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Issue of the day: Discrimination kept alive
Nov
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ov. 27, p1
Discrimination against adherents of non-denominational faiths will likely continue as the House of Representatives approved on Tuesday an amendment to the Civil Administration Law that forbids followers of indigenous faiths to state their religion on identification cards.
All political factions in the House endorsed the amendment, however, the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) had reservations about the decision to keep Article 64.
Although amended, the 2006 Civil Administration Law, which was approved by the House of Representatives in a plenary meeting on Tuesday, retained Article 64 that bars subscribers of indigenous faiths to state their beliefs on their ID cards.
Your comments:
The very meaning of 'belief' implies there cannot be any right or wrong. How dare some people enforce their interpretation of things as the only true interpretation.
Kantisini
Where is the religious freedom? In many countries it is not even allowed in an interview to ask about someone's religion! It's a private matter!
The government doesn't recognize Judaism? Why did the President accept an Israeli award in the US?
What about the 700 million atheists in the world?
In France, 33 percent of the population is atheist.
I thought we were living in 2013!
Balistars
Having religion on an ID card gives the ability to others to discriminate.
Nate
Why not just leave religion off the ID card? What has religion got to do with anyone else? It's between the individual and his or her God. It's a personal matter!
Malam
We may as well have the football team we support (Liverpool for me) on our IDs, so when the important games come up we know who the enemy is. It is on the same intellectual level.
Deedee S
The dominant religion makes the rules and the rest must follow. If they don't, they will be punished. This is the way it is in countries that don't separate politics and religion.
Azwar Bareta
Why is it named the House of Representatives if its members do not reflect the voices of people they represent? Discrimination in Indonesia is huge.
There are still minorities who receive unfair treatment from the majority. As a nation with a motto of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), is discrimination not supposed to be reduced?
Forbidding followers of indigenous faiths to state their religion on ID cards is highly discriminating and is making an already big problem more severe.
I can't think of any good reason to approve of this law. What religion one embraces does not affect one's job or position.
Jakarta Deputy Governor Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama is an example.
It is not his religion or ethnicity that matters. It is how well he has done and how much he has contributed to our beloved nation that counts.
What is the point of electing Indonesian natives who are corrupt? Would it not be better if someone like Ahok instead took the position?
It's a shame how so many people still cannot reach this level of sense and are bound to the mind-set of 'the same religion'.
Teddy Hartanto
Why does there have to be a religion on an ID card? Should it not be a private matter?
Jeroen
I guess this article is being defended to make it easier to segregate people for whatever political reason, and remind everyone that Indonesia's motto of unity is a myth.
Michel de Wilde
Surely the simple answer is to remove the requirement to mention any religion from the ID card.
If you want something to identify 'believers' from others, just get them to tick a box against the text: 'I believe'. If the box isn't ticked, who cares? And who cares what they believe in?
Duggal
