GMKI Asserts That Peace Experiences Must Not Be Misunderstood

Jakarta, VIVA – Secretary of the GMKI Senior Forum, Rouli Rajagukguk, assessed that the report submitted to the 10th and 12th Vice President of Indonesia, Jusuf Kalla, deliberately shifts away from substantive discourse to constructing opinions that could lead to conflicts of interest in the field.

“First, the accusations built do not stem from a complete understanding of the content of the sermon, but rather from snippets of statements detached from their context. Such practices are not merely mistaken but have the potential to shape unfounded public perceptions,” he said in his statement, quoted on Thursday, 7 May 2026.

Rouli stated that the analysis of social conflict realities in Indonesia is not a theological statement, let alone an assessment of certain religious teachings. He viewed transforming conflict analysis into an issue of blasphemy as a serious distortion.

“Third, I question the motives behind pushing this issue into the criminal realm. When academic space and public discourse are forced into the logic of criminalisation, what is threatened is not just one figure, but the overall quality of our democracy,” he said.

Furthermore, Rouli regretted if religious issues were used as tools to build opinion pressure or short-term interests. Such an approach, he continued, risks muddying social relations that have been carefully maintained.

“Fifth, Mr Jusuf Kalla is a figure directly involved in resolving conflicts in various regions of Indonesia. The statements made arise from concrete field experiences. Ignoring this context and instead building one-sided accusations shows a lack of seriousness in understanding the issues,” he said.

Therefore, Rouli invited the public to adopt a clear and positive stance towards emerging narratives and not to be easily influenced by incomplete snippets of information.

He asserted that differences in views should be addressed with arguments, not with labelling or criminalisation. Moreover, he noted that cutting misleading video segments and spreading them wildly in public spaces with provocative narratives wrapped in certain religious teachings.

“Instead, we should all be grateful to Mr Jusuf Kalla, who has been able to resolve conflicts that occurred in several regions of Indonesia, so that the Indonesian nation remains undivided to this day,” he said.