Confucianism should be legalized

Confucianism should be legalized

JAKARTA: Confucianism should become one of the official religions in Indonesia in a bid to help uphold democracy in the country, People's Consultative Assembly Speaker Amien Rais says.

Amien, who also chairs the National Mandate Party (PAN), said on Friday there was no precedent in a democratic country where the government could prohibit a religion.

After learning that the number of people who followed Confucianism, mostly Chinese, was quite a lot in the country, there was no reason for the government to ignore the faith, Amien said while opening the 14th national congress of the Konghucu High Religion Assembly.

The government has so far only recognized five official religions in the country: Islam, Protestant, Catholic, Buddhism and Hinduism.

Confucianism is deemed by the government as a faith, but not a legal religion. --Antara