Ministry Of Religion Urges JAI Sintang West Kalimantan's House Of Worship To Be Functioned As A Mosque

Head of the Center for Religious Harmony (PKUB) of the Ministry of Religion, Wawan Djunaidi. (ANTARA/HO-Ministry of Religion PR)

JAKARTA - The Ministry of Religion has appealed to the Indonesian Ahmadiyya Congregation (JAI) Sintang, West Kalimantan, to function as a mosque for all Muslims.

"The JAI house of worship that has been established in Sintang can continue to function as a mosque that can be used by all Muslims," said the Head of the Center for Religious Harmony (PKUB) at the Ministry of Religion Wawan Djunaidi in a press release quoted by Antara, Sunday, January 30.

He said the dome of the mosque of the JAI house of worship had been dismantled to be used as a mosque for all Muslims. "If it will be used for other functions, it must go through deliberation with the Ahmadiyya congregation as the owners of land and buildings," he said.

Wawan asked all district/city regional heads to facilitate religious communities who proposed the use of temporary places of worship because they did not meet the requirements to build houses of worship.

According to him, in the Joint Regulation of the Minister of Religion and the Minister of Home Affairs Number 9 and Number 8 of 2006 it is stated that the establishment of houses of worship must meet administrative requirements, technical requirements, and special requirements such as 90 prospective users of houses of worship.

If these special requirements have not been met, parties who want to build a house of worship can apply for a permit to use a temporary place of worship to the district/city government, he added.

"Local governments should ensure that the constitutional rights of citizens are fulfilled, especially to be able to worship collectively in houses of worship or temporary places of worship," he said.

To all Muslims, Wawan invites them to accept JAI members to worship together at the mosque or prayer room. JAI members are also encouraged to worship together with other Muslims, in any mosque.

"It should be, all religious people can live together with followers of different religions or adherents of other religions with tolerance, harmony, and mutual respect," he said.