People told not to be trapped into minor issues

Jombang, NU Online
KH Salahuddin Wahid, popularly known as Gus Sholah, appealed to all religious people not to easily be trapped into minor issues such as violence by the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) and the Islamic Defenders Front (FPI). Conversely, they must respect each other and not be selfish respectively.<>

"ISIS is very small, (and) could not be used as a benchmark because there is a majority," said Gus Sholah on the sidelines of a meeting with members of the Catholic Church Jawi Wetan in Tebuireng, Jombang, East Java, on Sunday.

The leader of Tebuireng Islamic boarding school was also concerned about the FPI movement that tends to use violent acts.

"They may protest Ahok for (being would-be governor of Jakarta), but do not use violent acts!" he said.

According to the former Commissioner of the National Commission on Human Rights (Komnas HAM), Ahok is a good figure, although his style of speech is not good.

"What is to say is that there is no perfect man, if you want Ahok to step down, please wait until 2017," he said, adding that all this was in accordance with emerging mechanisms.

Gus Sholah disagreed with Ben Affleck stating that Islam tends to use violence. According to him, Ben has taken a sample of minority movement not representing Muslims as a whole.

He considered other religions were also not spared from violent behavior towards others, saying there was a bloody history in all religions in the world.

"For some reason it can deviate from the purpose of religions themselves," he said.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq