Religion Minister Yaqut will protect the religious rights of Shiite and Ahmadiyah members

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said the government will uphold and protect the religious rights of Shiite and Ahmadiyah members in Indonesia.

He said this was in response to a request from a professor at Jakarta’s Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University, Azyumardi Azra, for the government to affirm minority issues.

“They are citizens that must be protected,” Yaqut was quoted as saying by Antara on Friday (12/25/2020).

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Yaqut admitted that he did not want any minority religious group to be expelled from their places of origin due to different beliefs.

He also stated that the Ministry of Religion would facilitate a more intense dialogue to bridge existing differences.

“A more intense dialogue is needed to bridge the differences. The Ministry of Religion will facilitate it,” he said.

Previously, Azyumardi said that the government should affirm minority affairs.

Azyumardi made the statement at an online event for the Indonesian Science Institute (LIPI) Professor Talk forum in Jakarta on Tuesday (12/15/2020).

“Especially for those who have been marginalized and then there is persecution, that needs affirmation,” Azyumardi said.

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According to Azyumardi, the government does not appear to give this claim to minority groups. For example, he said, when members of religious minorities wanted to build places of worship.

However, Azyumardi said that the problem of intolerance not only arose among Muslims, but was also experienced by followers of other religions in Indonesia.

“In areas that are predominantly Christian, it is difficult for Catholics to build a church. In a predominantly Catholic area, it is also difficult for Christians to build,” Azyumardi said.

According to Azyumardi, it would be difficult for groups with few power relationships to obtain the blessing of establishing places of worship, considering that there are other groups with stronger power relationships.

“This is a problem power relationship Really. Who feels that it is the majority. So this and this power relationship that should be regulated like that, yes (by the government). How to be fair, “he said.

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