"Through the DMI, I will call on them to hold Friday prayers in mosques," he stated after attending the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference activities.
Kalla, who is also the chief of DMI, noted that streets were not the proper location for conducting Friday prayers.
Moslems plan to hold Friday prayers on the capital citys main thoroughfare on December 2 to demand that Jakarta governor Basuki Tjahaja Purnama be detained after being named as a suspect in connection with an allegedly blasphemous statement he made during a meeting with people in the district of Kepulauan Seribu in North Jakarta some time ago.
Hundreds of thousands of Moslems held a demonstration in the capital city on November 4 to demand an immediate legal action against the governor. The demonstration ended in a chaos after its 6 pm deadline.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla stressed that "the place for Friday prayers is the mosque. If the prayers are carried out in streets, it will disrupt order."
Even the Eid prayers are held in fields and not in the streets, he added.
The police have declined to issue a permit to hold Friday prayers on Jalan Thamrin as it would disturb public activities. (*)
Editor: Heru Purwanto
Copyright © ANTARA 2016
