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his is a comment on “‘Miniskirts = porn’: Religious Affairs Minister” (The Jakarta Post Online, March 28).

Dear Mr. Minister of Religious Affairs,

As a religious leader (imam), you should focus more on providing examples on how to foster the prosperity of the people rather than providing these insignificant actions and statements.

People need prosperity: adequate food, adequate income, adequate housing, adequate purchasing power for daily needs, and adequate positive thinking and moral behavior toward others, regardless of their different backgrounds.

What people need today are low prices not high prices. If you can not stop the price hike, including your statement that haj expenses will increase by 20 percent, I am worried about your capability to be the Religious Affairs Minister. Your position as a minister does not reflect your status as an Imam (a religious leader) but rather reflects on your position in the government and your income. It is really embarrassing. Indonesian people lack amanah (credible) leaders or statesmen.

As stated in Holy Koran: A man is a leader (imam). The leader must be able to protect and give comfort to his followers.

If you cannot do this, I am sure your own religious followers are full of worries about how they will react upon seeing a miniskirt.

The solutions include teaching them positive thinking and protecting their way of life (by lowering the prices of their daily needs). Ensure them that not everything in our lives causes us to sin, and that maintaining a pure and positive mind is the best way to live. By following these steps, I am sure Indonesia will become prosperous and more advanced and live in peace.

Mr. Minister, you should clean your own mind and fill it with positive thinking rather than worrying and making a fuss over a woman’s skirt. For me, seeing a woman wearing a jilbab (Muslim women’s headscarf) or a miniskirt makes no difference at all.

Achmad Baihaqi
Kediri, East Java