Remember! Don't Medical Devices For Political Interest

Chairman of FKUB Central Sulawesi Province Zainal Abidin (ANTARA/HO-FKUB Central Sulawesi)

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Central Sulawesi Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) Zainal Abidin reminded that the concept of identity politics only injures religious prostitution and damages community unity.

"However, religion is being applied for political interests, creating divisions, and destroying the harmony of life of the nation and state society," said Zainal Abidin in the scientific oration of the XXth Bachelor's Office in 2022, SitISIP Panca Bhakti in Palu, as reported by Antara, Saturday, November 19.

Religious-based identity politics is very contradictory to the teachings of every religion that should encourage and inspire its adherents to realize common peace and benefit.

Identity politics, according to Zainal, is one of the strategies used by certain groups to get people's votes by abusing equality, both group equality, race, religion, and area of origin.

Therefore, he said, identity politics basically has the potential to create barriers between citizens based on primordial identities such as race, ethnicity, religion, and gender.

"This, if left unchecked, will certainly be a threat to nationalism," he added.

According to him, religious-based identity politics not only threatens the spirit of nationalism, but can also destroy religious harmony buildings.

"The majority group will feel the privilege of other groups and this is of course contrary to one of our national pillars, Bhinneka Tunggal Ika," said Zainal.

Identity politics, whatever it takes, cannot create a healthy democratic climate and does not educate people to become more mature in politics.

Likewise, religious-based identity politics is a real threat to religious harmony that has been trying to be built together since the founding of the Republic of Indonesia.

"Therefore, it is a big task for us together, especially the younger generation, to educate our people to be smarter in politics, so that they are not easily trapped by those who try to use religious, racial and gender labels just to gain power," said Zainal Abidin.