.  This kind of  paradigm shift  is also found  in the middle of  the community  of Pedukuhan Sonyo, both Buddhists and Muslims have to continue to develop themselves without bothering the other›s existence. Second, in a society there is a lot of potential that can be developed in order to create harmony.  The  Bersih Dusun  ritual  still  practiced  and  preserved  to this day  turned out to be  an important  contribution to the  good community  relations  and communication  in the hamlet of Pedukuhan Sonyo.  The ritual  not  only concerns  how to build  a good relation  with God, but also creates harmony with our fellow human beings that exceeds the interests of  each individual.  The ritual  not only  builds connection between humans and  God, but also  becomes a tool  to  bond  people  far beyond  the differences  of  religion. In  this condition,  the ritual  has been  able to show a function that works to reduce potential for tension. Third,  the involvement of  all elements  of society  is important  to be continuously encouraged  in order to  provide a space  that is  capable of accommodating  all  interests.  The involvement  and engagement  of all parties without labeling provide wider room for different groups to take part in any collective activity not only enjoyed by members of a particular group, but also by members of the other. The distribution of function to all elements in society will have an impact on trust in the presence of other groups. Integration will  later  appear  in  the spirit of  respect for  the existence of  others.  Both  the Buddhists  and  Muslims  lived side by side,  and are not  clustered based on their conviction, in particular with regard to settlement, so they continue [ 138 ] AL ALBAB - Borneo Journal of Religious Studies (BJRS) Volume 3 Number 2 December 2014 to integrate and mutually need each other. In the future,  it  is crucial to  always  accommodate  a wide range of  community discernment  as an attempt to  minimize the  hostility  that often triggers conflict. What is indicated by the community in a remote hamlet in Yogyakarka can serve as an example of how to manage diversity and brought to  a much wider  area.  The Pedukuhan Sonyo  community has exemplified  a good lesson on how  collective  solidarity  can be built on differences  without denying the  existence of other groups (minorities).  They  have been able to allocate  their respective  roles  so as to avoid  conflict  which  interferes with the harmonious relationship they worked hard to establish. This, in fact, reflects that they have succeeded in managing  difference and  diversity  into a  strength  although it is only  practiced within  the small  scope of  the dynamics of Indonesian government. As a pluralist nation, it must be noted that we should never split just because of the difference of beliefs. The difference should become a precondition for the formation of an open society. The spirit of appreciation can at least spread to penetrate all aspects of life. The existence of other groups outside one’s own will add  dynamics  to the  relationship  that tends to  move toward  an increasingly complex pattern. What is indicated by the community of Pedukuhan Sonyo is that social life is full of  meaning.  Their  steadfastness  regarding  the implementation of the ritual is not only limited to the normative-practical level, but it also arrives at substantive-applicative by continuing to cultivate the sense of togetherness  by  acknowledging  differences  exist among them.  This  is  the true spirit of democracy, where differences are managed and used as a force to establish unity and a sense of togetherness. REFERENCES Abdullah, Irwan. 2002. 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