Indonesians Found Using Fake Passports Should Not Lose Citizenship: Cleric

Yogyakarta (Antara Bali) - Some 177 Indonesians found using fake passports for travel from the Philippines to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage should not lose their citizenship, Din Syamsuddin, former chief of the Islamic organization Muhammadiyah, has said.

"The state should see them as victims and should not spontaneously revoke their passports, merely because they have held passports and are citizens of other country," he said here.

Since they were swindled, the government should conduct optimum diplomacy. As a fellow ASEAN member, the Philippines will understand the case as they (the pilgrims) were not involved in the swindle, he said.

"They have been cheated so they must be repatriated soon," he added.

As the case is not the first of its kind, the Religious Affairs Ministry should improve the management of the Hajj pilgrimage, Din stated.

"The case has become a cause for concern as such instances have been recurring. We must find its cause. This is related to the management of the Hajj pilgrimage," he noted. (WDY)