REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Vice President Jusuf Kalla urged academic community members of universities across Indonesia to prevent the spread of religious radicalism at mosques in their campuses. He reiterated that it was not in line with Indonesia's moderate Islam.

Speaking at an event of the Association of Indonesian University Mosques here on Saturday, Kalla affirmed that students or lecturers could become fanatic or enthusiastic regarding their religious beliefs.

However, their fanaticism should not veer to religious radicalism, which is then proliferated among members of academic communities at mosques within their respective universities, he noted.

"Islam in Indonesia is expected to remain moderate. Do not let mosques in our university campuses be infiltrated by those spreading religious radicalism," Kalla remarked, adding that being a fanatic is not similar to being a radicalist.

According to Kalla, a fanatic is a person keen on implementing the sharia. Instead, a radicalist is the one who has crossed the "Wasathiyah," or line of moderation.

"Sometimes, it will be more destructive, if we are radicalists," he noted.

Hence, Kalla, who is also head of the Indonesian Mosque Council, called on those in charge of managing the mosques in universities to remain on alert and remind their colleagues of the dangers of the seeds of religious radicalism.

Religious radicalism is not in line with Indonesia's moderate Islam, he emphasized.

"It is okay if you want to be bearded or wear trousers below the ankles. It does not matter as long as they do not adopt religious radicalism for misaligned interests. This must also be taken care of, so as to not cause problems," Kalla stated.

Indonesia has at least 4,586 higher educational institutions spread across the country. All universities and colleges generally have at least one mosque to help its academic community members offer their obligatory prayers.

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