Japanese and US Ambassadors Appreciate Gus Yahya's Appointment of Women as PBNU Leaders

Jakarta, NU Online
Japanese Ambassador to Indonesia Kanasugi Kenji appreciated the steps taken by the General Chairman of the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) KH Yahya Cholil Staquf in appointing women as PBNU leaders. This is the first time that PBNU has taken women as leaders.

"Congratulations on your step in including women as PBNU administrators," said Kenji while visiting PBNU headquarter on Kramat Raya Street 164 Jakarta, Tuesday (1/3/2022).

The United States Ambassador to Indonesia Sung Y Kim also conveyed the same thing to Gus Yahya. "I congratulate the inclusion of women in the management," said the man who was born in Seoul, South Korea, and grew up in Los Angeles, United States.

At the meeting with Kim, Gus Yahya was accompanied by PBNU Chairman Amin Said Husni and Alissa Qotrunnada Wahid. He introduced Alissa to Kim as one of the leaders and daughter of the fourth President of the Republic of Indonesia KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur).

To the two ambassadors, Gus Yahya explained that the reasons appointing Khofifah Indar Parawansa and Alisa Wahid were not only women. More than that, the two women were chosen because of their extraordinary abilities.

"Women are leaders as administrators (PBNU) because they are the best and have special abilities for our agenda," said the caretaker of the Raudlatut Thalibin Islamic Boarding School, Leteh, Rembang, Central Java.

In the meeting with the two ambassadors, Gus Yahya discussed several important discussions regarding world conflicts, such as the feud between Russia and Ukraine to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict which has escalated again these days.

In addition, increasing radicalism has also become one of the topics of discussion. Therefore, they asked for the active role of NU and Indonesia in promoting moderate Islam in the international level.

"Indonesia needs to promote moderation because Indonesia is the most populous Muslim-majority country and the largest democracy in the world as well," Kenji said.

Reporter: Nuriel Shiami Indiraphasa
Editor: Muhammad Faizin