Jakarta, MINA – The Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim, emphasized that up to now there has been no firm policy from the Indonesian government regarding the halt of imports of pro-Israel products.
In fact, he said, the Director General of Trade has admitted that trade relations between Indonesia and Israel tend to increase.
“The President clearly supports Palestine, but a concrete policy to stop the import of Israeli products has not yet been made,” said Sudarnoto at the press conference One Million Women for Gaza, themed “Women Boycott Pro-Israel Products”, held at Swiss-Belinn Hotel, Cawang, East Jakarta on Thursday.
He stressed that the boycott movement is a very noble initiative, born from the constitutional awareness of the Indonesian nation that colonialism in the world must be abolished.
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“This boycott is not merely a moral action, but a normative call from our Constitution. Who is responsible for abolishing colonialism? The Indonesian nation. Both the government and the people. So the involvement of both must be strong. Don’t walk alone,” he said.
Sudarnoto also emphasized that MUI is not an organization that simply follows government policy.
“MUI is a true friend of the government. A true friend does not agree to everything, but reminds when there is deviation from the values of justice and the law,” he explained.
He also reminded that MUI has issued a Fatwa on Boycott through the Gathering of Islamic scholars, which states that supporting the Palestinian struggle is obligatory, boycotting Israeli products and their allies is mandatory, and supporting the colonialist entity is forbidden.
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According to him, the impact of the boycott movement is already starting to be felt in society. Many Indonesian consumers are now switching to local products as a form of solidarity with the Palestinian people.
Meanwhile, the Chairwoman of the Central Board of Islamic Women, Marfuah Musthofa, on the same occasion emphasized that the struggle for Palestine is not merely a professional issue, but a call of conscience.
“The central issue is the boycott. And the most effective boycott begins at home. Don’t hesitate, because every rupiah we spend on pro-Israel products could kill our brothers and sisters in Palestine,” she said.
She invited all Indonesian women to join hands in voicing the boycott as a concrete act of support for the Palestinian people.
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The press conference was attended by several national female figures such as Asma Nadia and Neno Warisman, who also echoed the same call.
This press conference also served as the opening of a major peaceful demonstration organized by the Central Board of Islamic Women and the Indonesian People’s Alliance for Palestine, with the theme One Million Women for Gaza, to be held on Sunday, from 06:00 to 10:00 AM at the Patung Kuda area, Central Jakarta.
This action calls on Indonesian women to unite in voicing a boycott of pro-Israel products and full support for the Palestinian people’s struggle. [Nia]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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