Jambi Governor: Religious Harmony is Key to Regional Development

Jambi City (ANTARA) - Jambi Governor Al Haris emphasised that religious harmony and the harmonious coexistence of different faiths are the primary assets for driving the acceleration of regional development.

“Jambi is a region where religious life is excellent and interfaith relations are harmonious. The conducive condition of Jambi, characterised by mutual respect between religious communities, is our capital for building the province,” said Al Haris during a gathering of interfaith leaders with the Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Romo H.R. Muhammad Syafi’i, at the Jambi Provincial Ministry of Religious Affairs Hall on Tuesday.

He expressed that the sense of kinship and togetherness among religious communities in the region is deeply felt. He believes that by maintaining such harmony, more parties will be encouraged to contribute actively to the development of Jambi Province.

The Deputy Minister of Religious Affairs, Romo H.R. Muhammad Syafi’i, stated that strengthening relationships with interfaith leaders is vital in supporting the success of national development.

Romo Syafi’i emphasised the importance of maintaining religious harmony based on a correct understanding of one’s respective religious teachings, as all recognised religions in Indonesia fundamentally teach unity and harmony.

“There should be no mutual suspicion among religious followers. If there are words or provocations that damage harmony, we must ensure they do not stem from religious teachings, but rather from the agendas of certain preachers or intellectual actors,” Romo Syafi’i asserted.

In addition to urging the public not to be easily provoked, he also invited religious and community leaders to respond wisely to various discourses regarding government programmes on social media.

He requested that the public should not immediately dismiss the positive value of a government programme simply because of technical shortcomings in its field implementation.

“Therefore, let this not become a cause for discord. Furthermore, we want to be able to respond wisely to the current trends on social media regarding comments on government programmes,” he concluded.