On 23 January 2025, KH Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya) delivered a speech at the Annual Meeting of the Working Group of European Union (EU) Member States’ Advisors on Religion and Diplomacy. On this occasion, Gus Yahya emphasized the importance of religion in solving today’s complex humanitarian problems with bold and creative solutions.

He also encouraged the EU member states to engage with Nahdlatul Ulama on several initiatives aimed at promoting peaceful religious movements worldwide.

The full speech is as follows.

Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for inviting me to address your distinguished Working Group.

As Chairman of the world’s largest Muslim organization—Indonesia’s Nahdlatul Ulama—I am acutely aware of how religion intersects with every aspect of policy, including justice and the rule of law, foreign affairs and security, defense, democracy, internal affairs and migration, cohesion, equality, the environment, and achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

I have made it my life’s work to help ensure that religion functions as a genuine and dynamic source of solutions, rather than problems—inspired by the longtime chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama and former Indonesian President His Excellency KH Abdurrahman Wahid. The greatest obstacle to ensuring a constructive role for religion in human affairs is its weaponization for political purposes. The widespread tendency to instrumentalize religion threatens even well-established democracies in Europe, to say nothing of less stable societies across much of the developing world.

Various state and non-state actors throughout the Islamic world cynically manipulate religious sentiment in their struggle to maintain or acquire political, economic, and military power, and to destroy their enemies. They do so by drawing upon key elements of classical Islamic law known as fiqh, to which they ascribe divine authority, in order to mobilize support for their worldly goals.

Mirroring this phenomenon, non-Muslim extremists, populists, and nationalists around the world often cite identical elements of Islamic orthodoxy, and the behavior of Muslims, to justify their perception of Islam as a subversive political ideology, rather than as a religion deserving of constitutional protections and respect.

In the United States and Europe, a long term, systematic campaign has long been waged by an opportunistic alliance of Islamist supremacists, authoritarian Middle East governments, political activists, and politicians to weaponize Islamic identity and induce Muslim communities to participate in the highly polarized “culture wars” roiling much of the West.

In order to avoid fueling—or being dragged into—this vortex of polarization, Nahdlatul Ulama believes it is essential that Muslims develop a new vision capable of replacing the long-established aspiration, rooted in Islamic jurisprudence, of uniting Muslims throughout the world into a single universal state or caliphate.

If Muslims do not address the key tenets of Islamic orthodoxy that authorize and explicitly enjoin violence in service of establishing an Islamic state, anyone—at any time—may harness the orthodox teachings of Islam to defy what they claim to be the illegitimate laws and authority of an infidel state and butcher their fellow citizens, regardless of whether they live in the Islamic world or the West. This is the bloody thread that links so many current events, from Syria, Yemen, and the Sahel region to the streets of Europe and the United States.

Whether conscious or not, willing or not, Muslims face a choice between starkly different visions of the future. Will they strive to recreate the long-lost ideal of religious, political, and territorial unity beneath the banner of a Caliphate—and thus seek to restore Islamic supremacy—as reflected in their communal memory and still firmly entrenched within the prevailing corpus, and worldview, of orthodox, authoritative Islam? Or will they strive to develop a new religious sensibility that reflects the actual circumstances of our modern civilization, and contributes to the emergence of a more just and harmonious world order, founded upon respect for the equal rights and dignity of every human being?

We must be open and honest about the choice facing Muslims, as acknowledging reality provides the necessary clarity to identify and implement effective solutions.

In recent decades, it has become commonplace for religious leaders to talk about moderation, tolerance, and harmony. Yet however attractive such discourse may sound, it cannot decisively address or resolve the threat posed by religious extremism.

This is for a simple but seldom acknowledged reason: most religions contain obsolete and problematic teachings that are perfectly orthodox and may be readily used to justify a supremacist and violent interpretation of one’s religious obligations.

If we rely purely on assertions about the peaceful nature of religion, the other side—that is, religious extremists—will respond with their own interpretations, which are generally rooted in the classical teachings of their particular tradition.

