S

strong>Sept. 6, p. 1

Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali says converting Shiite Muslims to the Sunni Islam followed by most Indonesians would be the best way to prevent violent outbreaks between the sects in Sampang, East Java.

“The best solution for what has been going on in there is dialogue. Many things can happen after a dialogue. We had an experience where the Ahmadis [...] converted to mainstream Islam after dialogue,” the minister said on Wednesday on the sidelines of a meeting with lawmakers on House of Representatives’ Commission VIII overseeing religious affairs.

Suryadharma was referring to the local religious leader in Ciaruteun village in Bogor, West Java, who persuaded 15 members of the minority Muslim Ahmadiyah sect in March 2011 to convert to the form of Islam practiced by most Indonesian Muslims.

Your comments:

If peace-loving, good-hearted, moderate, sensible, sagacious Muslims with a true in-depth knowledge of Islam keep on being silent and continue to allow Religious Affairs Minister Suryadharma Ali and his ilk to spout his asinine remarks, then, at some time, the reputation of Islam in Indonesia, as well as Islam itself as we know it, will be harmed beyond recovery. Didn’t Sabdo Palon forecast, more than five centuries ago, that this would eventually happen?

“A drop of indigo can spoil a vat of milk”, so the well-known Indonesian proverb says. Suryadharma Ali and those who think like him are like those polluting drops: an abomination to the real Islam that claims to be a religion of peace, tolerance, and love.

Tami

Suryadharma Ali is a very narrow-minded person. He is the enemy of Islam by forcing the citizens of Indonesia to change their religious beliefs. This is not the teaching of Islam and Sunnah of Holy Prophet Muhammad (peace and blessing of Allah upon him) .

Shahnaz Latif

I just want to tell to The Jakarta Post to be careful translating the words.

Quote: “converted to mainstream Islam after dialogue”, the minister said on Wednesday

He did not mention being Sunni, but being real Muslims. Because we are brothers, and there’s no problem if we have some differences within Islam.

Muhamd Roni

This is the kind of minister that the President gets when he insists on getting as large a coalition as possible. I’m not sure what his personal position is on the matter (he may have the same stance on these issues, but we’ll probably never know).

But I do remember that he and his party got enough votes that he almost didn’t need to form a coalition to lead the nation. He’s got the “too many cooks in the kitchen” problem. The only reason I can think of for the large coalition is because he didn’t want to have many demonstrations during his presidency by opposing parties.

Well good luck with that. Recently it looks like he might get demonstrated against by the people instead. I don’t feel that the people trust any of the parties very much these days anyway.

Stefan Yuwono

It is not Suryadharma Ali’s fault for making such a statement. It is the President’s fault for choosing and retaining such a man in the Cabinet.

Anto

They always think they walk in the truest way. Islam is for all of mankind no matter the differences in praying.

Shira

I am not surprised to hear Suryadharma Ali’s statement. He doesn’t act as Religious Affairs minister but rather as minister of Islamic affairs.

Dego

Can somebody tell me why the President appointed such an incompetent as Suryadharma Ali as his religious affairs minister and kept him in the post amid all his controversial responses and poor handling of religious conflicts?

Can somebody explain to me why some Sunnis condemn their fellow Shia Muslims at home while blindly defending the Shia Iranians, or support Rohingya refugees without examining if they are Shia or Sunni?

Widhyawati Ambara

Conversion is the solution? Pak Suryadharma, please learn from the pawn shop motto: Solve a problem without creating a new problem. Your statements will create a new problem. Please be smart.

Don’t make a fool of yourself in public anymore.

Achmad Baihaqi