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Jakarta Post

Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil apologizes for Christmas service raid

News Desk (The Jakarta Post)
Jakarta
Wed, December 7, 2016 Published on Dec. 7, 2016 Published on 2016-12-07T18:13:14+07:00

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Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil apologizes for Christmas service raid Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil delivers a speech at a public discussion on Nov. 3. Ridwan apologized on Wednesday for the disbandment of a Christmas service. (JP/Anton Hermansyah)

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andung Mayor Ridwan Kamil has apologized for the disbandment of a Christmas service at the Sasana Budaya Ganesha building on Jl. Tamansari, hoping the church could conduct another service in the future.

“The Bandung administration apologizes for the inconvenience and hopes for better event coordination from all parties in the future,” Ridwan said in his official instagram account on Wednesday.

Ridwan said that he was in Jakarta when the The Spiritual Awakening Service (KKR) was stopped by dozens of protesters who claimed to be from the Pembela Ahlu Sunnah (PAS) Islamic group on Tuesday. 

(Read also: West Java Governor laments raid on Christmas service)

He expressed his regret that the PAS members had intimidated the congregants and stopped the service, saying that the group had violated regulations and their behavior was not in line with the country’s motto, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity).

“The right to worship is the fundamental right of Indonesian citizens guaranteed by the Pancasila (state ideology) and State Constitution,” Ridwan said.

He promised that the Bandung administration would help the KKR committee to find another time and venue if they wanted to organize a similar event. (jun)

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