Having closely studied ISIS, we know that their agenda and behavior are intimately related to specific tenets of Islamic orthodoxy, such as the religious obligation to establish a caliphate and to wage war against infidels.

Although it is essential to foster a pluralistic, tolerant, and peaceful understanding of religion among our followers, this is not enough. Rather than deny the existence of obsolete and problematic tenets of religious orthodoxy, we need to employ a strategy that is capable of “cutting the Gordian Knot” of this otherwise intractable problem.

The strategy I have in mind places “international consensus” at the heart of our search for solutions. 

The inviolability of contracts and treaties is a matter of universal consensus within Islam, which teaches that agreements freely reached between two or more parties are legally binding. When clearly articulated, such agreements are not subject to interpretation or debate. So long as the agreement in question does not conflict with the fundamental principles and values of Islam, it may in fact become a new source of Islamic law.

Indeed, an agreement reached through consensus can actually alter the Islamic norms and laws that prevailed prior to reaching the agreement in question.

This is what I mean by “cutting the Gordian Knot.”

The importance of treaties as sources of Islamic law was demonstrated by the Prophet Muhammad himself in the Treaty of al-Hudaybiya, which he reached in 628 CE with the tribe of Quraysh in Mecca. One of the stipulations of the treaty was that Muhammad and his followers—who had set out from Medina on a pilgrimage to Mecca known as umrah—turn back and only return to Mecca the following year.

This clearly violated the religious norms that apply to umrah, as Muhammad and his followers were already in state of ritual purification known as ihram, which required them to complete the pilgrimage.

The Treaty of al-Hudaybiya, however, superseded the stipulations of umrah and Muhammad, peace be upon him, returned to Medina with his followers.

Indonesia’s success as a multi-ethnic and multi-religious nation state is directly linked to this exact principle, established through the example of the Prophet Muhammad. Our ancient and enduring traditions of religious pluralism and tolerance find modern expression in Pancasila—the five-part foundational philosophy of the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia—which roots an inclusive, multi-religious, and multi-ethnic nationalism within a profound and spiritually grounded respect for religious and cultural diversity.

Embedded within the Preamble to Indonesia’s 1945 Constitution, Pancasila consists of five fundamental principles: (1) belief in the Divinity Who is the Great “One”; (2) a just and civilized humanity; (3) the unity of Indonesia; (4) society led by the wisdom that arises from deliberations among and between the people’s representatives; and (5) social justice for all the people of Indonesia.

Thanks to Pancasila, the Republic of Indonesia has overcome a succession of existential threats since its inception in 1945, including the return of Dutch colonialism after World War II (1945–1949); the Darul Islam (Islamic State) guerrilla movement (1949–1962); the PRRI-Permesta rebellion (1957–1961); the Indonesian Communist Party uprising (1948 & 1965); and Islamist attempts to transform Indonesia into an Islamic state or caliphate following the overthrow of the Suharto regime (1998–present).

In 1952, Nahdlatul Ulama Chairman KH Abdul Wahab Chasbullah withdrew NU from the Masyumi Party—which sought to transform Indonesia into an Islamic state—and instead supported Indonesia’s constitutional settlement (i.e., Pancasila) as a binding agreement, reached through consensus, which supersedes classical fiqh injunctions that require the political unity of all Muslims and the establishment of an Islamic state or caliphate.

Indonesia’s national consensus, as embodied in the 1945 Constitution and Pancasila ideology, has endured for nearly eighty years. While a small minority of Indonesian Muslims may reject Pancasila, the overwhelming majority accept that, like the Treaty of al-Hudaybiya, Pancasila and the 1945 Constitution are valid social contracts, and thus binding upon all Indonesian citizens.
 

Nahdlatul Ulama is widely acknowledged as the primary guarantor of Indonesia’s status as a Pancasila nation state. Rather than engage extremists in endless debates about the tolerant nature of Islam, we have established Pancasila as a source of Islamic law and the final, valid, and binding consensus for Indonesian citizens.

