14 Islamic organizations urge govt to dissolve anti-Pancasila groups

Jakarta, NU Online
Some 14 Islamic organizations urged the government to speed up the issuance of Government Regulation in Lieu of Law (Perpu) on mass organizations and encourage it to dissolve any radical and anti-Pancasila groups.

The statement was made by representatives of Islamic organizations grouped under grouped under the Islamic Organization Friendship Body (LPOI) at a press conference held at the NU headquarters in Jakarta on Friday (7/7).

According to the LPOI chairman KH Said Aqil Siroj, radical, anti-Pancasila and intolerant organizations have become concerns of the Indonesian people. The majority of Indonesians have been deeply concerned over the anti Pancasila groups that are also fellow citizens.

Physically, there had been some of the mass organizations not committing violence. However, their systematic and massive movements had penetrated the minds of some Indonesian citizens, he said.

"If radical and anti-Pancasila mass organizations continue to grow, they will threaten a pluralistic Indonesia. If they are allowed to come into being, ordinary people may consider such organizations to be true and are legalized by the state," he said.

And if the government could no longer take into account the organizations, in the future, the number of people supporting radicalism and anti-Pancasila will continue to increase.

"You can imagine our country could easily be destroyed like Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, and others."

According to him, the constitution does allow freedom of association and assembly, but must still be subject to the provisions of the law. Freedom must be followed by responsibilities, obligations and rules.

"In fact the government does not ban Pancasila. However, it is clear that Pancasila should be the basis of the organizations that will be formed," he asserted. (Abdullah Alawi/Masdar)