"We want and support a law on religious harmony between followers of different religions," said Slament Effendy Yusuf, MUI head for inter-faith harmony, at a meeting of Islamic mass organizations on inter-faith harmony here on Monday.
The request of MUI, Yusuf added, was manifestation of its seriousness in enhancing harmony between followers of religions in Indonesia whose legal basis was now just a joint ministerial regulation (PBM).
He said the joint ministerial regulation was weak due to the fact it was included in the state`s legal structure as stipulated in Law No. 10 Year 2004.
Yusuf said the need for a law governing religious harmony based on necessity and not because any decline in the degree of harmony between religious followers in Indonesia.
Yusuf, nevertheless, said he saw a tendency of the decline in religious tolerance but it was of global in nature, not only in Indonesia. This fact had caused concern, he added.
A law governing religious harmony, according to him, would help create an equilibrium so that there would be consistency and clarity over the regulations aiming to create harmony between religious followers.
"The draft of the law is an initiative of the House of Representatives and will be soon be discussed in it," said Yusuf, adding that the law could be made a reference for achieving national solidarity.(*)
Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
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