Fidelis E. Satriastanti – The Indonesian Council of Ulema (MUI) issued a religious edict, known as a fatwa, on Wednesday, condemning mining practices that were destroying the environment and neglecting people's welfare.

"We condemn mining activities that only destroy the environment and inflict misery on the people. We must prevent such actions through regulation and government actions," Ma'ruf Amin, head of the fatwa division at MUI, said on Wednesday.

Ma'ruf said that the fatwa was not made by "order" but based on the council's long observation and research.

This fatwa applies to everyone, from government officials, company managements and regional governments, most of whom are Muslim. They must ensure that mining practices should be environmentally friendly," he said.

Environment Minister Gusti Muhammad Hatta said the fatwa served as an additional solution to accompany the formal regulation that deals with environmental destruction from mining activities.

"We are still implementing the law and the regulation. This [fatwa] is just to complete our efforts in developing better mining practices," he said.

"I know that there will be pessimism [about the fatwa], however, the fatwa applies not only to Muslim but also to the mining activities itself and local government officials who are mostly Muslim. Maybe with this fatwa, these people could be 'moved'."