Source: International Christian Concern, May 19, 2022
Indonesia’s highest Muslim clerical body in charge of interpreting Islamic law issued an apology on May 17. The council was coming under fire from local authorities and Christians for accusing religious minorities of forcing Muslims to apostatize.
Several days earlier, the North Sumatra branch of the Ulema Council claimed that a district in the North Sumatra province had a very alarming rate of apostasy cases among Muslims. Muhammad Hatta, who works for the council, said that he was informed about many Muslims abandoning their faith in the Langkat district.
Despite a lack of concrete data confirming this, Hatta claimed that “it was very alarming.” According to him, there were attempts to convert local Muslims to other faiths through marriage and other methods.
Following criticisms, the council released a clarification. Its chairman, Zulkifli Ahmad Dian, apologized for the confusion and said the district had recorded no mass apostasy attempts.