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| The Sukabumi Regency Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) held a meeting (silaturahmi) with interfaith figures throughout Sukabumi Regency, Thursday (3/7/2025) | Photo: Prim RK/ sukabumiNews |
sukabumiNews.net, SUKABUMI REGENCY – The Sukabumi Regency Regional Leadership Coordination Forum (Forkopimda) held a meeting (silaturahmi) with interfaith figures throughout Sukabumi Regency which took place at the Sukabumi Pendopo Building, Thursday, July 3, 2025.
This meeting or silaturahmi was held after the
incident of vandalism of a halfway house that occurred in Tangkil Village,
Sidahu, Sukabumi Regency on Friday, June 27, 2025, which was triggered by a
misunderstanding.
Present at the meeting were the Special Staff of the
Minister of Law and Human Rights (HAM), Thomas Harming, the Regent of Sukabumi,
H Asep Japar, elements of Forkopimda, and interfaith figures.
On that occasion, Thomas Harming emphasized the
importance of maintaining social harmony and avoiding misunderstandings due to
differences in perception.
"We capture the same spirit, namely the
commitment to maintain peace and unity. Even so, the legal process must
continue to run professionally and fairly," Thomas told the media crew
after conducting an interfaith dialogue.
When asked for information regarding the legal process
of the seven suspects, Thomas stated that the Ministry of Law and Human Rights
is ready to provide guarantees to support the suspension of detention, as well
as encourage resolution through the restorative justice (RJ) mechanism.
"We are ready to provide official guarantees to
the police. We will convey this formally," he said.
Tomas also highlighted the importance of
distinguishing between the terms House of Worship and Place of Worship which
often cause misunderstandings. "So this halfway house is more
appropriately called a place of spiritual guidance, not a permanent house of
worship," he explained.
Sukabumi Regent Asks the Public Not to Be Easily Provoked
Meanwhile, Sukabumi Regent Asep Japar emphasized that
the problem that occurred in Cidahu has been resolved. The Regent asked the
public not to be easily provoked.
"Cidahu is safe and conducive. I ask for
cooperation from all parties, including the media, to maintain a peaceful
atmosphere. Sing nyaah ka Sukabumi," he said.
Asep also ensured that the building in question was
not a house of worship, but an ordinary house used for spiritual activities.
Regarding the permit for use as, the Regent said that this would still be
discussed further.
"We have discussed it. In the future, Sukabumi
residents must remain united, regardless of their religion," said Asep
Japar.
This Meeting is Very Important to Reduce Tensions
The Sukabumi Police Chief, AKBP Samian, said the same
thing. The Police Chief even said that this meeting is very important to reduce
tensions and strengthen communication between religious communities.
"What happened was just a misunderstanding
between individuals, not an inter-religious conflict. However, the act of
vandalism is still categorized as a crime," he explained.
Samian emphasized that the legal process against the
suspects is still running according to procedure. The request for a suspension
of detention will be processed according to the legal mechanism, and his party
is open to a resolution through restorative justice if there is an official
request from both parties.
"In essence, the Forkopimda and religious leaders
agree that the incident in Cidahu should not develop into a bigger conflict.
All parties are urged to maintain conducive conditions and prioritize
dialogue," he concluded.
Brief Chronology of the Incident
Previously, hundreds of people came to a halfway house
owned by Maria Veronica Ninna because it was accused of being a place of
worship for Christians without the permission of residents.
The masses demanded that the worship activities be
stopped. Meanwhile, a Christian student retreat was being held at that time.
Triggered by anger, hundreds of people who came then carried out acts of
vandalism to several facilities.
Residents who were already emotional then forcibly
closed the activities that were taking place at the halfway house.
Local authorities said that this incident was
triggered by a misunderstanding. The masses accused the halfway house of being
used as a place of worship without permission.
It was later discovered that the Governor of West
Java, Dedi Mulyadi had gone directly to the location. In addition to ensuring a
conducive situation, also to provide solutions to both parties.
In addition, based on information, seven people were
arrested by the police, in connection with the incident of vandalism of the
halfway house.