Ulemas Urge Muslims to Maintain Peace After Tolikara Incident

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Devotees Committee of Tolikara (Komat Tolikara) has urged Muslims to maintain peace, following the incident that occurred in Karubaga, Tolikara, Papua, on the morning of July 17 on Friday.

Komat Tolikara is an organization formed by Indonesian ulemas after the clashes in the district.

Hidayat Nur Wahid, a member of Komat Tolikara, said that Muslims should not be easily provoked because of the incident and must uphold unity in the nation.

"Muslims should not be provoked easily and worsen the situation, which can be manipulated by other parties to undermine the country's unity," he stated on Thursday.

Wahid, who is also the Vice Speaker of the People's Consultative Assembly, is concerned that other parties will try to take advantage of the incident in Tolikara to break the unity of the state.

Therefore, he has appealed to Muslims to implement the ideology of their religion to maintain peace in the wake of such an episode.

"On behalf of all Muslims, we affirm that after the Tolikara incident, we will show more responsibility towards the religion that preaches 'rahmah' (mercy), which leads to peace," he emphasized.

Wahid, who is also a politician of the Prosperous Justice Party, hopes that adherents of all religions do not get easily provoked so that such incidents do not recur in other regions.

"I also expect leaders of other faiths to foster tolerance among their people to ensure that radical religious ideologies are not spread," he remarked.

Furthermore, Komat Tolikara invites all elements of society to help the victims of the Tolikara incident by making donations to meet the needs of the civilians and to rebuild the regional economy.

Earlier, Commander of the National Defense Forces General Gatot Nurmantyo had revealed that President Joko Widodo has ordered for funding of Rp1 billion to be extended to Tolikara to help rebuild the district, following the incident that took place on Friday, July 17.

"The president has issued directives. (He) has asked for Rp1 billion to be given as assistance to immediately rebuild the house of prayer (musholla), which has already been started, and the shops (burned down during the clashes)," Nurmantyo added.

ANTARA