Islamic Syariah Laws Pros and Cons to Be Met
Monday, 03 July, 2006 | 17:20 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta: Muhaimin Iskandar, a Deputy Chairman of the House of Representatives (DPR), will soon bring together the groups which oppose and support regional regulations on Islamic Syariah laws in a DPR consultation meeting.

“We will look for a format and solution through the valid decrees without dichotomy between the pros and the cons,” he said at the Central Leadership Council Office of the National Awakening Party (PKB) last weekend.

Previously, 52 DPR members--from the Prosperous Peace Party (PDS) faction, the Golkar Party faction and the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) faction--who oppose the regional Islamic Syariah laws sent a letter to DPR leaders urging the DPR to cancel the regional regulations on Islamic Syariah laws as soon as possible.

The other 134 DPR members, from the Golkar Party, Democrat Party, Justice and Prosperous Party (PKS), National Mandate Party (PAN), Reform Star Party, and United Development Party factions, support the regional regulations.

According to Muhaimin, in the consultation meeting between DPR leaders and faction leaders, they will find a solution that is appropriate as regards the constitution.

“The important thing is that there must be understanding in seeing these Islamic regional regulations and other regional regulations with different frames of reference,” he said.

Muhaimin said that the DPR together with the Home Affairs Minister have been taking inventories of Islamic regional regulations which contradict and does not contradict the law.

The reason is, he said, not all Islamic regional regulations are in the former group.

Muhaimin asks both groups to stop the debate until a solution is agreed upon.

“The target is an appropriate solution although both groups do have not to agree with this,” he said.

Eko Ari Wibowo