Leaders of major religious groups in Indonesia have urged the government to act decisively against those disrupting or attacking prayer and worship activities amid a rise in religious intolerance across the country.
In a joint statement released on August 5, 2025, the heads of 11 national religious organizations expressed “deep concern” over “the recent increase in acts of intimidation, violence, and unilateral restrictions on prayer and worship activities marked by religious intolerance in several regions across Indonesia.”
The statement, signed by leaders from the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Indonesia (KWI), Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), the Communion of Churches in Indonesia (PGI), and others, warned that such incidents “tarnish and damage the foundations of tolerance, harmony, brotherhood, communal life, and the religious and cultural diversity of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia (NKRI).”
“These anarchic actions are inconsistent with Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution (UUD 1945), and the national motto Bhinneka Tunggal Ika,” the statement read. “Moreover, all forms of intimidation, violence, or unilateral restrictions on religious practices are violations of the law and a destruction of the values of coexistence as fellow citizens of this nation.”
The signatories called on President Joko Widodo, the Minister of Religious Affairs, the National Police, the Armed Forces, and local religious and community leaders to ensure that “no one who engages in anarchic acts, particularly against prayer and worship activities, should be allowed to act with impunity anywhere in the territory of the Republic of Indonesia.”
The joint declaration further emphasized that “freedom of religion and worship is a constitutional right of all citizens, as guaranteed in Articles 28E and 29(2) of the 1945 Constitution.”
It urged law enforcement and local governments “to act decisively to ensure such incidents do not recur,” and called on security agencies “to fully investigate those responsible for acts of crime, violence, obstruction, rejection, and destruction of places used by citizens for prayer and worship.”
The leaders also appealed for cooperation between the national and local governments, the Forum for Religious Harmony (FKUB), and civil society to “safeguard tolerance and ensure that places of worship are spaces of peace, safety, and dignity.”
They concluded with a call for vigilance against provocations and divisive rhetoric, urging religious leaders “to guide their followers not to be easily provoked” and to live “a religious life marked by peace, harmony, and tolerance.”
The chairpersons of KWI, PBNU, Permabudhi, PHDI, MATAKIN, PGI, GMAHK, PBI, The Salvation Army Church, and the Orthodox Church of Indonesia signed the statement.
