Jakarta Deputy Governor, Rano Karno, emphasizes the importance of the roles of religious scholars and interfaith leaders in maintaining order and strengthening unity in the capital city.

This statement was conveyed by Rano during his keynote speech at the Dialogue and Friendship Gathering of Ulama and the Police with the theme 'Building Synergy between Ulama and the Police in Realizing the Jaga Jakarta Program' at Orchard Industry Hotel, Central Jakarta, Monday (11/3).

He explained, religious scholars and religious leaders play a central role in realizing the Jaga Jakarta program.

"That's why FKUB or KUB was formed, because our strength actually lies in those differences," he explained.

According to him, the role of scholars as the heirs of the prophets (warasatul anbiya) is very important in calming the situation, reducing provocation, and strengthening Islamic brotherhood and national unity.

Therefore, the synergy between scholars, the government, security forces, and the community must be continuously strengthened through open communication and mutual trust.

"Maintaining is much more difficult than building. Building can be completed in one or two years, but maintaining requires much more time and cost," he asserted.

He appreciates the Jakarta Branch Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) and the Metro Jaya Regional Police for organizing this forum. This activity serves as a strategic platform to strengthen communication, unify perceptions, and reinforce a shared commitment to maintaining peace and unity in Jakarta.

"Jakarta is a city with incredible diversity, a place where various ethnicities, religions, and cultures coexist. This diversity is a great strength and a responsibility for all of us," he added.

Further, he emphasized several challenges faced by Jakarta amid its transformation into a global city, such as issues of intolerance, the spread of hoaxes, identity-based provocation, and the potential for social conflict.

He cited, the demonstration event last August caused damage to public facilities and tested the social resilience of the residents. After the incident, the Jakarta government, together with the community, continued to foster the spirit of unity through various concrete steps. One of these is by establishing and activating the Jaga Jakarta Post from the provincial level down to the urban village level.

This post serves as a communication space for the three pillars between the government, security forces (army-police), and the community, as well as mobilizing the Jaga Kampung movement at the local level.

"We involve RT/RW, community leaders, and online motorcycle taxi communities as security partners in safeguarding Jakarta and fighting hoaxes," he explained.

The Jakarta government also held cross-sector mutual cooperation to repair affected public facilities, such as bus stops and pedestrian bridges.

Rano emphasized that in addition to material losses, there are greater social impacts, especially for people with disabilities who have difficulty using damaged public facilities. One form of the Jakarta government's concern, he continued, is the organization of a job fair for people with disabilities at Taman Ismail Marzuki.

He added the Jaga Jakarta campaign is now growing organically on social media and involves various elements of society, from grassroots residents, national figures, the diaspora, to residents from different countries.

"This proves that the sense of belonging to Jakarta is still alive and very strong in the hearts of its residents," he stated.