Minister Of Religion Leaves Message To Takmirs: Don't Let Mosques For Electoral Politics In The 2024 Election

Illustration of the mosque. (Antonio Sessa-Unsplash)

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas reminded the takmir or administrators of mosques and prayer rooms to ensure that their houses of worship are not used for electoral political interests ahead of the 2024 General Election.

"So we tell them that these Takmirs guard their mosques, lest mosques be used for electoral political purposes. Don't use them for the sake of dividing the nation," said Minister of Religion Yaqut after the opening of the National Working Meeting of the Mosque Welfare Agency (BKM) in 2023 at the Presidential Palace Complex, Jakarta, Wednesday, November 8, was confiscated by Antara.

Minister of Religion Yaqut said mosques should be used as a place to unite the nation, not activities that risk dispersal. Therefore, he said, it would not be appropriate for mosques to be used for political contestation ahead of the 2024 General Election.

"This is what we want to protect, so the mosque, the political function is not in mosques except national politics, power politics, electoral politics, please but outside the mosque," said the Minister of Religion.

The purpose of maintaining the mosque's important role, said the Minister of Religion, is one of the reasons why BKM held a National Working Meeting this Wednesday.

Mosques, he said, are not only used as places of worship, but also activities related to the welfare of the people, such as economic and social activities.

"We feel the need for this BKM to actively move to facilitate mosques in Indonesia, so that it is known that this BKM has been established since 1964, but then it has been in vacuum for a long time. Only 2022 yesterday we revived so that the government can help make this mosque really function as a real mosque that we all want," said the Minister of Religion.

The BKM National Working Meeting was officially opened by President Jokowi on Wednesday, November 8. President Jokowi appreciated the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) for reacting the BKM which had been established since 1964.

With a large number of memberships throughout the country, President Jokowi believes the benefits of BKM are very large for the people and society.

"With a very large number of members of more than 17,600 mosques, in my notes, which are spread throughout the country and the potential benefits of this BKM are very large for the people, for the nation," said President Jokowi.

Through the role of BKM, President Jokowi hopes that houses of worship can be managed in a professional, moderate, and massive manner for the people. This is also expected to make the mosque a center for the development of the people and the progress of the nation, as well as a friendly place of worship for all.