Government urged to lift decree on houses of worship

JAKARTA (JP): Religious figures have called on the government to revoke a controversial joint ministerial decree which requires a government permit before a mosque, church, temple or other houses of worship can be constructed.

They charged it was against the 1945 Constitution, which guarantees freedom of religion.

Hasballah Puteh, a Muslim intellectual from Aceh, maintained that numerous sectarian conflicts over the last three years had exploded because of discriminative treatment by Muslims against minority groups.

"The SKB (joint ministerial decree), which was jointly issued in 1976, must be revised because besides being against the Constitution, it has been an acute disease that has inflicted conflict between the Muslims and minority groups," he said in a dialog between religious figures and youth organizations here on Wednesday.

The three-day dialog, officially opened by Vice President Megawati Soekarnoputri on Monday, was organized by the Indonesian National Youth Committee (KNPI).

Hasballah, also a professor of Islamic studies at Syahkuala University in Banda Aceh, admitted that the controversial decree reflected Muslims' groundless overanxiety about Christian communities in the country.

"Muslims should not be suspicious of Christian activities and social charities because they are aimed at helping to better people's social welfare and not at Christianizing Muslims," he asserted.

"All religions, including Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism, must be given an equal chance to grow in the country because they are promoting brotherhood and love and are against violence," he said.

Syaifuddin, a Muslim cleric from North Sumatra, concurred and said religious figures should play their role in the promotion of tolerance among religious communities.

"Muslim clerics should take a leading role in promoting religious tolerance among Muslims, especially (by preaching it) during Friday prayers in mosques. Their sermons which discredit other beliefs will only sow hatred," he said.

He said the joint ministerial decree was discriminative as it required a certain number of signatures from Muslims in the community if a non-Muslim wished to build a house of worship there.

On the other hand, Syaifuddin remarked, most mosques were built without a formal permit from the government.

Rev. Armien A. Rere from the Southeast Protestant Church agreed. He said all religious communities should accept Indonesia's pluralist society.

"It must be nationally accepted if we are committed to maintaining our national identity," he said.

He called on all sides not to be influenced by sensitive issues that could lead to open sectarian conflict.

"We should not sharpen differences but promote human brotherhood because no religion teaches or supports violence and discrimination," he said.

Armien said the recent sectarian violence in Poso, Central Sulawesi, was not triggered by conflicts between Muslims and Christians but by provocative actions by a third party outside the province.

Ida Bagus Gde Yudha Triguna, a Hindu figure in Bali, said it was urgent for clerics and religious institutions to improve people's awareness of different religions in Indonesia.

"Interreligious dialog should be intensified while students in schools and universities should be encouraged to share knowledge about religions," he said.

Adhiyaksa, KNPI chairman, said the committee along with the religious figures had recommended a number of action plans during the three-day dialog to promote religious harmony.

"KNPI in cooperation with youth organizations, the government, informal leaders and religious figures will introduce reconciliatory programs, including dialog and joint charity activities among religious institutions in 14 provinces prone to sectarian conflicts -- in Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan, Maluku and Sulawesi," he said. (rms)