MUI says planned lottery against Islamic principles
MUI says planned lottery against Islamic principles
JAKARTA (JP): The Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) has issued
an edict stating a planned lottery to raise funds for sports
development violates Islamic principles.
In the statement signed by chairman Hasan Basri, secretary
Nazri Adlani and the executive in charge of devising edicts,
Ibrahim Hosen, on Tuesday, the council asked the National Sports
Council to drop its plan or change the fund-raising scheme to
conform to Islamic teachings.
The edict capped a two-day special meeting called by the
council's board of executives. It was made public only yesterday.
The edict states the proposal is outlawed because it would
foster fraudulent practices and cause financial losses to the
public.
"It's a certainty that the program could play havoc with the
people's mentality and the national economy which is now
suffering in a crisis," the statement read as quoted by Antara.
The council said the lottery scheme was merely a repeat of the
banned SDSB lottery program, itself the subject of heated public
debate.
Under the new proposal, the sports council expects to collect
Rp 100 billion annually from coupon sales. Each coupon, to be
sold for Rp 5,000 in an appointed state bank, will also serve as
a ticket to attend one sports game, except for semifinals and
finals, within a year after its purchase. Lottery organizers
provide cash prizes ranging from Rp 5,000 to Rp 100 million.
"The failure to set a certain date for the sports game is
considered cheating," the ulemas council said.
"The fact the coupons are not redeemable for semifinals and
finals confirms the fraud, because most sports enthusiasts are
fond of watching semifinal and final games."
The MUI argued that prizes promised by the lottery organizers
were illegal according to Islamic law because they were not
presented based on merit. In case of competition, the awards
would be acceptable if they were provided by a third party, it
added.
It also criticized the sports council for inviting a foreign
investor to participate, saying it may cause capital flight.
Both the government and the sports council have said the fund-
raising program would not tempt people to gamble because the
coupons would not bear numbers.
The Ministry of Social Services' special team of five top
officials is studying the scheme. (yan)