J

uly 17, Online

The Forestry Ministry will dispatch 5,000 Muslim preachers in its latest move to campaign against forest destruction, citing the rampant case of illegal logging involving local communities.

“Our forests don’t go up in flames on their own, but are intentionally burned because there is this tradition of burning the land after harvest and before planting, which has now also affected forest areas,” Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan said Sunday in Yogyakarta.

He was speaking during the national working meeting of the propagation assembly of the central executive board of Indonesia’s second-largest Muslim organization, Muhammadiyah.

The minister called on the Muslim scholars to support the campaign against forest burning, as well as to promote forest preservation and reforestation efforts.

The 5,000 Muslim preachers are being recruited from a number of Muslim organizations. They will be given relevant trainings and will be paid about Rp 2 million (US$234) per month.

Your comments:

Hey Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan, I am not a Muslim but I care for our forest protection, why can’t I go out and preach?

I promise I won’t illegally sell the timber and be bribed by police and other government authorities like your department workers.
Pull your head out of the saw dust and include all Indonesian people not just people from your own flock.

How did you get the job as minister? Paid for by your corrupt friends.

Simon
Surakarta, Central Java

The minister should have also sent Buddhist, Hindu, Catholic and Protestant preachers as well to preach to their co-religionists. Perhaps the minister needs to be reminded of Pancasila.

Looking on the positive side, this “good idea” might catch on in other ministries — and the ministers of each department of the government will follow suit and send preachers to the employees and officials within their ministries to plead with them to change their ways and act ethically.

And of course, a special brigade of really hardened and tough preachers needs to be sent to the various political parties to do likewise and preach to those boys and girls who so often get out of line.

That will be a tough call. But the biggest task of all is to send really brave and fearless preachers into the House of Representatives to preach to that congregation.

Phillip
Serpong, Banten

I can’t believe what I read. He’s definitely using his post to buy votes. Welcome Indonesia as a failed state sooner (2012).

Tia
Jakarta

Forestry Minister Zulkifli Hasan is playing a dangerous game. He thinks it will buy him some more votes which I can agree with. But what consequences it will have on our forest is beyond my imagination.

Budi Hartono
Jakarta

I can’t believe what I just read, does every issue need to be related to religion?

Bambam
Jakarta

Let’s replace all civil servants with “preachers”. It is beyond belief what ideas these people come up with in a (still) secular state.

Devi
Jakarta