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Politicians reject government's idea to leave religion column blank
Jakarta Post - November 7, 2014
They said on Friday that the decision was contrary to the country's founding philosophy of Pancasila especially the first of its five principles, namely "Belief in one supreme God".
United Development Party (PPP) politician Arwani Thomafi told reporters that "religion is the visible manifestation of the first principle of Pancasila," as quoted by tribunnews.com.
In line with Arwani, Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) politician Aboebakar Al Habsy emphasized that the state's foundation was Pancasila.
"If we believe that Pancasila is our state ideology and our national identity, then why we should we be ashamed of including our religion on our KTP [national identity card]?" he asked.
Arwani added that the inclusion of religious identity was for the benefit of citizens. "[Otherwise] problems will arise in matters of marriage, child custody and many things," he said.
Previously, newly installed Home Minister Tjahjo Kumolo pushed local government officials to allow adherents of non-officially recognized religions to not state their religious belief on official documents, including ID cards.
"If they wish to do it, just allow them to. Don't impose any religion on them. It's up to the people [to fill in the religion column on ID cards]," he said.
Dewi Kanti, a follower of Sunda Wiwitan, a native religion of the Sundanese people, told The Jakarta Post that some of her friends had even converted to Confucianism, while others had been rejected by government officials when asked for administrative services, because they could not leave the religion column blank.
"Those officials insisted that the state only recognized six religions," Dewi said. (ask/nfo)
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