NU denies supporting campaign against Christian

Bekasi, NU Online
A spokesman for the Bekasi district chapter of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) denied here Tuesday the organization was involved in an Islamic campaign to fight "a certain religion" in the region.

"NU is not part of the group that wants to fight a certain religion because Islam is a blessing for the entire universe," Munir Abbas Bukhori, chairman of the Bekasi district chapter of Indonesia`s largest Muslim mass organization, said in a statement to Antara news agency.<>

He said he needed to make NU`s stand clear as certain media had reported NU was among a number of Islamic mass organizations in Bekasi which had vowed to counter a perceived process of "Christianization" in the region.

"One newspaper carried a report saying NU`s Bekasi chapter has joined the Islam Defenders` Front (FPI), Muhammadiyah and certain other organizations in setting up an anti-Christian front. This is entirely beside the truth, because NU does not want to get involved in something that will only damage inter-faith relations," he said.

Nonetheless, Munir said, NU would continue to struggle for the realization of Islamic shariah in the country by its own methods. "We have our own methods to achieve the goal," he said.

Earlier, a number of Islamic mass organizations at a meeting in Bekasi`s Al Azhar Mosque attended by more than 500 people issued a declaration in which they expressed opposition to "rampant Christianization" in the region. (dar)