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Issues: `Halal product bill harmful to people'
The bill on halal product assurance, now being deliberated at the House of Representatives, discriminates against non-Muslims and has serious impacts for people who consume items unacceptable under the bill, legislators said
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The bill on halal product assurance, now being deliberated at the House of Representatives, discriminates against non-Muslims and has serious impacts for people who consume items unacceptable under the bill, legislators said. "We are afraid the bill will bring serious problems for people, such as with the pornography law," said legislator Tiurlan Basaria Hutagaol, from the Christian-based Prosperous Peace Party (PDS).
Your comments:
It is another discriminative law, just like the pornography bill. The minority are so overlooked here, even by the religious affairs minister. Isn't he supposed to represent all five religions in Indonesia? At least now I know which party to vote for in the coming election, the one with the will to protect our Pancasila and Bhinneka Tunggal Ika.
Sanni
Just like the pornography law, this bill pits political Islam against pluralism. Indonesia is a diverse nation of cultures and ethnicities.
Pluralism and Pancasila are meant to bring religions and these cultural diversities together, united as a nation.
The problem now is political Islam (sharia) and pluralism here in Indonesia are not compatible.
As Islam in Indonesia shifts from an Indonesian/Javanese style of Islam to the Arab/sharia style, there are conflicts with non-sharia ideals.
Shariah has an entire doctrine of politics and government laid out by Muhammad. It is a complete system. Anything outside the system is un-Islamic. Pluralism, democracy and Pancasila are outside the sharia system.
They are not compatible. Pancasila cannot exist with sharia and sharia cannot exist with Pancasila. It is impossible. One must submit to the other. There has to be either 100 percent Pancasila or 100 percent sharia.
The time is coming for 85 percent of Indonesia's population to decide which Islam they want. Do they want the Indonesian-style Islam that co-exists with, and is a part of, Pancasila to continue, or do they want political Islam, which has no need for pluralism and Pancasila?
Stan McLaren
Malang, East Java
If non-Muslims for any reason, cultural or not, can eat pork, it is their right to do so. Good Muslims will, of course, stay away from such eateries, unless they do not know the restaurants are selling pork. If they still want to try it, well, that is their decision to make.
Earlier, the PDS rejected the sharia financial system, while in other countries non-Muslims acknowledge the benefits of such a system. Do the PDS legislators know which bank is the largest sharia banking operator? No one from the Middle East, but, ironically, HSBC.
P. Maximus
Jakarta
It seems that many politicians now are willing to take their country backward, not forward, for their own benefit and at the people's expense.
We are where we are today, more peaceful and better off than many other countries, because we have Pancasila and a constitution that is respectful to all religions and ethnicities.
History proves to us over and over again, that a lot of problems are created when a country is governed by religion.
I hope these politicians and the parties that are promoting/supporting these sharia laws are not getting the votes they are hoping for. They are certainly not getting mine.
Agatha
