Indonesian Red Cross Refuses to Change Its Logo

Jakarta Globe, February 26, 2012

Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) chairman Jusuf Kalla, the former vice
president. (Antara Photo)   

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The Indonesian Red Cross says it will not change its logo as to meet a demand voiced by politicians from the Islamic-based Prosperous Justice Party (PKS), one of its top executive confirmed on Saturday.

Head of the Red Cross Muhammad Muas said the logo currently used by the country’s Red Cross (PMI) was internationally recognized and stipulated in the 1945 Geneva Convention. “Indonesia ratified the Convention, thus agreeing to abide the rules and regulations set in it, including the use of its logo,” Muas said. 

Recently PKS politicians said the Red Cross logo did not fit the country’s identity as the world’s largest-populated Muslim country. The politicians said the logo of red cross was similar to the Christian symbol of a cross and demanded a change. 

Muas called the demand “baseless” because PMI was a humanitarian organization and did not affiliate with certain faith or group. “It’s a neutral logo and was picked for certain reasons but definitely doesn’t associate with a certain faith or religion,” he said.

“Besides, Indonesia is not a faith-based country and not a secular one. We uphold Pancasila [the Five Principles] as our ideology that supports our plurality,” he said.

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