REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Different political views should not create hostility among people, let alone cause individuals to label each other as infidels, Tuan Guru Bajang (TGB) Zainul Majdi said. He said political differences in Indonesia should not be the basis for the issuance of a religious fatwa stating that one who has different political views is not a Muslim or that the person concerned is a hypocrite.

"One should be very careful in labeling others as infidels because the label will come back to the accusers," TGB said after a press conference in Jakarta on Friday.

The race for Indonesia's leadership is a competition that seeks to spread goodness, TGB said, adding that those who run are the people who are considered to have the best potential to help the nation.

Therefore, no religious fatwa must be allowed to damage our brotherhood as a nation, TGB remarked.

"We should continue to stay in touch with good manners no matter what political views we hold," he said.

"Just because we have different views does not mean another person can say that the quality of our faith is bad. In the context of our being one nation, non-Muslims are our brothers who deserve our respect. Let's keep hate speeches out of our public engagements."

TGB, who is the governor of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province, has asked ulemas (Muslim clerics) to follow the Prophet Muhammad in bringing peace to their communities.

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