As junior high school students kicked off their final examinations in classrooms across Indonesia on Monday, Deputy Religious Affairs Minister Nasaruddin Umar said the government considered the Ahmadiyah issue the nation's "national exam."

"This is also the 'national exam' for the nation," Nasaruddin said during a visit to an Islamic school in Jakarta. He said the issue posed difficulties for the country, with all related parties needing to arrive at a solution.

On Friday, a mob ransacked a mosque belonging to the minority Ahmadiyah Islamic sect in Singaparna, West java, smashing windows and breaking equipment inside. Several police officers at the scene claimed they were powerless to intervene.

Nasaruddin said the police should uphold the law and prosecute those involved in the criminal attack. He also urged the House of Representatives (DPR) to pass the religious harmony bill into law.