Religious Affairs Minister: LGBT Issue is Challenge for Clerics
14 February 2016 11:40 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Indonesian Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said that the issue of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) is a ‘challenge’ for clerics.
"Directly or indirectly, the issue has something to do with the clerics who have to enlighten them,” Lukman said in a written statement.
According to the Minister, Islam does not allow homosexuality; thus, he said that giving them enlightening is the task and challenge for the clerics.
"We have to enlighten them. At least, we can persuade them to recover from this social disease,” he added.
The Religious Affairs Ministry, he added, will also be more serious in improving the quality of religious life at the family level.
Lukman considered the smallest group (which in this case is family) can be a shield against the negative sides of globalization, including homosexuality.
"Madrasa (Islamic schools) are also our focus to shield the young generation and to give them critical thinking so they won’t be easy to be influenced by values that are against Islamic teachings,” he added.
Meanwhile, Lukman also reminded that clerics that the true meaning of sermon is to persuade the people to the rights paths by using the right ways, as exemplified by Prophet Mohammed who gave sermon to his people softly and not by using violence.
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