Understanding The Necessity Of The Bill For The Protection Of Religious Figures And Religious Symbols

Gedung DPR (Irfan Meidianto/VOI)

JAKARTA - The House of Representatives (DPR) plans to draft a bill (RUU) on the Protection of Ulema, Religious Figures and Religious Symbols. In fact, this bill was included in the long-term Prolegnas for the 2020-2024 period.

The bill was initiated by the Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) as a commitment to realize campaign promises in the 2019 elections. The goal is that PKS wants figures from all religions to receive protection from the state.

Researcher of the Forum for the Concerned People of Parliament (Formappi) Lucius Karus believes that he does not find any fundamental reason why the Bill on Protection of Religious Figures and Religious Symbols is necessary.

The basic question, said Lucius, is who has the potential to threaten religious figures and how strong is the potential threat so that a special legal umbrella is needed to protect religious figures.

"The answers to the above questions can be very vague. The proposer of this bill said that criminalization against religious figures often occurs. However, we all know that accusations of criminalization tend to be opinions that just want to defend themselves," said Lucius, to VOI, in Jakarta, Monday, December 10th.

In fact, said Lucius, so far law enforcers generally act based on evidence and facts. Criminalization charges are also sometimes used to protect crimes committed. Moreover, the accusation of criminalization is aimed at law enforcers. If it is true that the criminalization is true, the court process can be used to test it.

"There is a danger if religious figures are protected. On the one hand they will be protected every time they act in carrying out religious messages. But on the other hand this protection can actually become a weapon for religious leaders to abuse their function as religious leaders. For example, for political campaigns or ideologies that are against the Pancasila, "said Lucius.

Instead of making religious life healthy, Lucius said, this bill would actually become a time bomb that would further destroy the harmony of life. Imagine that in the name of protection, religious leaders can speak and do anything. This can actually threaten others.

"Especially if then everyone is free to become religious leaders. It doesn't matter what their religious capacity is. That means people who suddenly have the ability to speak, call verses easily are called religious figures even though they may only be provocateurs," he explained.

According to Lucius, even if this bill continues to be discussed in the DPR, members of the council need to pay attention to detailed indicators, a person who can be called a religious figure. Including the knowledge.

Meanwhile, Chairman of Commission VIII Yandri Susanto said protection of religious symbols should not be interpreted as just ustaz. But also priests, and all religious leaders. So, there should be no persecution.

"That is the basis for my friends submitting it, and they have also prepared an academic manuscript. So it is deemed worthy to be used as a list of prolegnas but it is not a 2020 priority. Even though it will be discussed later, yes, maybe in terms of the title, it will also have a long debate . Ordinary, "explained Yandri.

Yandri gave an example of the difficulty of discussing a bill in the DPR. Among them are the Minol Bill which takes up to two terms, but it is not yet clear. Then, the Land Bill, which has had three terms, but has not yet been completed. It is also felt that the discussion of the Bill on the protection of religious figures will not be fast.

"So there is no guarantee that the Law will be completed and discussed immediately. So the National Legislation Program is in accordance with the MD3 Law that we accommodate several proposed bills which from the readiness point of view already deserve to be made into laws," he said.

Regarding whether this bill contradicts the equal right to law for all citizens, Yandri said that the presence of this proposal departed from recent events.

"There will be a debate later. We will invite all stakeholders who are directly and indirectly involved in the law. For example, the public's view of why only religious symbols are protected? How about us ?," said Yandri.

Yandri emphasized that this bill will target all religious figures, not just one particular group. "Yesterday when I had a meeting at Baleg that religious symbols are all religions. Not only Islam," he said.

Previously, PKS President Sohibul Iman committed to realizing his four campaign promises in the 2019 elections. One of them is to initiate a Bill (RUU) on the Protection of Ulama, Religious Figures and Religious Symbols.

Sohibul said, as a first step in the realization of his political promise, PKS would propose the bill in the 2020-2024 National Legislation Program (Prolegnas).

Sohibul emphasized that PKS wants leaders from all religions to get protection from the state. Therefore, he considered that there is a need for a legal umbrella to ensure certainty of protection from the state.