Menag urges LGBT dispute be handled by law, not vigilante justice
The call came as MUI prepared a draft bill targeting LGBT behavior and campaigns for submission to the President and DPR RI.
Minister of Religious Affairs Nasaruddin Umar urged the public not to carry out reprisals or take the law into their own hands in response to the LGBT debate in Indonesia. After the closing of the VIII Indonesian Ulema Congress in Jakarta on Sunday night, he stressed that alleged violations should be brought to law enforcement because Indonesia is a state based on law. Nasaruddin also said the government continues to uphold human rights, gender equality and freedom of expression as long as they do not violate the rules. The appeal came as Majelis Ulama Indonesia prepared an academic paper and a draft law criminalizing LGBT acts. MUI deputy chairman Muhammad Cholil Nafis said the draft would be declared after July 24-26 discussions, then submitted to the President and DPR RI.