Minister of Religious Affairs and Gus Yahya discuss harmony and tolerance

Jakarta, NU Online

Minister of Religious Affair (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (Gus Yaqut) made a friendly visit to the headquarters of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) on Jalan Kramat Raya, Jakarta, Friday (7/1/2022). The presence of the Minister of Religious Affairs was directly received by the General Chairman of PBNU KH Yahya Cholil Staquf (Gus Yahya).

The Minister said that the meeting was part of the Ministry of Religious Affairs' commitment to continue to build constructive partnerships with religious organizations. Moreover, according to the Minister, the government will declare 2022 as a year of tolerance, so it is necessary to communicate with various mass organizations.

“Alhamdulillah, I just visited the (general) chairman of PBNU, KH Yahya Cholil Staquf. We discussed in an effort to synergize in maintaining harmony and improving the quality of religious life in Indonesia," explained the Minister.

The Minister revealed that the harmony and tolerance of the Indonesian people were admired by various countries. He gave the example of the Hukama Al-Muslimin Council, an independent organization consisting of Muslim scholars from around the world and based in Abu Dhabi-United Arab Emirates, that had visited to convey its desire to learn about tolerance in Indonesia.

"It's time for Indonesia's tolerance to be a barometer for the world community. The narrative about tolerance in Indonesia needs to be echoed in order to be understood by the world community," he said.

"And this effort will not be separated from the cooperation and contribution of various religious organizations that have been directly nurturing the grassroots community," he added.

The Minister also said that partnerships would be built with other religious organizations. For example, the Indonesian Ulema Council, Muhammadiyah, Islamic Association, the Indonesian Bishops' Conference, the Fellowship of Indonesian Churches, Parisadha Hindu Dharma Indonesia, Representatives of Indonesian Buddhists, the Indonesian High Council for Confucianism, and other religious organizations.

During the meeting, Gus Yaqut was accompanied by the Special Staff members of the Minister of Religious Affairs, Wibowo Prasetyo, Mohammad Nuruzzaman, and Abdul Qodir.

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq