The Jakarta Post, June 24, 2004
Avoid intervention in religion: ICRP
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
The Indonesian Conference on Religion and Peace (ICRP) issued a "moral political
contract" on Wednesday, urging presidential candidates, if elected, not to intervene in
religious affairs and not to discriminate against any particular religion.
"We will soon send the contract to the presidential candidates," ICRP president
Djohan Effendi said after opening a two-day workshop titled "Building a new moral
political contract". It follows similar talks in Jakarta; Medan, North Sumatra; Mataram,
West Nusa Tenggara; Manado, North Sulawesi, and Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan.
Speakers included sociologist Francisia Seda. The talks are being held by ICRP and
the Society for Interreligious Dialog (Madia) with the Partnership for Governance in
Indonesia.
Djohan, a noted scholar on Islam, also said the new president should not endorse the
bill on religious harmony as it was viewed as state intervention in religious affairs.
Building a new moral political contract is the most urgent activity aimed at
democratization, a media release from the workshop said, "which can serve as a
foundation on which to build our destroyed political civilization".
The contract would not only involve the presidential candidates but also religious
leaders and their communities, which would need the "civil courage" to enforce the
contract aimed at appreciating the plurality of faiths and religions in the country. This
could "serve as a foundation for the creation of good, responsible governance," the
release said.
The "moral political contract", among other things, obliges the new president to "settle
past human rights violations" in accordance with the law and revoke all discriminatory
policies regarding religion. It should, instead, recognize all religions and faiths, and
the Ministry of Religious Affairs should focus on policies protecting all groups.
The new president must also guarantee civil rights, the contract says.
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