Joint Decree to Prevent Inter-faith Conflict
Wednesday, 07 May, 2008 | 14:38 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Vice President Jusuf Kalla has said the joint decree about banning Ahmadiyah is actually issued to prevent conflict among different religious groups in Indonesia.

“This joint decree is to reduce conflict,” said Kalla in a seminar on peace processes in Jakarta today.

According to the Vice President, the burning of an Ahmadiyah mosque was not triggered by the joint decree but rather by criminal acts.

“The police will take care of this. The joint decree is aimed at preventing violence like this.”

He confirmed that the joint decree will be accommodative for both Ahmadiyah and Islamic groups.

Freedom of faith is protected but promoting a religious teaching different to its original ideas is also forbidden.

Anton Aprianto