Indonesian Vice President Jusuf Kalla on Monday told his country's Muslim groups to avoid using violence in solving problems following the forced closure of churches in West Java and Central Java by several Muslim groups.

"We must take actions to prevent the recurrence of such violence... we discussed the matter last night. The police must take stern actions from now on," Kalla said in a meeting with Muslim clerics hosted by the country's second largest Muslim group, Muhammadiyah, here.

He made the remarks after the closure of at least 20 churches by several Muslim groups, including the Islam Defender Front (FPI) known for vandalism against nightclubs.

He warned that the use of violence might trigger sectarian conflicts like what happened in Sulawesi and Maluku.

On the same occasion, Muhammadiyah Chairman Din Syamsuddin welcomed Kalla's remarks, stressing that Islam teaches peace and tolerance.

Source: Xinhua