by Mathias Hariyadi

The country's largest moderate Muslim organisation joins the Catholic Church in saying no to abortion. New regulations would allow the latter under certain conditions.

Jakarta (AsiaNews) - Abortion is illegal and wrong from a moral point of view, whatever the reason, this according to Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the country's largest moderate Muslim organisation, which comes down on the side of the Catholic Church in Indonesia in the matter.

The group explained its point of view during a national conference held yesterday in Jakarta.

Abortion is illegal in Indonesia. However, the Ministry of Health issued new regulations (no. 61/2014) concerning the 2009 Law on Reproductive Health, which authorises an abortion when the mother's life is in serious danger, or if a woman gets pregnant because of rape.

NU expressed its view after some imams called abortion "morally acceptable" if it is performed within the first 40 days after conception.

Abortion is "legally acceptable only if it becomes a serious matter related to a certain medical urgency" involving the would-be mother, NU President Prof Kiai Hajj Said Agil Sirajd said. However, "preserving the dignity of a woman rape victim is insufficient grounds for it."

• indonesia
• abortion
• nahdlatul
• ulama
• opposition
• law