Holiday Celebrations Symbol Of Religious Harmony : VP

Jakarta, 27 Rajab 1437/5 May 2016 (MINA)  – Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla (JK) in the celebration of the Ascension in the Presidential Palace said that a number of holiday celebration have become a symbol of inter-religious harmony in Indonesia.

“So far, Indonesia has a good religious life, We have 15 days off, which is a national holiday only 3 days as January 1, May 1 and August 17 and 12 others are religious holidays,” the vice president said in his speech on Wednesday evening.

According to JK, as many as six religions: Islam, Catholicism, Protestantism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism pick the celebration of religious holidays in Indonesia respectively.

He said it also symbolizes that Islam in Indonesia is moderate with that balance.

“Islam is almost 7 percent in France and there is no national holiday for Islam. There is also no Islamic holidays in Thailand although there are a lot of Moslems there, and nor in America,” said the Vice President.

JK explained the government commemorate three Islamic holidays in the palace that is Ascension, Revelation of the Quran and Eid al-Adha.

“It has lasted for 66 times as Bung Karno (the first president) began it in 50 era and the first speaker was Mr Hamka at that time,” said JK.

It became a symbol that religion is an important factor in the state.

A number of state officials attended the event, among others CMEA Nasution, Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim, Health Minister Nila F Moeloek, Minister of Agricultural and Spatial Ferry Mursidan Baldan, Minister of Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Yuddy Chrisnandi, Minister of Environment and Forestry Siti Nurbaya, Minister of Public Works and Housing Basuki Hadimuljono, Minister of Communication and Information Technology Rudiantara, Chief General Badrodin Haiti, and chief of President staff Teten Masduki.

In addition, a number of leaders of the House representative also attended the event, among others, the House speaker Ade Komarudin and Chairman of regional representative council (DPD) Irman Gusman. (LP/R03/R04)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)