Full Lecture by JK at UGM Leading to Police Report by GAMKI
The Central Executive Board of the Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (DPP GAMKI) and several other organisations have reported Indonesia’s 10th and 12th Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, known as JK, to the police over his lecture at the Gadjah Mada University (UGM) Mosque on 5 March 2026.
JK was reported for allegedly insulting Christian teachings through his lecture titled ‘Indonesia’s Diplomatic Strategy in Mitigating Potential Multipolar Regional War Escalation’.
JK appeared as one of the speakers at the ‘Ramadan Public Lecture’. The approximately 43-minute lecture was broadcast via the official YouTube channel of the UGM Campus Mosque.
GAMKI, along with the Expert Council of the Indonesian Christian Community Assembly (MUKI), the Indonesian Pastors Association (API), the Pluralism Community Struggle Movement, the Central Executive Board of Si Pitung, and the Central Executive Board of Horas Bangso Batak, reported JK to the police over his statements regarding the Poso and Ambon conflicts.
In their statement, DPP GAMKI quoted JK’s controversial remarks, which touched on the conflicts in Poso and Ambon in the early 2000s. They took issue with JK’s use of the phrase ‘martyr’ (syahid) in relation to conflicts involving religion, including those in Poso and Ambon.
DPP GAMKI General Chairman Sahat Sinurat stated that they strongly condemned JK’s remarks, which they deemed hurtful to Christians and disruptive to society.
Sahat stated that Christianity does not teach killing people of different faiths to enter heaven. Instead, he said, Christianity teaches loving fellow humans, even enemies.
Contents of JK’s Lecture
These statements likely refer to the early part of JK’s lecture. In the first ten minutes, JK indeed brought up 15 major conflicts in Indonesia stemming from injustice. Two of them were the Poso and Ambon tragedies that escalated into religious conflicts.
“There are also (conflicts) because of religion, although preceded by injustice. Then the result is religious, like Poso, Ambon, DI/TII. Why does religion easily become a reason for conflict, like in Poso, Ambon. Because both Islam and Christianity believe that dying or killing someone, dying or extinguishing, is martyrdom. All parties, Christians too, think that way, if I kill a Muslim, I am a martyr, if I die too, I am a martyr. Finally, it’s hard to stop if the conflict is brought into religion,” said JK.
In the middle of his lecture, JK conveyed that he helped mediate three of those 15 major domestic conflicts. Using logic and courage, without involving military operations.
It was at this moment that JK emphasised that neither Islam nor Christianity teaches that killers are guaranteed entry to heaven.
“When in Ambon the city was divided, this is Christian, this is Muslim. If you enter (Christian) territory, you’re beheaded. If you enter Muslim territory, Christians are beheaded. Thousands, nearly five thousand people died just because the killers felt they were martyrs, great. Even if killed, the parents don’t regret it, there are no tears of regret in Ambon if a child dies, they say my child has entered heaven,” explained JK.
JK dared to enter the conflict areas, despite many warning him of security risks, but his determination was firm.
“Talk to them. Of course, I also entered Muslim areas, but I spoke in front of thousands of people. With just one word, that all of you feeling you enter heaven, that’s not true! All of you here who kill people, you enter hell! They were shocked. Show me, in Islam and Christianity, which says killing innocent people enters heaven. Show me, where! In Islam there is none, in Christianity there is none, so all of you enter hell. Everyone stopped. Everyone was silent,” he recounted.
“The next day I called everyone, I got angry, that you are the first to enter hell. Finally, I said, what sir, talk to me, let’s sit down, and in the end peace, in Malino,” JK continued.
JK expressed similar views when mediating the Poso conflict. He called the religious leaders of each faith and emphasised hell as the final destination for killers.