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Move to ban HTI not anti-Islamic groups: Minister
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Female members of the hard-line Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) group stage a rally to promote the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in Malang, East Java. (Kompas.com/File)
T
he government has emphasized that its move to ban the hard-line Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) group does not mean it is against all religious groups.
Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said on Tuesday that the government did not find the HTI’s dakwah (proselytization) a problem, “but more so it’s political move to change the country’s ideology,”
The Office of the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister decided Monday to ban the HTI on the grounds that it was promoting the establishment of an Islamic caliphate in Indonesia, contravening the Pancasila state ideology and Constitution.
The government’s move has caused an uproar from rights groups, which say the government failed to follow the proper legal procedures to ban an organization.
“We will take the issue to court so that the HTI can have the chance to express their defense. That shows that we are not carrying out a repressive act,” Lukman said. (foy)
