Ulemas ask for Rp 5.1b aid, council objects<\/p>\n
Ahmad Junaidi, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
City councillors objected on Thursday to a request by the Jakarta
\nUlemas Council (MUI DKI) that it be allocated Rp 5.1 billion in
\naid by the administration.<\/p>\n
"The planned use of the fund has very little to do with public
\ninterest. Most of the aid would be used for its administrative
\nand organizational affairs," said the chairman of City Council
\nCommission E for people's welfare, Nadjamuddin.<\/p>\n
According to MUI's written request for aid signed by MUI
\nchairman Mursyidi and secretary Zainuddin, some of the money
\nwould be used to finance a comparative study in Singapore and
\nMalaysia.<\/p>\n
Members of the commission also objected to MUI's request.<\/p>\n
"It's too much. What if other religious organizations ask for
\nthe same amount? We could not afford it," said Supangat of the
\nIndonesian Democratic Party of Struggle.<\/p>\n
Supangat suggested that the MUI approach the Ministry of
\nReligious Affairs for a donation because just like defense,
\nfinance and foreign affairs, religious affairs is handled by the
\ncentral government in accordance with regional autonomy.<\/p>\n
MUI's plan to send its members on a comparative study abroad
\nto visit Muslim councils and courts may have been inspired by
\ncity councillors.<\/p>\n
Last year, councillors visited Bangkok, Beijing, Morocco and
\nSpain at the expense of city agencies.<\/p>\n
In the 2002 budget, funds for foreign trips were eliminated
\nafter the trips were criticized as a waste of time by the public.<\/p>\n
The City Council will discuss the 2003 draft budget, totaling
\nRp 11 trillion, in the middle of this month.<\/p>\n
The budget, which is scheduled to be approved by the end of
\nthis month, allocates funds for projects and routine expenditure,
\nincluding donations for social and religious organizations.<\/p>\n
MUI DKI secretary Zainuddin confirmed that his organization
\nhad requested the money, saying the funds would also be used to
\nimprove public behavior.<\/p>\n
MUI's written request stated that the Rp 5.1 billion would
\nalso be used to buy computers and a camera, and to finance its
\nfatwa commission.<\/p>\n
MUI and its commission have recently been criticized for their
\nrulings.<\/p>\n
The chairman of MUI Bandung, Athian Ali, recently issued a
\nfatwa saying that scholar Ulil Abshar Abdala deserved the death
\npenalty for his newspaper article on Islamic reform.<\/p>\n
The Balikpapan, East Kalimantan, MUI office reportedly issued
\na fatwa stating that blowing a paper trumpet on New Year's Eve
\nwas haram (forbidden).<\/p>\n
Two years ago, MUI banned a song titled Takdir (Destiny) by
\nlocal singer Dessy Ratnasari.<\/p>\n
Former president Abdurrahman Wahid once suggested dissolving
\nMUI and the Ministry of Religious Affairs because of the number
\nof outlandish fatwa they had issued.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/ulemas-ask-for-rp-51b-aid-council-objects-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}