Nasaruddin Umar: Inter-Community Peace Becomes A Tolok Ukur Achievement Of The Ministry Of Religion Apart From WTP

Minister of Religion Nasaruddin Umar stated that peace between religious believers is the benchmark for the ministry's biggest achievement that he is currently leading in addition to formal measures such as the fair exception predicate (WTP) from the Supreme Audit Agency.

This statement was expressed by Nasaruddin in the 2024 National Christmas Seminar which carries the theme The Church Runs With The State: More Faith, Humanism And Ecologicals at the Auditorium MH Rasjidi Ministry of Religion, Jakarta, Thursday, December 19.

According to him, the key to achieving peace between religious believers is love, sincerity of each individual in accepting various differences of opinion, especially among leaders and religious leaders in living the life of the nation and state.

"If love is already working then differences will disappear, the high wall will collapse and what happens is unity," said the Minister of Religion, stressing this as the motto of the state, namely Bhineka Tunggal Ika (although different is still one) that is already attached to the soul of the Indonesian people.

The Ministry of Religion of a series of work programs is considered quite successful in fostering peace among religious believers in Indonesia. Based on the results of a survey by the Ministry of Religion's Research and Training Agency which recorded that the religious harmony index (IKUB) in 2024 increased to 76.47 percent compared to the previous two years of 73.09 percent.

At the next level, Nasaruddin hopes that peace based on love between religious believers also needs to be applied to environmental conservation efforts, so that resource wealth in Indonesia is not seen as an object of exploitation and triggers worse natural damage.

This point became the main topic of the 2024 National Christmas Seminar which was attended by Human Rights Minister Natalius Pigai, Deputy Minister of Finance Thomas Djiwandono, Deputy Minister of Environment Diaz Hendroprioyono, along with a number of other academics, religious figures and scholars.

"Religious language is more effective than formal language through law because it will penetrate into deep rails. My deep expression of my heart, the challenges we face as a religious community are not light but must not be discouraged. Teachings of all religions should not let their people give up, no matter how many challenges must be overcome as a test to advance to class as God's will," he said.

Nasaruddin is also committed that the Ministry of Religion will continue to serve all the needs of religious communities in Indonesia, including carrying out the socio-ecology mission of the 2024 Istiqlal Declaration which he signed when he became the Grand Imam of the Istiqlal Mosque, with the Supreme Leader of the Catholic Church Pope Francis.