Differences cannot justify conflict, says President<\/p>\n
Tony Hotland, The Jakarta Post\/Bogor<\/p>\n
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said on Wednesday that
\npluralism had proven itself to be a blessing for the country
\nrather than a threat to national unity.<\/p>\n
Speaking before participants at the 14th congress of the
\nIndonesian Communion of Churches (PGI) here, the President said
\nthat differences in ethnicity or religion could never justify
\nconflict.<\/p>\n
"Pluralism is not a reason for starting a conflict," Susilo
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The President opened the congress hours after his arrival home
\nfrom Vientiane, where he attended the Association of Southeast
\nAsian Nations (ASEAN) summit.<\/p>\n
It was the second time in just three days that Susilo attended
\na congress hosted by a religious organization after his visit to
\nthe congress of the country's largest Muslim organization,
\nNahdlatul Ulama, in the Central Java city of Surakarta, which is
\nstill underway.<\/p>\n
The President called on religious leaders to contribute to
\nnation building in order to prevent conflict among different
\ngroups in the country.<\/p>\n
Prolonged conflicts between Christians and Muslims in Maluku
\nand the North Sulawesi town of Poso between 1999 and 2001 left
\nthousands of people dead and hundreds of thousands more
\ndisplaced. Sporadic, lower intensity violence returned to Poso
\nrecently, but has not blown up into communal clashes.<\/p>\n
The President also gave a guarantee of justice for and an end
\nto discrimination against minority groups in the predominantly
\nMuslim country. Non-Muslims account for 11 percent of the
\ncountry's population.<\/p>\n
"Discrimination no, social solidarity yes," he said.<\/p>\n
Just before he left for the ASEAN summit, Susilo told PGI
\nchairman Nathan Setiabudi that he had asked the Minister of
\nReligious Affairs to review a joint ministerial decree on the
\nconstruction of places of worship, which Christian leaders say
\ndiscriminates against minority groups.<\/p>\n
Under the ruling, signed by the Ministry of Religious Affairs
\nand the Ministry of Home Affairs in 1969, any plan to build a
\nplace of worship, including mosques, churches or temples, must be
\napproved by the surrounding neighborhood.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/differences-cannot-justify-conflict-says-president-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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