"No Islamic teachings allow slender, curses or insults. They usually emerge ahead of district head or city mayor, provincial governor and presidential elections," he said in his speech at the commemoration of National Santri Day 2018 here on Sunday evening.
Indonesia will hold parliamentary and presidential elections in April next year. Jokowi will seek reelection with chief ulema Ma`ruf Amin as his running mate and compete against retired army general Prabowo Subianto with businessman Sandiaga Uno as his tunning mate in the presidential election.
President Jokowi said Indonesia is the home of people of different religious, ethnic, tradition and language backgrounds, emphasizing that the differences are blessings from God that have made Indonesia rich and complete.
He said that unity is the biggest asset of the country and in view of that he appealed to all people of different religioius backgrounds in the country to preserve their brotherhood by avoiding insults to each other and their differences.
"On this good occasion I wish to remind you all that our country Indonesia is our home that we must always preserve and maintain. Who has to do it?. One of them is santri.," he said.
President Jokowi said he has never differentiated persons based on their political choices. He said he would let people to choose any candidate as they like (in the presidential election next year).
He advised people in the midst of current process of democracy to not easily believe in rumors that would only divide the nation.
"Please do not believe in hoaxes in social media. As usual in the midst of political year a lot of hoaxes or false news spread in the social media. Please, always recheck," he said.
He explained his decision to declare Santri Day he signed three years ago was
made as an honor and expression of gratefulness of the state to Islamic ulemas and all elements in boarding schools.
"The history has recorded the big role played by Islamic ulemas and santris. In the fight for independence, preserving `Pancasila` ideology, unitary state, princiole of unity in diversity, santris as well as ulemas have always led to way of goodness," he said.
Reporting by Asep Firmansyah
Editing by Yoseph Hariyadi
Reporter: Antara
Editor: Yosep Hariyadi
Copyright © ANTARA 2018
