Ahok Instructed Mayors to Help Arrange Worship Places
Reported by Andry | Translated by Cintya Meliza
Jakarta Governor, Basuki 'Ahok' Tjahaja Purnama instructed 5 mayors to help processing license of worship places that have been built for a long time. Ahok appealed the area leaders not to dither facing the pressure from community organizations (ormas) or other intolerance groups.
For churches that have been holding devotional for a long time, we should help to process the license. As well as mosques
"I've coordinated with Police Chief and Pangdam Jaya related to church. They are ready to help us taking firm action against those intolerance group or mass organization which intend to do provocation and anarchist action," said Ahok during executive meeting (rapim) at City Hall, Monday (7/27).
Besides that, he also instructed all mayors to inventory churches that have been holding devotional for a long time. Not only that, they are also obligated to process license of churches which want to fix the designation.
Djarot to Visit 6 Churches This Evening"For churches that have been holding devotional for a long time, we should help to process the license. As well as mosques. Help them processing it too," he expressed.
He explained, on the document of Jakarta Religious Ministry Regional Office stated, the worship places that been built before 2006 should be helped, including the Indonesian Protestant Christian Church (GKPI) in Jatinegara East Jakarta while violate designation permit.
"So, for all mayors, our policy is like that. You go check churches in each area, check the pilgrims number and the establishment year," he uttered.
On the other side, all mayors were also instructed to identify mosques in area which have not processed the Building Permit (IMB) and violated designation. The regional officials were also instructed to find citizens' land around the mosques that could be purchased for mosque expansion.
"Please mayor, arrange the mosques' designation. Even if the land is not huge, find citizens' land that could be purchased. So we can expand the mosques and build park. That's mayor's duty," he asserted.
