State Should be Neutral in Religious Affairs, ICMI Chairman Says
Jakarta - Chairman of Indonesian Association of Muslim Intellectuals (ICMI) Prof Nanat Fatah Natsir MS said the state should remain neutral in religious affairs.
"The state may not intervene in religious affairs. Intervention could trigger conflicts," the professor said here on Tuesday.
The state may not take side favoring a certain religion and must guarantee freedom for the people in performing their religious duties, he added.
"We must return to the 1945 Constitution of article 29 point 2," he said.
He said the state may not look down on any religion or faith, adding the people are free to follow any religious faith.
He hopes that better religious tolerance must be developed in the country, saying level of tolerance depends on one's understanding of the teaching of his or her religion.
"One would have greater tolerance when he or she well understand the teaching of his or her religion," he said.
He said ICMI condemns the release of a film titled Innocence of Muslims that insults the Prophet Muhammad and demands that the film makers be brought to court.
Nevertheless , Muslims should not resort to violence in launching protest, he said. (antarajatim)
Posted by IndecsOnline.com
on 00.55. Filed under
