REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) deputy chairman Hidayat Nur Wahid said Muslims are allowed to question efforts to use mosque for particular political agenda. Mosques and Islamic attributes are said often use for the purpose of gaining power.

"Religion or mosque politicization should be disputed by the people," said Hidayat through his Twitter account on Monday (April 23).

Hidayat said there were several attempts to exploit Islamic frills during elections, started from regional elections (pilkada) legislative election and presidential election. He put politicians who suddenly use hajj and hajjah title for their names, for examples.

"They were also wearing Islamic attributes and also frequent visit mosques and pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) during campaign period. However, after election was over, the politicians took off their Islamic frill," Hidayat said.

It can be called as religion politicization, Hidayat added.

Hidayat's statement was in line with Alumni Family Association of the Communication Agency of Youth Mosque (IKA-BKPRMI) attitude. The association also rejected mosques as political tool.

Mosque should not be a political tool, but it does not mean Muslim could not discuss politics in the mosque, said IKA-BKPRMI chairman, Andi Kasman Makkuaseng.

Earlier, on Sunday (April 22), a group of people who called themselves as National Movement of Billion of Volunteers Supporting Joko Widodo hold a discussion to promote antipolitization against mosque. The volunteers would bring up the issue through sermons and religious discussion.

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