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As the National Awakening Party (PKB) and the United Development Party (PPP), both of which are Islamic-based parties, vie to place one of their members in the post of religious affairs minister in the new Cabinet, many have called on president-elect Joko '€œJokowi'€ Widodo to retain the current minister, Lukman Hakim Saifuddin, due to his progressive stance on many issues, especially religious minority rights.

Your comments:

Why does Indonesia need a tolerant minister? Why not just a minister who abides by the Constitution?

Nirvana

To ensure Indonesia'€™s viability and stability, its democratic form of government (not Sharia) must not be defined or controlled by one religion.   There are many common fundamental humanistic values from within Indonesia'€™s multiple faiths and cultures that can form an acceptable set of core values that are applicable to all Indonesians.

This set of values may be defined as basic human rights that all faiths can accept and subscribe to.  Our Constitution to a great extent does recognize these rights, and here is where Lukman can help ensure balance and harmony in the inherent tensions in our multi-faith setting.  The more a society can create peaceful co-existence in a multi-faith setting, the more stable it will be.  

In present-day Indonesia, discriminatory, antagonistic and radical elements are still active and such rights as public worship and building houses of prayer are suppressed.  Lukman'€™s primary role will be to promulgate laws and rules to strengthen constitutional rights for all Indonesians.

James Waworoendeng

We would be better off without a religious affairs minister because this ministry causes division instead of unity. Religion is a very personal matter; the government should not intervene in personal affairs. The government should only ensure that all Indonesians respect the law.

Everyone thinks their personal choice is the best and the right one: Muslims, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Confucians, atheists. They'€™re all the same. The government should just try to be a good referee and refrain from joining the fray.

Let religious matters be handled by each religious leader. The Rp 64 trillion (US$5.31 billion) haj fund should be managed by professionals. Other matters can be handled by the law and human rights minister, home minister and social affairs minister.

Gatot Santoso Wibowo