Hidayat: Religion Can Solve Jakarta’s Problems

While other gubernatorial candidates have been busy touting fixes for Jakarta’s transportation and urban planning woes, Hidayat Nur Wahid sees an opportunity to address the city’s underlying social problems through religion.

The Prosperous Justice Party (PKS) legislator’s vision is to improve interfaith relations by, among other things, reviving the city’s Interreligious Communications Forum (FKUB), which he says has not been working all that well recently.

The forum, which brings together community leaders from all faiths, should be used to promote dialogue that will strengthen relations between people of different religions, Hidayat said during a visit to the BeritaSatu Media Holdings office on Tuesday.

“Our aim is to create a religious way of life that’s beautiful,” he said. Read more