Haj pilgrimage

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