Religious leaders call for peace

MAUMERE, East Nusa Tenggara: Religious leaders have called for political party leaders to preach for peace during the campaign season.

On Thursday, they appealed to politicians not to exploit religious sentiments for political purposes so that a there would not be a recurrence of the sectarian conflict that flared in East Nusa Tenggara in November.

Kupang Bishop Petrus Turang said promoting peace was the responsibility of every citizen.

I Nyoman Kusumanata, chairman of the East Nusa Tenggara Hindu Council, said last November's sectarian clashes had undermined the peaceful coexistence of those of different faiths.

Separately, the local chief of the Indonesian Ulemas Council, Haji Omar Said Badjideh, warned that election campaigns would trigger disintegration if religion was exploited for political gains.

"There is no point in making an issue out of differences in religions," he told journalists. (yac)