Govt Never Accused Muslims of Being Radicals, Says Mahfud MD
Translator
Ricky Mohammad Nugraha
Editor
Laila Afifa
Kamis, 31 Oktober 2019 21:44 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Coordinating Minister for Politics, Law, and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD strongly denies the government ever said or accused Muslims of being radicals.
“People misunderstood the saying that Muslims are discriminated against by allegations of being radical. Never has the government accuse Muslims of being radicals,” Mahfud asserted at the President’s office in Jakarta today, October 30.
According to Mahfud, there is a fixed definition of radicalism or people who are considered radical. He maintains that anyone, be he/she a Muslim or not, who fits in the description of a radical can be considered as one.
The Indonesian government, says Mahfud, is tasked to handle radical groups - apart from what religion these groups claim to be from - and says that if a religion is attached to a suspect of radicalism, it cannot be blamed on the religion itself.
The Coordinating Minister called for people to avert from over-dramatizing the government’s de-radicalization movement and not hastily accuse the government of hunting a certain community.
FRISKI RIANA
