REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA - Deputy Chairman of the People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Hidayat Nur Wahid said he appreciates the meeting between President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and leader of National Movement Guarding the Ruling of the Indonesian Ulema Council (GNPF-MUI) at the Presidential Palace here on Sunday.
"In principle I appreciate the meeting between GNPF MUI and President Jokowi yesterday," Hidayat said in a news release here on Monday.
He said the meeting would bring about new spirit to prevent attempts to disharmony between the government and Islamic leaders, or between the military, police and Islamic community.
On Sunday, leaders of the GNPF-MUI including its chairman Bachtiar Nasir met President Joko Widodo at the state palace in a traditional Idul Fitri greetings .
The president was accompanied by Coordinating Minister for Law, Security and Political Affairs Wiranto, Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin and Minister at the State Secretariat Pratikno.
Pratino said Mr Nasir and friends requested for an audience with the president via the Religious Affairs Minister.
He said it was a friendly meeting as the president held an open house in welcoming Idul Fitri.
He said GNPF-MUI expressed support for the government development policy and appreciation for what the government has done.
The meeting attracted wide attention as GNPF-MUI has organized one of the country's largest anti government demonstration last year leading to the arrest and conviction of Jakarta Governor Basuki Tjahaya Purnama alis Ahok for blasphemy.
A political communication observer from the University of Paramadina Hendri Satrio also expressed appreciation for the meeting describing is as positive for the nation.
Most likely the momentum of Idul Fitri has been used by the president, who began to see that he is losing sympathy of the majority of Islamic community eroding his electability, Hendri said.
However, he said he feared the president would most likely lose more sympathy if the meeting failed to have follow up steps toward restoring harmony in relations between the government and Islamic leaders.
Earlier Bachtiar Nasir said he hoped there would be immediate solution to problem faced by a number of Islamic leaders lately.
After Idul Fitri prayer at the Al-Azhar Grand Mosque on Sunday he said now is the right time to forgive each other.
"Hopefully harmony could be restored between a number of Islamic leaders and the government. This is my hope in this time of Idul Fitri," he said.
He said the momentum of Idul Fitri is the right time to restore the spirit of brotherhood not only among Muslims but also between Muslims and non Muslims.
A number of Islamic leaders are facing and implicated in legal problem lately including Habib Riziq Shihab, Amien Rais, Muhammad Al Khaththath, and Bachtiar Nasir himself.
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