No criminalization of Ulama in Indonesia

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – The Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs, Mahfud MD, denied the assumption that there was a criminalization of the ulama in Indonesia.

Mahfud said that the ulama actually played a role in regulating, leading and directing politics in Indonesia.

“There is no criminalization of ulama in Indonesia because in addition to establishing Indonesia first, currently it is academics who organize, lead and participate in the direction of politics in Indonesia,” Mahfud said on Thursday (12/24/2020), as quoted by Between.

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Mahfud also revealed a series of cases often referred to as the criminalization of ulama.

In fact, according to Mahfud, the ulama were prosecuted because it was proven that they had committed criminal acts.

For example, the case of Abu Bakar Ba’asyir, where Ba’asyir was shown to be legally and convincingly involved in terrorism.

“He was sentenced when the head of the Supreme Court was known as an Islamic figure, Bagir Manan. It is impossible for Pak Bagir to allow the criminalization of the ulama, if there is no evidence of involvement in terrorism,” Mahfud said.

Likewise, in the case of Bahar Bin Smith, who was proven to have committed persecution.

Meanwhile, in the case of the leader of the Front of Islamic Defenders (FPI) Rizieq Shihab, Mahfud said that the suspect’s determination was not related to politics.

“But because it was legally and convincingly proven that he committed a general crime,” Mahfud said.

Also read: Responding to Rizieq Shihab, Moeldoko says that there is no term that criminalizes clerics

On the same occasion, Mahfud MD emphasized that there is no Islamophobia in the Indonesian government.

According to him, the majority of civil servants, government officials, political leaders, senior officials and members of the TNI / Polri are Muslim.

“It is impossible to be a leader if there is Islamophobia here,” Mahfud said.