Religious Affairs Minister Clarifies Controversial Statement
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27 October 2021 08:52 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas issued a written statement on Tuesday insisting that the ministry he leads represents every religion and does not exclusively serve one religious organization.
His clarification came after the public outcry against Yaqut’s statement in an internal virtual event hosted by one of Indonesia’s largest Islamic organizations Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) leaked to the public.
His controversial statement that leaked to the internet initially implies that the existence of the Ministry is an exclusive gift for the organization.
“The Religious Affairs Ministry belongs to every religion and is required to facilitate all religions,” Yaqut said on October 26.
However this time, the Minister said the Religious Affairs Ministry was established to facilitate the interests of religious communities. He said Indonesia is not a religious state or a secular country but based on the 5 state ideologies (Pancasila), its citizens highly uphold religious values.
He claims that proof of this can be seen in the affirmation the Ministry provides to all religions and religious mass-organizations in Indonesia.
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FRISKI RIANA