We neutralize radical discourse by constantly reminding Indonesians that the nature of our constitutional settlement is not a matter for debate and has been definitively settled within Islamic law.

We believe that just as the 1945 Constitution and Pancasila constitute a binding treaty for Indonesian Muslims legitimizing the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia, so the UN Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provide an existing, legitimate, and readily available foundation upon which to build key tenets of a new Islamic orthodoxy for Muslims worldwide.

Strikingly, the principle that agreements must be kept is as fundamental in the Western tradition of international law as it is in Islamic law. This principle, known in Latin as pacta sunt servanda (“agreements must be kept”), is arguably the oldest principle of international law. It was an important element in the writings of the 17th century Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius, the father of international law, and is enshrined in Article 26 of the Vienna Convention on the Law of Treaties.

On 6 February 2023, Nahdlatul Ulama hosted the First International Convention on Islamic Jurisprudence for a Global Civilization, which was attended by over 300 Islamic scholars, political leaders, and international observers. At that conference we posed 17 questions to leading Islamic scholars from around the world, including: “Is the UN Charter legitimate from a shari‘ah point of view; i.e., is it legally binding upon nations that have agreed to abide by the UN Charter, and upon the inhabitants (including Muslims) that dwell in these nations?” The answer of the Convention was “yes”: the UN Charter binds both nations and their inhabitants.

Nahdlatul Ulama therefore maintains that from the perspective of shari’ah, the post-war international consensus constitutes a “valid transaction.” As such, it is a religious obligation for Muslims to fulfil the terms of this transaction—i.e., to abide by the principles contained within the UN Charter.

On 7 February 2023—the day following the Convention and the 100th anniversary of Nahdlatul Ulama’s founding, according to the Islamic calendar—we promulgated the Nahdlatul Ulama Centennial Proclamation in the presence of His Excellency Joko Widodo, then-President of the Republic of Indonesia, at a gathering of nearly two million NU followers.

The Proclamation states, and I quote:

The Charter of the United Nations and the United Nations Organization are imperfect, and, indeed, remain problematic to the present day. However, the UN Charter was intended to end the destructive warfare and savagery that have characterized international relations throughout human history. Thus, the UN Charter and United Nations Organization may constitute the strongest available foundation upon which to develop a new fiqh for a peaceful and harmonious future for human civilization.

Rather than aspire and seek to consolidate the world’s Muslim population into a single unitary state, or caliphate, Nahdlatul Ulama calls upon Muslims to embrace a new vision and develop a new discourse regarding Islamic jurisprudence, which will prevent the political weaponization of identity; curtail the spread of communal hatred; promote solidarity and respect among the diverse peoples, cultures, and nations of the world; and foster the emergence of a truly just and harmonious world order, founded upon respect for the equal rights and dignity of every human being. Such a vision will serve to fulfil the purposes of shari‘ah.

Of course, Islam is not the only religion grappling with extremism. As the Cooperman/Ross Endowed Chair for Jewish-Christian Studies at Seton Hall University, Rabbi Professor Alan Brill observes, and I quote:
 

Traditional religions travel heavy and do not throw texts away. They may think that they do not use a given problematic text anymore, so they lay it aside, but it returns. And in every generation, we may have to reread it again, and again.

In light of this sobering reality, in March 2022 Nahdlatul Ulama established the G20 Religion Forum (R20) in conjunction with the Indonesian Presidency of the G20. The purpose of the R20 is to ensure that religion functions as a genuine and dynamic source of solutions, rather than problems, in the 21st century.

Through the R20, we hope to facilitate the emergence of a global movement, in which people of goodwill of every faith and nation will help bring the world’s geopolitical and economic power structures into alignment with the highest moral and spiritual values, for the sake of all humanity.

