TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Advisory Council Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Din Syamsuddin said the attack on religious people and places of worship as happened in Bedog, Yogyakarta, is an intolerant and barbaric act.

"We strongly condemn the action as it is a form of barbarism that cannot be tolerated," Din told reporters in Jakarta on Sunday.

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He also expressed his condolences to the victims and their families as well as to the religious leaders and congregation of Bedog Church, Sleman, which became the target of perpetrators who attacked with a sharp weapon.

Din is worried if the series of cases of religious violence especially to religious leaders were premeditated acts. Previously, there was an act of violence which caused death against a Muslim cleric in Cicalengka followed by another violence against the activists of Islamic Unity in Bandung.

Furthermore, there was also violence against a Buddhist monk in Tangerang. "The culprit is identified as a mentally sick man ... The events seem to be controlled by a systemic scenario aimed at spreading fear and conflict between religious adherents and ultimately creating national instability," he said.

Therefore, Din encouraged security apparatuses to seriously and thoroughly investigate and uncover who and what is behind the cases.

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He said that if these events are not immediately investigated and prevented, they could create prejudice among the community and triggered reactions that would eventually create chaos.

"As regards, religious people are asked to remain calm, exercise self-restrain and do not let themselves be provoked by parties who deliberately wanted to provoke and pit religious faithfuls," he said.

ANTARA