Parliament Lauds Government's Decision To Reject ISIS

Jakarta, Aug 15 (Antara)- The Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) has praised the government for rejecting the existence and ideology of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in the country. "The House supports the firm stance of the government that bans the ISIS ideology in Indonesia," House Speaker Marzuki Alie stated while opening the joint session of the House of Representatives (DPR), the Regional Representative Council (DPD), and the People`s Consultative Assembly (MPR), here on Friday. Alie stated that ISIS`s ideology was radical and had the potential to hinder national security and stability. The government and the public must safeguard Indonesian unity by rejecting the movement or organization such as ISIS whose ideology contradicts Indonesia`s Pancasila ideology, he emphasized. Earlier, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called on all national elements to continue to maintain Indonesia`s integrity by strongly rejecting the spread of the ISIS ideology. In his annual state-of-the-nation address to mark the 69th anniversary of Indonesian independence at the joint session, the president stated that Indonesia is not a religious country. He noted that the ISIS ideology ran contrary to the fundamental philosophy of Pancasila and is a threat to national identity because Indonesia is not a religious country. "I ask all national elements across the country to jointly take resolute action against this challenge, which is a test of the integrity of our nation," Yudhoyono remarked.