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n an apparent gesture of support for the government, hundreds of clerics from Indonesia’s largest Islamic organization gathered for a major event in Jakarta, where they reaffirmed their commitment to guarding the country’s unity and diversity.

Organized under the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), at least 700 clerics from across Indonesia attended the ulema’s national halaqah, a regular meeting of Islamic clerics. Held from Thursday to Friday, the event dealt with the growth of radical movements in the country.

This comes amid controversy surrounding President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo’s move to issue a regulation in lieu of law (Perppu) on mass organizations, which grants the government the power to disband without judicial process mass groups that go against the state ideology of Pancasila or the Constitution.

Intended in particular to underpin the government’s plan to ban hard-line group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI), the Perppu has been criticized by some as a setback for democracy and as a threat to the people’s rights to assemble.

The NU, however, has become one of the most vocal supporters of its implementation.

The two-day event asserted the importance of strong cooperation between clerics and the government in countering threats against Pancasila and the principles of Bhinneka Tunggal Ika (Unity in Diversity), NU secretary-general Helmy Faishal Zaini said.

“At a time when radicalism and global terrorism are threatening the country, we need to remain committed to all efforts in guarding our unity,” Helmy told The Jakarta Post on Saturday.

Helmy went on by asking the people to understand that the government was not compromising democracy in taking stern action against radicalism.

“Today’s situation is not easy. When the government doesn’t take action, people call it lenient, but when the government makes strong moves, people accuse it of being antidemocratic,” Helmy said.

During his speech on Thursday, Jokowi asserted that Pancasila and Islam should not be pitted against one another. “There should be no more [parties] that have their own hidden or open political agenda that aims to take down the NKRI [Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia],” Jokowi warned.

Former president and Indonesia Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) patron Megawati Soekarnoputri also expressed concern about groups that claimed to be acting in the name of Islam while their actions contradicted peaceful Islamic teachings.

Long before the issuance of the Perppu, NU, particularly through its youth wing, GP Ansor, has been engaged in a grassroots campaign to crack down on the HTI. NU strongholds in East Java hoisted banners demanding the dissolution of the HTI and prevented members of the organization, which aims to establish a caliphate, from conducting activities.

Jakarta State Islamic University (UIN) political expert Adi Prayitno said the NU’s vision and mission tended to be in line with the government’s.