By: Alfisyah Kumalasari) *
Situation Approaching Christmas and New Year celebrations tends to be safe and conducive. Nevertheless, the community is also encouraged to maintain the situation, including by not carrying out sweeping actions that can damage religious dredging. The community can report to the authorities if they find violations.
The track record of acts of intolerance towards the Christmas celebration indeed tarnished diversity in Indonesia, where several years ago sweeping actions still occurred in a number of areas. One of them happened at Sragen Regency, Central Java. Allegedly a group of people suspected of coming from FPI mass organizations at that time wanted to do sweeping at a supermarket.
Fortunately the action can still be handled by the police. Even though the organization argued that it was just looking around, the group still did not allow the group to enter the supermarket.
Learning from the past, in rejecting possible sweeping efforts, the Metro Jaya Regional Police, Senior Commissioner Yusri Yunus said that his staff will provide firm action if there are organizations that conduct “sweeping” in the Metro Jaya Regional Police jurisdiction. Meanwhile, Minister of Religion Fachrul Razi hopes that no community organizations will conduct sweeping ahead of the Christmas and New Year 2020 celebrations. He believes that Indonesian people are now more mature in facing differences.
Fachrul said that his party had not yet heard that there would be organizations planning to sweep into entertainment venues. Moreover, he also believes that Indonesian people are more tolerant in dealing with differences. The Minister of Religion also did not dismiss if negative narratives often appear when approaching Christmas and the New Year 2020. But according to him it was only just an issue.
That is, Fachrul hopes that the celebration of Christmas and the New Year 2020 in Indonesia can run smoothly without being spiced up by sweeping actions carried out by a number of mass organizations. Moreover, according to him the sweeping action is not allowed. By adhering to the motto of Unity in Diversity, the state certainly guarantees its citizens to embrace religion and celebrate religious holidays in accordance with the beliefs held.
On different occasions, President Joko Widodo also reminded all levels of society not to sweep during religious celebrations. In Indonesia our constitution guarantees that it is clear and unequivocal that our constitution allows Indonesian people to embrace their respective religions and beliefs.
In addition, Jokowi also ordered the National Police Chief General Idham Azis to crack down on perpetrators of sweeping during the Christmas and New Year 2020 celebrations. In addition, the Coordinating Minister for Politics and Security Mahfud MD also stressed that there should be no sweeping during Christmas celebrations. It is also known, the Jakarta Police has prepared security ahead of the Christmas and New Year 2020 celebrations. One of them prioritizes security in 57 churches in the DKI Jakarta area.
Head of Metro Jaya Police Public Relations, Komber Yusri Yunus said, the church is adjacent to a place of worship of other religions. Yusril also appealed to people who want to celebrate Christmas in the Church not to carry large bags. It aims to expedite the inspection process at the time of entering the church.
Previously, the police would deploy 10,000 personnel to secure Christmas and New Year celebrations throughout the jurisdiction of Polda Metro Jaya. The entire personnel will also be deployed at 95 service posts that serve to monitor security during the Christmas and 2020 New Year celebrations.
To prepare for coordination, Polda Metro Jaya will also hold a security rally in preparation for securing the Christmas and New Year celebrations. The apple is planned to take place on December 23, 2019. If we find sweeping actions or the like ahead of the Christmas celebration, of course we do not need to hesitate to report to authorities such as the police.
Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung said that National Police Chief Idham Azis had also secured and provided a sense of security including matters relating to existing threats. Including also if there are sweeping or acts of rejecting worship and others, SARA conflicts, and fights. Pramono also explained that President Jokowi had sent the National Police to welcome Christmas and the New Year, sweeping actions or actions that showed rejection of worship should not be in Indonesia.
The sweeping action ahead of Christmas showed that the group that carried out the action did not understand the ideology and the motto of the state.
) * The author is a social political observer