All sides need to cooperate to overcome the problem."
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Indonesia should be serious in facing the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and find a fundamental solution, as ISIS endangers the state and religious pillars, according to Religious Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin.

"All sides need to cooperate to overcome the problem. Islamic organizations need to have adequate understanding of the issue so they will not be easily provoked by the ISIS ideology," the minister told the press, after opening the meeting here on Saturday.

The meeting was attended by a number of religious affairs ministry officials, leaders of Islamic organizations, ulemas, Muslim clerics, community leaders and officials from the ministry of religious affairs, National Anti-Terrorism Agency (BNPT), Attorney Generals Office, police and State Intelligence Agency (BIN).

Lukman reiterated his statement that the ISIS ideology ran counter to the countrys state ideology of Pancasila.

The minister stressed that ISIS statements likening Pancasila to a thogut, or an idol that must be fought, had gone too far.

ISIS is a radical movement which is fighting not only the West, but also fellow Muslims.

In the meantime, noted Muslim scholar Professor Dr Azyumardi Azra said here on Friday that the ISIS movements presence in Indonesia can disrupt the nations stability, and the largest losses will be borne by Muslims.

"If this movement exists in Indonesia, it can disrupt the countrys stability and Muslims will not easily seek asylum," he told participants of a seminar organized by Palu State-run Institute of Islamic Studies (IAIN Palu).

Therefore, Indonesia should be safeguarded from the influence of radical religious movements, such as ISIS, in order to secure the nations existence, emphasized the former rector of the Jakarta Islamic State University (UIN Jakarta).

The concept of caliphate that ISIS has been fighting for is not relevant to the condition of Indonesian Muslims, because the nations current state is more suitable for them, he added.

The ISIS issue has gained the attention of both Indonesian government officials and people, particularly after an eight-minute video surfaced on YouTube, under the title "Join the Ranks."

According to Indonesian Police Chief General Sutarman, an Indonesian national who had called on Muslims to join ISIS in the video, is a fugitive terrorist.

"The Indonesian police have been following the move to call on the people to join the organization (ISIS). We have identified the person, whose initial is B. He is a fugitive," he recently said.

Also, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has reminded Indonesians that not all problems in the Middle East are related to religion, hence they need to clearly understand this.
(Uu.A014/INE/KR-BSR/H-YH)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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