Jakarta – Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin said the Indonesian Ulema Council edict that declared wearing other religious paraphernalia was unnecessary was part of religious tolerance without necessarily immersing oneself in another religion.
"The spirit of the edict is that tolerance does not mean you have to immerse yourself [in a different religion]," he said as quoted by Antara News Agency on Friday.
Lukman said Muslims should follow the edict without dismissing others and while respecting other religions. "We should see the edict as having that spirit," he said.
He emphasized that the edict was based on a principle of tolerance, respecting each other and other religions. "We don't have to wear religious symbols that are not part of our faith," he explained.
Lukman said he hoped Muslims would respect the Christmas celebration because many Indonesians are Christian. (evi)