Significantly, Nahdlatul Ulama chose to cooperate with the Mecca-based Muslim World League, and I invited its Secretary General, Shaykh Mohammad bin Abdulkarim Al-Issa, to co-chair the R20 Summit on the ancient Hindu “Island of the Gods” (Pulau Dewata) from 2–3 November 2022—two weeks before the 17th annual G20 Heads of State and Government Summit, which also took place in Nusa Dua, Bali.

On the eve of the R20 Summit, Nahdlatul Ulama launched the Spiritual Ecology Movement, with a multi-religious tree-planting ceremony held at Puja Mandala, a religious complex consisting of five houses of worship built side-by-side, including a Hindu temple, a mosque, Protestant and Catholic churches, and a Buddhist vihara.

Spiritual Ecology seeks to re-enliven indigenous and ancient “wisdom traditions” essential to respecting and preserving the environment in a holistic manner that fosters balance within nature and society. Those present at the launch included H.E. Shaykh Mohammad bin Abdul Karim Al-Issa and H.E. Bhadreshdas Swami, an ordained Hindu monk with millions of devotees worldwide.

Spiritual Ecology is one of seven priority areas for engagement that we identified in discussions held at the R20 Summit in Bali and subsequent R20 Planning Conference in Yogyakarta. To address these priority areas, we have established seven corresponding working groups:

 

• Working Group 1 on the need to identify shared values and establish reciprocity among the world’s diverse peoples, cultures and religions, by treating one another in accordance with the highest moral standards embraced by our respective traditions;
• Working Group 2 on historical grievances, truth-telling, compassion, reconciliation, and forgiveness;
• Working Group 3 on the recontextualization of obsolete and problematic tenets of religious orthodoxy;
• Working Group 4 on the ethics of technology and business, including artificial intelligence;
• Working Group 5 on restoring balance to nature and society through the understanding and practice of spiritual ecology;
• Working Group 6 on reviving the traditional role of art and culture as “windows to the transcendent” that serve to elevate the human spirit and inculcate ethical and spiritual values within society; and
• Working Group 7 on Political Engagement and Strategic Communications.

In direct response to the 7 October 2023 surprise attack upon Israel, and the massive civilian casualties inflicted by both parties to the resulting Israel-Hamas war, Nahdlatul Ulama convened the R20 International Summit of Religious Authorities (ISORA) on 27 November 2023 to explore religion’s role in addressing Middle East violence and threats to a rules-based international order.

Addressed by Indonesia’s President H.E. Joko Widodo and attended by multiple cabinet ministers, foreign ambassadors, and religious authorities from six continents, the R20 ISORA adopted a 20-point Analysis and Call to Action, which helped spur the creation of The Road Not Yet Taken Initiative: A Multi-Religious Path Towards Middle East Peace.

The mission of The Road Not Yet Taken Initiative is to chart a path towards Middle East peace, in partnership with religious authorities—as well as opinion leaders in the fields of government, business, education, the arts, culture, and media—to help ensure that each Abrahamic religion functions as a genuine and dynamic source of solutions, rather than problems, in the birthplace of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and elsewhere throughout the world.

In cooperation with a group of closely affiliated organizations, Nahdlatul Ulama has developed and begun to execute this initiative, which seeks to ensure that religion fosters compassion, reconciliation, forgiveness, and peace—rather than hatred, violence, and revenge—in the Middle East. These NU-affiliated organizations include Bayt ar-Rahmah, the Center for Shared Civilizational Values, the G20 Religion Forum (R20), and the Institute for Humanitarian Islam.

I hope this brief overview of the activities of Nahdlatul Ulama and our network of closely affiliated organizations has been helpful. Considering that the European Union is a Member of the G20 alongside Indonesia, we encourage you to engage with Nahdlatul Ulama on the various initiatives that I have outlined, including the G20 Religion Forum (R20).

I look forward to answering any questions you may have about our activities throughout the world.

السلام عليكم ورحمة الله وبركاته

[May the peace, mercy, and blessings of God be upon you.]