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Ministry prepares religions' followers protection bill
Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said on Tuesday the ministry was preparing a religionsâ followers protection draft bill, one of its priorities in the beginning of President Joko âJokowiâ Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kallaâs administration
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eligious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said on Tuesday the ministry was preparing a religions' followers protection draft bill, one of its priorities in the beginning of President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo and Vice President Jusuf Kalla's administration.
'This law needs to be compiled to protect all of religions' followers. Although the legal basis of the religions' followers protection has been stipulated on Article 28 and 29 of the 1945 Constitution, we don't yet have a law, which is organic in nature, on the matter,' he said as quoted by Antara in Ambon, Maluku, on Monday evening.
He said it was a fact that religious intolerance and religious freedom violation cases had often occurred sporadically. Therefore, the government was composing a law which focused on freedom and protection of religious communities.
'This law is actually offering a breakthrough which will be hopefully in line with our common aspirations,' said Lukman.
The minister was calling on all parties to contribute in the composing of a regulation that was just and protective in nature to religions and religions' followers, media had often called them as minority and majority groups.
He said civil society groups, academics, religious practitioners and mass organizations concerned to the issue were welcomed to convey their inputs to the Religious Affairs Ministry. (ebf)(++++)
