NU rejects ulema certification idea

Jakarta, NU Online
The General Chairman of the Central Board of Nahdlatul Ulama, the biggest Islamic organization in Indonesia, has rejected the proposal that government certification should be required for ulema, or Islamic scholars, in order to curb the spread of radical Islam.<>

"The government is overstepping their authority by trying to dictate these things," KH Said Aqil Siroj, told Antara news agency on Sunday (10/9). 

"Kiai [local elders] or Ustadz [Islamic preachers] are titles that are not given out by the government," he said.

On Saturday, in a lecture called "Terror Unfailing" given in Jakarta on Saturday, the director of the Deradicalization of National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT), Irfan Idris, proposed ulema certification as an idea to help weed out radicalization. He claimed that such a method has been implemented in Singapore and has effectively worked to curb radicalism.

"With a certification program, the government could monitor the role of ulema and prevent the fostering of radical movements," Irfan said.

Said claimed that the proliferation of radicalism wasn’t the fault of the ulema.

"Terrorism is not rooted in Islamic culture," he said. "So if terrorists exist, it is not solely because of the ulema lacking in promoting religious deradicalization.”

Said also said that BNPT should not doubt the role of ulema, mainly those who are members of long-established organizations such as Nahdlatul Ulama and the Muhammadiyah.

"I have always said that Islamic organizations and ulema that support the Pancasila ideology as the foundation of the nation should be supported," Said added. On the contrary, organizations that subvert Pancasila should be dissolved, let alone be considered for certification.”

The proposal for ulema certification gained momentum with the public after a coordinated attack on a Shiite community in Sampang by members of Nahdlatul Ulama injured seven and killed two. One prominent Nahdlatul Ulama member named Roisul Hukama has been detained for provoking local people through a mosque loudspeaker to attack the Shiite students and teachers.

Editor : Sudarto Murtaufiq