Governor Abilio urged to review ruling on mosque<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The National Commission on Human Rights urged
\nthe East Timor administration yesterday to review a ruling
\ncompelling non-Catholics to obtain a recommendation from the
\nlocal Catholic parish priest before they can build a house of
\nworship.<\/p>\n
"The gubernatorial decree should be reviewed in order not to
\nprolong misunderstandings between the various religious
\ncommunities in East Timor," Commission Deputy Chairman Marzuki
\nDarusman told The Jakarta Post by phone yesterday.<\/p>\n
Governor Abilio Jose Osorio Soares' decree No. 79\/1995
\nprovides that applicants for permits for the establishment of
\nhouses of worship have to enclose a recommendation from the local
\nCatholic parish priest.<\/p>\n
Marzuki was commenting on the latest development in the
\nrehabilitation program for mosques in East Timor. The program is
\nbeing held up because of permit and funding constraints, chairman
\nof the Indonesian Ulemas Council, Hasan Basri, said on Monday.<\/p>\n
Citing a report of the council's East Timor office, Basri said
\nthe office had encountered difficulties in rehabilitating damaged
\nmosques and mushalla (small prayer houses).<\/p>\n
"They have to wait for a permit from the local Catholic parish
\npriest," Basri said, as quoted by Antara.<\/p>\n
Protests have also come from, among others, the Forum for
\nMoslem Brotherhood, which is a loose association of major
\norganizations such as Muhammadiyah and Nahdlatul Ulama.<\/p>\n
Business tycoon Probosutedjo, who also chairs the Indonesian
\nMoslem Solidarity organization, said that the native East
\nTimorese, after 400 years of living under Portuguese colonialism,
\nare not yet accustomed to the peaceful co-existence of various
\nreligious groups.<\/p>\n
Marzuki said yesterday it is the people living in the area
\nsurrounding a proposed house of worship who have the authority to
\nprovide a recommendation on any application.<\/p>\n
He said that although the governor's decree is legitimate, the
\nlocal administration should not be too strict in the
\nimplementation.<\/p>\n
"We should all realize that we have to help each other in
\nevery aspect of life," he said.<\/p>\n
Marzuki also called on the people to avoid turning the
\nadministrative case into a political issue or linking the decree
\nwith the recent rioting in the province.<\/p>\n
"The decree was issued in July, while the riots took place two
\nmonths later," he said.<\/p>\n
"There is no relationship between the two occurrences at all,"
\nhe added.<\/p>\n
Marzuki added that, for the repair of damaged mosques, no such
\nrecommendations are required.<\/p>\n
Discrimination in relation to the establishment of houses of
\nworship has long been a problem in Indonesia.<\/p>\n
Christians in predominantly Moslem areas have often complained
\nof difficulties in procuring permits to build churches.<\/p>\n
The government has delegated authority issue permits for the
\nbuilding of houses of worship to regents and mayors.<\/p>\n
A Joint Decree of the Ministers of Home Affairs and Religious
\nAffairs, issued in 1969, stipulates that regents and mayors
\nshould take into consideration city planning, local conditions
\nand suggestions from local Ministry of Religion offices.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian Bishops' Conference has asked for a
\nsimplification of application procedures for church-building
\npermits.<\/p>\n
The Communion of (Protestant) Churches in Indonesia has also
\nasked the government to make clearer regulations about building
\npermits for houses of worship, saying that Christian communities
\nshould be given legal certainty in the matter. (imn)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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