Indonesia’s Religious Affairs Minister clarifies his stance on ‘recognizing’ the Baha’i Faith

Indonesia’s religious affairs Minister, Lukman Saifuddin, has said that the Indonesian government would not add the Baha’i Faith to the list of recognized religions, as media have reported. There are still six recognized religious identities in Indonesia, he said. They are Islam, Catholicism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. Neither Taoism nor the Baha’i Faith would be added. The Minister’s previous instruction to the Home Affairs Ministry, that the Baha’i Faith is a religion protected by articles 28E and 29 in the Constitution, was an administrative measure with regard to identity cards and other necessary documentation.

Indonesia’s Constitution does not recognize or establish any religion. However the Prevention of Desecration Act identifies six religions as those historically embraced by the people of Indonesia. Departments of the Ministry of Religious Affairs deal with the state’s relations with these six communities, and they may obtain funding (although the situation in relation to the Confucian community is somewhat more complicated). However the Act goes on to say that other religions, such as Judaism, Shintoism, Zoroastrianism and Taoism, have full protection under Article 29. The Minister’s statement about the Baha’i Faith was not announcing an intention to add it to the six specifically identified religions. Rather it meant that the Baha’i Faith should not be treated as a sect of another religion, and is entitled to the same protection as the religions mentioned in Article 29.

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