Christian Youth Group Reports Former VP Jusuf Kalla for Religious Defamation

A significant controversy has erupted in Indonesia as the Indonesian Christian Youth Movement (GAMKI) has filed a police report against former Vice President Jusuf Kalla, accusing him of religious defamation. This action underscores the sensitivities surrounding religious discourse in the nation and the potential for statements to be perceived as inflammatory.

The report, lodged at the Polda Metro Jaya, centers on remarks Kalla made during a speech at Gadjah Mada University on March 5, 2026. Specifically, GAMKI took issue with Kalla's comments concerning the religious conflicts in Poso and Ambon in the early 2000s. His assertion that religion easily becomes a pretext for conflict due to the concept of martyrdom in both Islam and Christianity has drawn sharp criticism.

GAMKI's leadership, including its acting chairman Sahat Martin Philip Sinurat, has stated that Kalla's words were controversial and potentially damaging. The organization believes that such statements, particularly when referencing past inter-religious violence, can exacerbate tensions. The police have registered the report, initiating a process that will likely involve further investigation into the context and impact of Kalla's remarks.

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Why does religion easily become a reason for conflict like in Poso, Ambon? Because both Islam and Christianity believe that killing or being killed is martyrdom. When the conflict was ongoing, both sides believed that. If I kill a Muslim, I am a martyr. If I die, I am also a martyr. That's why it's hard to stop.