According to his statement received here on Friday, maintaining plurality is part of God's commands. For this reason, the public must not harbor any intentions of erasing the plurality existing in Indonesia.
"We need honesty, especially from religious leaders and the community, to convey that religious differences should not be the cause of social discrimination," he affirmed.
Earlier, the practice of interfaith greeting reaped pros and cons. However, Wahab said greeting followers of other religions posed no problem whatsoever.
"We understand it as a greeting or a saying to congratulate other people. I do not think this is a problem," he remarked.
He expressed hope that the government would pay greater attention to the issue of religious harmony.
Wahab underscored the importance of infrastructure development, though he believes that the government should not overlook the importance of providing space for interfaith dialogue, both at the central and regional levels.
Moreover, he stated that Indonesia has recently commemorated Pancasila Day.
According to Wahab, Indonesian people should be reminded of the huge blessing that God has bestowed on this nation.
He said that Pancasila, as the nation's philosophy, provides space for social and cultural diversity as well as differences in religions.
He said that Pancasila is the foundation of the nation's life and society, and its first precept can be considered as an element that accommodates differences in beliefs in Indonesia.
"That in the first precept of Pancasila, 'The Supreme Godhead', that is able to accommodate various groups of people of different religions," he highlighted.
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Translator: Narda S, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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