Indonesia Highlights: Government to Protect Shia, Ahmadiyah Religious Groups: New Minister | Coronavirus: Travelers Can Get Airline Refund If Pre-Departure Test Result Positive | Indonesia Records Ove

KOMPAS.com – Indonesia’s newly-appointed Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said that the rights of Muslim minorities – Shia and Ahmadiyah – will be protected in Indonesia.

The two religious groups have faced difficulties when practicing their beliefs such as persecution and being expelled from their hometowns. Other minority religious groups have also been prohibited to build their places of worship.

Therefore, the minister, who is also chairman of GP Ansor – a youth wing of the Nahdlatul Ulama, the largest Muslim organization in the country – will facilitate a more intensive dialogue to bridge differences.

On the issue of coronavirus, as more people are now traveling during the year-end holiday, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi said that prospective passengers can make a refund in case they test positive for Covid-19 before their departure. As they are not allowed to continue their journey, they can get their money back.

Below are excerpts from the stories in Indonesia, curated by Kompas.com editors:

1. Government to Protect Shia, Ahmadiyah Religious Groups: New Minister

KOMPAS.COM/KRISTIANTO ERDIANTO The newly-appointed Religious Affairs Minister Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.

Indonesia’s newly-appointed Religious Affairs Minister, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, said that the government will protect the rights of Shia and Ahmadiyah religious groups in the country.

This was brought up by Yaqut in response to a request made by an Indonesian Muslim scholar, Azyumardi Azra, who is also a professor at the Syarif Hidayatullah Islamic State University (UIN) Jakarta.

“They are citizens who we must protect,” said Yaqut said as reported by State News Antara on Friday, December 25.

Yaqut said any minority religious groups must not be expelled from their hometowns because of their beliefs.

The Religious Affairs Ministry would facilitate a more intensive dialogue to bridge differences.

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/26/09561771/menag-yaqut-akan-indungi-hak-beragama-warga-syiah-dan-ahmadiyah

2. Coronavirus: Travelers Can Get Airline Refund If Pre-Departure Test Result Positive

HUMAS KEMENHUB Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi delivers his speech during an event on Thursday, October 8, 2020.

Indonesia’s Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi conducted an inspection of the Covid-19 health protocols during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday period at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport near Jakarta on Saturday, December 26.

During the inspection, Budi visited the rapid antigen tests or polymerase chain reaction (PCR) facility at Terminal 2 and 3.

The minister said in case travelers test positive for Covid-19 before their departure, they cannot continue the journey.

However, prospective passengers can get a ticket refund from the airline.
“In case they test positive for the Covid-19, explain to them that they cannot continue the journey but they can get a full refund,” Budi said in a statement on Saturday.

Source: https://money.kompas.com/read/2020/12/26/141125126/calon-penumpang-pesawat-positif-covid-19-menhub-bisa-refund-tiket.

3. Indonesia Records Over 6,700 New Covid-19 Cases

KOMPAS.com/NURWAHIDAH An illustration of coronavirus.

Indonesia has no control over Covid-19 as the transmission of the virus has been going on for more than nine months and the number of positive cases continues to increase.

The Covid-19 National Task Force reported 6,740 new cases of coronavirus in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 706,837 since the first two cases were announced on March 2.

The data issued by the government also showed the number of patients who have recovered from the Covid-19. As of today, 6,389 patients have recovered. This is the highest number of recovery in a day during the pandemic.

The patients were declared free of the coronavirus after undergoing the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests.

Currently, the total number of recovery reached 576,693 people since the beginning of the pandemic.

Meanwhile, on December 25-26, 147 Covid-19 deaths were reported in the country. This latest number of deaths brings the cumulative number of Covid-19 deaths in Indonesia to 20,994.

Source: https://nasional.kompas.com/read/2020/12/26/15432821/update-bertambah-6740-kini-ada-706837-kasus-covid-19-di-indonesia.