JK: Clashes In Bitung Due To Misperceptions

Jusuf Kalla/ANTARA/HO-Personal Documentation.)

Chairman of the Indonesian Mosque Council (DMI) HM Jusuf Kalla said the incident that occurred in Bitung City, North Sulawesi had nothing to do with the war between religions, but the misunderstanding of the two groups.

"There is no religious war between Palestine and Israel. It happened in Bitung because there was a misunderstanding and both sides did not understand each other. It was certainly not planned and was not intentional, just because there was a misunderstanding that we did not expect," said the man called JK's nickname in Makassar as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, November 28.

He regretted the incident and hoped that the incident would not be extended and repeated because it could divide the nation itself.

The war that broke out between Hamas and the Israeli Forces was not between Christians, Islam, Jews, Confucians, Hindus and Buddhists, but it was a humanitarian tragedy.

In addition, the incident that occurred in Bitung has been handled seriously by the police, including that several perpetrators have been arrested. Because, the impact of the incident killed one person so the police had to work quickly.

The 10th and 12th Vice President really hopes that all Indonesian people will continue to uphold unity and integrity and maintain the Diversity of Ika Tunggal, which has united differences in the country.

"Hopefully this problem can be understood, because this is a humanitarian issue so that we unite and maintain our diversity," the chairman of the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) emphasized.

Jusuf Kalla also conveyed at his meeting at the Al-Markaz Al-Islami Mosque, Jalan Mesjid Raya Makassar that religious figures in South Sulawesi and Indonesia, seeing what is happening in Palestine and Israel is a humanitarian view.

This is because the number of victims who were so many that it reached tens of thousands was a humanitarian tragedy that occurred in the country. In fact, as many as two million people prefer to evacuate because they cannot settle in war areas.

"I think there is one of the largest evacuations. Imagine, how the people there eat, their health, and there is no water, there is no electricity, especially now that winter," said JK.

Previously, an incident occurred in Bitung City when a group that wanted to hold a Palestinian defense peaceful demonstration was suddenly attacked by certain groups and even carried the Israeli flag and immediately attacked them.