Fact Check: Did Jusuf Kalla Insult Christian Teachings?
VIVA – The 10th and 12th Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla (JK), has been accused of insulting Christian teachings after he referenced the term “martyrdom” in the Poso and Ambon conflicts.
A circulating video shows Jusuf Kalla’s statement regarding why religion often becomes a trigger for conflict, noting that both sides in the conflict hold their own beliefs about the concept of “martyrdom”.
This excerpt is accompanied by narration from several accounts accusing the statement of being inconsistent with Christian teachings.
“Why does religion easily become a reason for conflict like in Poso and Ambon? Because both Islam and Christianity believe that dying or killing someone or dying is martyrdom. During the conflict, both sides hold that belief. If I kill someone in Islam, I am a martyr. If I die, I am a martyr. In the end, it’s hard to stop,” said JK in the video.
Fact Check
Based on VIVA.co.id’s investigation, the video was first uploaded by the Masjid Kampus UGM YouTube account on Thursday, 5 March 2026, coinciding with 15 Ramadan 1447 Hijriah.
In the lecture delivered at the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Mosque, JK presented the theme ‘Indonesia’s Diplomacy Strategy in Mitigating the Potential Escalation of Regional Multipolar Wars’.
In the approximately 43-minute lecture, JK opened with a hadith from Prophet Muhammad SAW emphasising that reconciling disputing parties has a higher value than prayer and fasting. This means that peace is the top priority in social life.
In the context of his viral statement, Jusuf Kalla was actually describing the reality that occurred during the Poso and Ambon conflicts, where some conflicting parties believed their actions were justified religiously.
He was not explaining official theological teachings, but rather showing how erroneous understandings can be used to justify violence. Furthermore, in his subsequent explanation, he affirmed that killing innocent people is not justified by any religion and is contrary to humanitarian values.
JK also shared his experiences regarding conflict resolution, the importance of understanding root causes, and the need for dialogue and justice approaches to achieve peace.
As is known, JK was the initiator of the Helsinki Peace Accord that ended the decades-long armed conflict between the Indonesian government and the Free Aceh Movement (GAM) in 2005.