Religious Conflict, Mediation, and Multicultural Counseling: The Role of FKUB in Resolving Worship Place Disputes in Indonesia

Abstrak

Indonesia’s religious diversity presents ongoing challenges in managing disputes over houses of worship, particularly when administrative regulations intersect with community relations and religious identities. This study examines the dynamics of religious conflicts, the mediating roles of the Forum for Religious Harmony (known as Forum Kerukunan Umat Beragama, FKUB), and the extent to which its mediation practices reflect principles associated with multicultural counseling. A qualitative comparative multiple-case study was conducted in Bogor City, West Java, and Aceh Singkil District, Aceh. Data were drawn from interviews with eight key participants representing FKUB, government institutions, religious leaders, and community representatives, supplemented by field observations and document analysis. The data were analyzed through within-case analysis followed by cross-case comparison. The findings show that disputes in both sites were initially associated with the establishment, legality, or use of houses of worship, but developed into broader interreligious tensions when administrative disagreements interacted with mistrust, competing interpretations, and communication problems. FKUB functioned primarily as a mediator and dialogue facilitator linking religious communities, government actors, and local stakeholders, although the form and intensity of mediation differed across the two cases. The findings further indicate that several mediation practices, including perspective-taking, neutrality, culturally sensitive communication, and collaborative dialogue reflect principles associated with multicultural counseling, even though participants did not formally identify these practices as multicultural counseling interventions. This study contributes by demonstrating how multicultural counseling can serve as an analytical lens for understanding culturally responsive, community-based mediation in religious-conflict settings.

Kata kunci

• Multicultural counseling
• Religious conflict
• Conflict mediation
• Religious harmony
• FKUB
• Indonesia