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presidential spokesman said on Friday that howls of protest against a plan by the US-based Appeal of Conscience Foundation (ACF) to honor President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono for upholding religious freedom would not change the fact that the President deserved the award.

'€œThe ACF is a credible organization. Thus, the statements from certain people claiming themselves to be representatives of certain communities, suggesting or even pushing to annul the granting of the award, actually hold narrow-minded opinions that are based on a political philosophy without ethics,'€ Julian said.

'€œThe protests will not bring about any changes, other than letting the world know that people with narrow-minded criticism against their President still exist in Indonesia. I hope the award givers understand and do not feel offended,'€ the spokesman added.

Julian made his statement in response to an open letter by the renowned Catholic priest and philosopher Rev. Frans Magnis Suseno that was published in The Jakarta Post on Friday. In the letter, Suseno said that he opposed the ACF'€™s decision to honor the president for '€œdoing nothing to protect religious minorities'€.

'€œShame on you,'€ Suseno told the ACF. '€œIt discredits any claim you make as being a morally sound institution. How can you make such a decision without asking concerned Indonesians?'€

'€œAre you not aware of the growing number of forced church closures or the increasing number of regulations that make worshipping for religious minorities more difficult? Have you not heard about the shameful and quite dangerous attitudes of hard-line religious groups here? Yudhoyono'€™s administration is doing nothing to protect religious minorities. Ahmadiyah and Shia followers have been driven out of their homes, now living in places such as gymnasiums,'€ the letter said.

Suseno is the latest public figure to criticize the ACF for his choice of Yudhoyono, who has been seen as failing to curb rising intolerance against religious minorities. Previously, a group of religious minorities and human rights groups called on the President to turn down the award, arguing that Yudhoyono had to take drastic measures to protect minorities from intimidation before accepting such an award.

The groups represent Ahmadis, Shiites and Christian congregations barred from worshipping in their own churches by hard-line groups and local governments.

Imam Shofwan, the son of a cleric from the country'€™s largest Muslim social organization, Nahdatul Ulama (NU), said that he supported Suseno'€™s plea and initiated a petition at change.org urging the ACF to postpone bestowing the award to the President.

Imam said that he agreed with Suseno. '€œI grew up in a NU family and I agree with what Professor Franz Magnis Suseno said. I believe that a crime committed in the name of religion is a crime against religion. Ironically, this happens to be ACF'€™s credo,'€ he says. As of Friday afternoon, his petition had garnered 1,705 signatures.

Local and international human rights groups have released numerous reports on the deteriorating situation and acts of intolerance in Indonesia in the past years. A study by the SETARA Institute showed that the number of intolerant acts in Indonesia had increased by about 30 percent between 2006 and 2012.

A report released by New York-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) in February said that Yudhoyono had been inconsistent in defending religious freedom and that the government had been complicit in the persecution of religious minorities by failing to enforce laws and issuing regulations that breached minority rights.

The ACF was founded in 1965 by Rabbi Arthur Schneier to recognize contributions to religious freedom and human rights and the promotion of peace, tolerance and ethnic conflict resolution.