Haj pilgrimage

From Merdeka

I deplore the action by a member of the Department of Religious Affairs which somewhat hinders the haj pilgrimage for Moslems to the holy land of Mecca. Unlike 60 years ago, during the Dutch colonial time, the Indonesian people have become critical and know the contents of the 1945 Constitution, particularly Article 29 paragraph 2 which guarantees freedom of religion. The Department of Religious Affairs should protect this freedom. No one can hinder the people from practicing the teachings of their religion, including making a pilgrimage to the holy land.

In this regard, I hope the Department of Religious Affairs should not go too far in intervening in religious rituals. Learning from the latest experience I think it is high time the Department reviewed its regulations concerning the haj pilgrimage to make things easier for the community to understand.

It is appropriate to allow the Moslems themselves to manage the haj pilgrimage, and the government should act only as protector and counselor instead of as a travel bureau.

AGUS SETYADI

BN TUCHFAH S

Cileungsi, West Java