"The aim is improvement of the nation. The strategy is cultural and it takes a long time, years and not just a short time to realize it," he said after attending a cultural oration by former president BJ Habibie at Muhammadiyah University here on Saturday.
Maarif, who is a professor of the Yogyakarta State University and former chief of Muhammadiyah Islamic organization, said the action had not been infiltrated by any parties.
He said "only action by people who submit to the ruler may be infiltrated. I am not a kind of a person who would submit to the ruler."
He said those who were furious about the action of the inter-faith leaders were those who did not know the substance of the problem.
"Therefore I remain convinced the inter-faith forum that I fight for along with my colleagues will not be isolated by any parties," he said.
He said so far the criticism of the forum had not yet been responded well by the government.
"I think it is because those being criticized do not yet understand the essence of the criticism of the inter-faith leaders," he said.(*)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
