REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Chairman of People's Consultative Assembly (MPR), Zulkifli Hasan, welcomed the Canadian Ambassador, Donald Bobaish, at Nusantara III Building, Parliament Complex, Monday (7/9). During Bobaish visit, Zulkilfi invited the parliament of Canada, to see how the tolerance of Islam in Indonesia.
According to Zulkifli, the relationship between Indonesia and Canada is not only between two governments, but also to improve the relationship between two parliaments. He wanted the Canada Parliament can visit Indonesia and planned the visit in February 2016.
Zulkifli who is also Chairman of PAN, said that although the majority of Indonesia's population is Moslem, but Moslems in Indonesia are different with Moslems in other countries, especially in the Middle East.
"We would like to invite the Parliament of Canada in order to know exactly how Islam in Indonesia," said Zulkifli.
In Indonesia, he explained, fellow religious communities can live together. The house of worship can also contiguous and there is no problem. He gave examples of diversity in Indonesia by telling that Governor of Jakarta is a Chinese and Chairman of Parliament in NTT is a Moslem.
"Those are evidence that Indonesia has tolerance in religion," he added.
However, Zulkifli claimed that there were ethnic and religious problems such as in Tolikara, Papua. But the conflicts were regarded as a natural thing.
"For that we continue the values of Pancasila," he said.
Ethnic and religious diversity problems had been resolved since Indonesia's independence. The challenges faced today are the matter of poverty and improvement of human resources.
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