Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin :
Tolerance must be reciprocal

OWNERS of warung makan (small eateries) are hopeful they can remain open during the month of Ramadhan, because Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin in his Twitter account recently tweeted that such establishments should not be forced to close shop just to honor those who fast. He stated that those who are not obliged to fast must also be respected.

Predictably, his statement caused a public uproar. Some tweeps saluted Lukman's view, but many others disagreed with his view. Equally predictable was the media, which refused to entirely support the stance of the United Development Party (PPP) politician. A mere tweet, Lukman wryly commented, twisted by some people, had led to a counter-productive debate.