Indonesian Ulema Rejects Program of Preacher Certification

Jakarta, MINA – The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) rejects the government’s program, in this case the Ministry of Religion regarding the certification of preacher.

“MUI rejects the program, because it will trigger uproar in the community because there are concerns about government intervention in program implementation,” said MUI Deputy Chairperson Muhyiddin Junaidi in a press statement in Jakarta on Tuesday.

Muhyiddin said that this concern also triggered a riot of misunderstanding and concern in the community because of government intervention in program implementation.

“The concern is that the government through certification can intervene in the religious aspect,” he said.

He emphasized that in its implementation it could make it difficult for Muslims and could potentially be misused by certain parties as a tool to control religious life, because MUI rejected the program plan.

The MUI decision is in accordance with the decision of the MUI leadership meeting. The institution understands the importance of the program to increase the competence of dai as an effort to increase insight into the material of preaching or tabligh, especially material diversity such as Islamic economics, halal product materials, national insight and so on.

However, he said, the program was fully handed over to Islamic institutional organizations including the MUI and parties with certification authority of dai.

For this reason, MUI urges all parties not to easily link the issue of radicalism with the ulama, preachers and hafizh as well as their physical appearance, including those who speak out loudly for the betterment of the life of the nation and state. (L/RE1)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)