TIGHT SUPERVISION NEEDED IN IMPLEMENTING THE JOINT DECREE

Medan, Jun 10 (ANTARA) - Tight supervision is needed in the implementation of the joint ministrial decree on the warning and instruction to the adherents and board members of the Jemaat Ahmadiyah Indonesia (JAL). Signed by the Religious Affairs Minister, the Attorney General and the Home Minister here on Monday, the implementation of joint decree should be closely supervised. "If not, the decree will mean nothing, while the government leaves the impression that it is only trying to save itself, and has no courage to ban it," a member of the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) faction of the North Sumatra Legislative Assembly, H. Hidayatullah, said here on Monday. After announcing the decree, Religious Minister Maftuh Basyuni said the decree provided a warning to residents and people to obey law No 1/PNPS/1965, on not to tell, to suggest or to get public support, to make a self-interpretation on a belief embraced in Indonesia or in conducting religious activities which resemble the activity of other religion which happens to be against the principles of Islam, namely the dessimination of the belief that there is another prophet besides Muhammad as the massenger of the God. Adherents and the board of JAL who fail to heed the warning, Basyuni said were liable to a sanction as specified in the regulation including the organization and legal establishment. The decree also provided a warning and instruction to the people to safeguard and maintain religious tolerance and public order in the life of the nation by preventing them from taking the law into their own hands against adherents, members of JAL. "The decree is not a state intervention in someone's belief, but it is the government's effort pursuant to their authority as specified in the law to safeguard, to keep religious peace and public order," Maftuh said flanked by Attorney General Supandji and Home Minister Mardiyanto. According to Hidayatullah, the implementation of the decree should be tightly supervised. If not,a potential horizontal conflict will likely break out at any time.