Scholars urge religious-free campaign

Scholars urge religious-free campaign

JAKARTA: Political parties contesting the 2004 elections
should avoid the use of religious symbols while campaigning to
minimize the possibility of clashes among party supporters,
scholars say.

Cecep Syarifuddin, a leader of the country's largest Muslim
organization, Nahdlatul Ulama, said on Tuesday that elections
were part of the democratic exercise, so political parties should
uphold democratic values.

"The use of religious symbols to win the people's support
would only increase the possibility of clashes among party
supporters, which could lead to the disintegration of the
nation," he said during a seminar on religious harmony ahead of
the elections in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Meanwhile, Syafi'i Maarif, the chairman of Muhammadiyah, the
country's second largest Muslim organization, said clashes could
be avoided if political leaders accepted the results of the
elections. --Antara