JK Responds To Controversy Of Minister Of Religion Yaqut Regarding 'Ministry Of Religion NU Prize': Ministry Of Religion For All Religions

Jusuf Kalla di Medan (DOK IST)

MEDAN - Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas made a controversial statement by calling the Ministry of Religion (Kemenag) a special gift from the state for Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

Yaqut's statement received a response from Jusuf Kalla (JK). According to JK, the Ministry of Religion must protect all religions in Indonesia.

"It (the Ministry of Religion) is not a gift, it is a must because this country is based on the One Godhead. Of course, all religions are very important to be protected," JK told reporters in Medan, Monday, October 25.

Former Vice President JK said the Ministry of Religion was not only for NU but for all groups.

"So not only for NU but for all religions, and all religious organizations are protected by the government through the Ministry of Religion," he said.

Previously, the Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas again made a statement that caused controversy. This time in the Santri Day webinar organized by PBNU, Gus Yaqut mentioned the Ministry of Religion as a state gift for Nahdlatul Ulama or NU.

According to Yaqut, recently many ideas have emerged within the Ministry of Religion regarding the origin of the Ministry of Religion. One of the religious leaders, said Yaqut, said that the Ministry of Religion was a state gift for Muslims.

"I deny it. No. The Ministry of Religion is a state gift for NU, not for Muslims in general, but specifically for NU. So it is natural that NU is now taking advantage of the many opportunities that exist in the Ministry of Religion because the gift is for NU," said Yaqut.

Yaqut revealed the basis for why he said this. One of them is because the founder of NU KH Wahab Chasbullah was instrumental in proposing the concept of the Jakarta charter which became the forerunner to the birth of the Pancasila state foundation.

"Why is that, the ministry emerged because of the deletion of 7 words in the Jakarta charter, which proposed being a peacemaker for the deletion, Mr. KH. Wahab Chasbullah, then the Ministry of Religion was born because of that," said Yaqut.