01/30/2021 Indonesia (International Christian Concern) – The Minister of Religious Affairs, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, a moderate Muslim cleric who was sworn in into the Cabinet on Christmas Eve, recently received Christian leaders and discussed building religious harmony together with the churches.
According to Detik Manado News, on January 22, 2021, he received North Sulawesi Governor Olly Dondokambey, who is also the chairman of the Daily Workers Council of the Indonesian Church Fellowship (MPH PGI), and PGI General Chairperson Pastor Gomar Gultom in Jakarta.
Although the meeting mainly concerned implementing the COVID-19 health protocol, the Minister also invited PGI to jointly build a better religious life in Indonesia.
“We have to work together to build a better religious life. We are all the same and must communicate with each other and work together in building a better nation,” he said.
If there is a policy that is not beneficial, he hopes that religious leaders will continue to provide input so that it can be corrected.
“The government must be present in the service of religious life for all people,” he said.
He also emphasized that his party, the National Awakening Party (PKB), affiliated with the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Indonesia’s largest Muslim organization, is committed to paying attention to and protecting all religions in an effort to achieve religious harmony.
“Thank you for visiting. Hopefully, all of us, the religions of Indonesia, can continue to live in harmony. I want the Ministry of Religion to pay attention to all religions,” concluded the Minister of Religion.
