Commission VIII DPR Received Information From The Minister Of Religion, No Church Will Disappear In UIII Land

The building of the HKI Juanda Church located in the UIII/STIMEWA Campus complex

Member of Commission VIII DPR Maria Yohana (MY) Esti Wijayati said the anxiety of the HKI Juanda Church which could be 'lost' because it stands on land at the Indonesian International Islamic University (UIII), has been explained to the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag).

The UIII complex was built on an area of 142.5 ha in Depok City and has started its first lecture since September 27, 2021. This campus was established based on Presidential Regulation Number 57 of 2016 which was signed by President Joko Widodo with the status of a State University of the Legal Agency (PTN BH).

Meanwhile, HKI Juanda itself has been around for the last nine years, routinely carrying out worship to serve 200 congregations.

Esti explained that the land problem that had been making the HKI congregation, Juanda gamang, for fear of no longer being able to worship, had been well arrested by the Ministry of Religion.

"It has been conveyed and the information is okay. There is no problem," Esti said when contacted, Saturday, June 8.

In his talks with the Ministry of Religion - which oversees the UIII campus - the issue of the HKI Juanda Church building which has been established since 2015 has been resolved. Supposedly, the HKI Juanda congregation no longer needed to be furious.

"Actually, the conversation with the Ministry of Religion is all clear. What do they think is not clear yet?" he said.

The PDIP legislator for the Yogyakarta DIY electoral district said the Ministry of Religion had answered the concerns of HKI Juanda regarding the church issue that was threatened with being evicted. The Ministry of Religion ensures that Juanda's HKI Church can still be used for congregational worship.

"(The Ministry of Religion) has answered to me in the Commission VIII room, (HKI Juanda Church, ed) can still be used," he said.

Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas has also spoken with Commission VIII of the DPR, there will be no eviction of the HKI Juanda Church whose building is included in the master plan of the UIII campus.

"Already (talk, ed), and there will be no eviction," he said.

Previously, HKI Juanda and the advocacy coalition consisting of PGI, GUSDURian Network, Journalistic Union for Diversity (SEJUK), One Justice Foundation (YSK), Solidarity for Victims of Religious Freedom and Belief (KKB) had held an audience with UIII.

As a result, UIII as a user does not have the authority to determine the fate of the HKI Juanda Church. Therefore, HKI Juanda and the advocacy coalition hope to meet with the Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas and Chairman of the UIII Trustee Council Jusuf Kalla.

PGI hopes that the Minister of Religion and Jusuf Kalla will open a communication space so that there is a solution related to the problem of the Juanda HKI Church which is threatened with being evicted due to the construction of the UIII campus in Depok.

"We see the highest decision regarding the existence of HKI in the UIII campus complex, the decision is with the minister of religion. Then we see that in his organizational structure there is Mr. Jusuf Kalla as chairman of his foundation's supervisory board. We hope that actually the minister of religion will open up space for HKI Juanda to consult, communicate, meet with Mr. JK as well," said a member of the PGI Justice & Peace Advocacy Division, Juandi Gultom some time ago to VOI.

So far, the HKI Juanda has been actively sending letters to the minister of religion, the secretary of the ministry and also the chief of presidential staff. However, no one responded to the letter.

"Even though the letter is difficult to keep. So we ask, we hope that the Minister of Religion will respond to it. We will not penetrate there. So we hope that the network from NU, GUSDURian will penetrate there," he said.

Juandi is grateful that the UIII rectorate received the hearing submitted by HKI, PGI and Gusdurian. He explained that his party wanted the existence of HKI in the UIII campus complex to be maintained. The reason, first, the HKI wants to protect the name of the church. Second, keep the congregation alive.

"The HKI congregation is in the vicinity, if he (the church) is moved to another place, it will disturb the mobility of the congregation as well. Because the HKI in other places in Depok already exists. However, we did not satisfy the meeting with the rectorate, because they said that only the implementation of the policy of the Ministry of Religion, and in the regulation of the president of the UIII campus was included in the national strategic project. So they only carried out what was mandated," he explained.

PGI hopes that there will be mercy from the Minister of Religion for HKI Juanda to defend the Church on UIII land. He also hopes that the UIII rectorate will convey HKI Juanda's hopes to the minister of religion.

"The goal is that we get good results, but UIII normatively replied, because they are only implementers of the law, they only accommodate aspirations and convey them to the minister (religious). The minister's decision is the result of your recommendations below. They also do not open a common space," said Juandi.