President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo, who barely took a break following an overseas trip, scrambled on Tuesday to contain sectarian tension that escalated following a court decision to imprison non-active Jakarta governor Basuki “Ahok” Tjahaja Purnama for blasphemy.

Soon after he arrived at the State Palace from his trip to Palu, Central Sulawesi, his last stopover after a two-day visit to Beijing, he did not even have time to change his suit before going into another meeting to discuss efforts to de-escalate the growing tension.

The meeting, which was hastily arranged at the State Palace, took place between Jokowi and representatives from the country’s key religious organizations.

Joining the religious leaders were National Police chief Gen. Tito Karnavian and Indonesian Military (TNI) commander Gen. Gatot Nurmantyo, who Jokowi instructed to crack down on individuals or parties responsible for spreading hate speech that could aggravate the tension.

The President was reported to have been growing anxious amid the worsening sectarian tension while attending China’s One Belt One Road (OBOR) conference in Beijing, and on Monday he ordered the State Secretariat to convene a meeting involving leaders of Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, Buddhist, Hindu and Confucian communities at the State Palace.

During the one-hour meeting, the religious leaders expressed their commitment to help ease the tension and pledged to champion the country’s unity.

“We talked about the latest dynamics that have grown more concerning. I’m happy to hear commitment from religious leaders and their followers to defend the unity of the country and Pancasila, as well as the 1945 Constitution in the spirit of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika [Unity in Diversity],” Jokowi told reporters at a press conference after the meeting.

Jokowi also urged people to not stage street protests and that he would get tough on individuals or groups who posed a threat to the country’s unity.

“I have ordered leaders of the National Police and TNI to not hesitate to arrest those responsible for making any verbal statements or actions that could harm the country and the principle of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,” Jokowi said.

Monday was the first time Jokowi issued a public statement to address the sectarian tension, which escalated following the decision of the North Jakarta District Court to sentence Ahok to two years in prison for insulting the Quran.

The verdict on Ahok, a Christian of Chinese descent, caused division among those who believed the non-active Jakarta governor was innocent and Muslim groups convinced the outspoken politician had denigrated Islam.

In Makassar, South Sulawesi, hundreds of people gathered for a candlelight vigil in support of Ahok before being attacked by conservative Muslim groups.

In West Kalimantan, the local Dayak community pledged that it would bar the entry of leaders of the hard-line Islam Defenders Front (FPI). Members of the community were motivated by a speech from West Kalimantan Governor Cornelis, who pledged he would kick out FPI leader Rizieq Shihab from the province.

Two FPI leaders were forced last week to return to Jakarta only 30 minutes after landing at Supadio International Airport.

Also last week, hundreds of people in the predominantly Christian Manado, North Sulawesi, swarmed Sam Ratulangi International Airport and the governor’s office to protest a visit from House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Fahri Hamzah, a politician from the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), who has been vocal in calling for the prosecution of Ahok.

On Tuesday, the religious leaders invited to the meeting included individuals from the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), the country’s largest and second-largest Muslim organizations, Nahdhlatul Ulama and Muhammadiyah, the Bishops Council of Indonesia (KWI), the Indonesian Communion of Churches (PGI), the Council of Buddhist Communities (Walubi), Indonesian Hindu Religious Council (PHDI) and the Confucian Supreme Council of Indonesia (Matakin).

Responding to Jokowi’s call, MUI chairman Makruf Amin said religious leaders would intensify interfaith dialogue to prevent any efforts to divide the country.

“We will intensify dialogue in society and strengthen the nation’s unity,” Makruf said.

The rector of Muhammadiyah University in Jakarta Syaiful Bakhri, who represented Muhammadiyah during the meeting, praised Jokowi for convening the meeting.

“There are concerns about disintegration. This dialogue must continue to strengthen the unity of the country and affirm Pancasila as the country’s ideology,” Syaiful said.

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