Ministry of Religion Take Action on Demolition of Mosque by Church Fellowship in Jayapura

News24xx.com - 

The Ministry of Religion received a report of the Church Fellowship in Jayapura District (PGGJ) demanding the demolition of the Al-Aqsa Sentani Mosque. Minister of Religious Affairs Lukman Hakim Saifuddin asked his staff to step in.

According to press reports from the Ministry of Religious Affairs, the demands of the church fellowship because they thought the minarets of the Al-Aqsa mosque were higher than the already established church buildings in the area.

PGGJ demands that the construction of the Al-Aqsa Sentani Mosque towers be stopped and dismantled. PGGJ requested that the height of the mosque building be lowered so that it is parallel to the height of the existing church buildings in the vicinity. PGGJ reasoned the Al-Aqsa Mosque tower is currently higher than the church building that has stood in Sentani.

Chairman of PGGJ, Rev. RobbiDepondoye requested that the demolition be done no later than March 31, 2018, or 14 days after the official demands announced today. PGGJ has also written to local government elements to first resolve issues according to rules and persuasive ways.

In response to this, Lukman hopes that this issue can be solved by deliberation. The Minister of Religious Affairs also supports the plans of religious leaders to hold productive dialogue with PGGJ party.

"We will fully support the steps of religious leaders, community leaders, and local governments who will conduct deliberations among them," he said in a statement quoted on Monday, March 19th, 2018.

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