Friski Riana, Jakarta – Vice President Ma'ruf Amin asserted that the presence of police personnel in mosques will not be the government's surveillance tool but rather an attempt to prevent religious houses used as a vehicle to spread hate.

"It's to prevent mosques being used to create narratives of hatred," said Ma'ruf Amin in opening the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) coordination meeting in the Grand Sahid Jaya Hotel, Jakarta on Monday.

The MUI chairman then explained that the police personnel will only be tasked to provide the necessary understandings and guide people to prevent the emergence of sermons that may entice hatred among society. "It is not to conduct surveillance," said Ma'ruf Amin.

In a separate occasion, the Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) senior researcher Siti Zuhro asked Ma'ruf Amin to not just stand still and try to actively correct the government's policies that are considered too intrusive, especially if it affects a person's private matter.

Siti argued that the mosque police concept could potentially offend the Muslim community and spark distrust among members of the public.

Source: https://en.tempo.co/read/1279387/maruf-amin-mosque-police-will-not-be-govts-surveillance-tool