Jakarta – Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo has urged regional administrations to provide more room for the involvement of the Inter-Religious Harmony Forum (FKUB) in the decision-making processes of their respective regions.
"The [FKUB] should always be involved in discussions and its advice should always be heeded in the process of public policy making at the local level," Tjahjo said at a FKUB national coordination meeting on Thursday.
Strengthening cooperation between various religious communities in public policy making is important, both to ensure religious harmony and to anticipate possible conflicts, Tjahjo said.
According to Tjahjo, when intolerance and violence erupts, religious communities and local elders can play a role in de-escalating the tension, more so than security officers and government officials.
Meanwhile, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said local administrations should also support the FKUB in their respective regions.
More money is needed to establish regional headquarters in order to improve the FKUB's role in promoting interreligious peace, Lukman added. He further stated that the FKUB was a strategic institution designed to strengthen grassroots communities and promote religious harmony.