JAKARTA -- The National Movement to Safeguard the Indonesian Council of Ulema's Fatwa (GNPF-MUI) has called the government to put a stop to any effort to criminalize ulemas.

"We call on President Joko Widodo to soon take a serious step to stop the criminalization of ulemas, opposition figures, and Islamic activists," GNPF MUI Chairman Bachtiar Nasir noted here on Friday.

The GNPF-MUI chairman made the statement in response to the latest national developments which he viewed as being detrimental to the peaceful co-existence of adherents of different faiths.

Among the efforts to criminalize ulemas, opposition figures, and Islamic activists were accusations leveled against them of involvement in allegedly engineered legal cases, he noted.

Also read: Stop criminalization to ulema and opposition figures: GNPF

On the other hand, the parties who have attacked Muslims have received special treatment, he pointed out.

Moreover, attempts have been made to label certain Muslims as \"mu'allaf\" (converts) Pancasila (state ideology),\" which has cornered them. As a matter of fact, Muslims have since long practiced the values of Pancasila, which is essentially the belief in one God, humanity, unity, consensus, and social justice.

The GNPF-MUI has lauded a series of movements initiated by various Muslim elements in the country as part of the efforts to uphold legal and social justice in a constitutional manner, he noted.

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