Jakarta. Fourteen organizations grouping in the Islamic Organization Friendship Body, or LPOI, expressed their support on Friday for government’s continued struggle to eradicate radicalism in a country with the world’s biggest Muslim population.

In a meeting with chief security minister Mahfud M.D. in Jakarta, the group said they shared the government’s view in rejecting movement to establish trans-national Islamic empire or the caliphate.

LPOI spokesman Lutfi Attamimi said the caliphate have no place in Indonesia.

“We are the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia and we have president as our leader,” Lutfi said, dismissing the idea that the country is led by a caliph as several radical groups have been fighting for.

Lutfi said the LPOI was among the first to voice support for government's decision to disband hardline Islamist group Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia, or HTI.

HTI was officially disbanded on July 19, 2017 based on considerations that the group sought to establish a caliphate in Indonesia and carried an ideology contravening Indonesia's state ideology of Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution.

“We gave our full support when the government informed us about the [HTI] dismissal. We even encouraged the government to do it sooner than later,” Lutfi said after the meeting with the minister. 

“If they want to grow in Indonesia, they must obey the rules, otherwise they should leave,” he said.

Islamophobia

Speaking in the same occasion, Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Mahfud M.D. dismissed "baseless claims" that linked government’s policies with islamophobia.

He said the use of such a term was unacceptable for both the government and the majority of Indonesian Muslims. 

“From the government’s point of view, the term means that the government fears and hates the Muslims, while from the Muslims’ point of view, it means they are embarrassed to be called Muslims,” Mahfud said.

Mahfud, also a renowned Muslim scholar, said islamophobia was never the case in Indonesia.

“People shouldn't be provoked by this term,” Mahfud said.