JAKARTA: The Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) has expressed the hope that all Muslims, especially those in Indonesia, would serve as peacemakers in the conflict between Israel and Palestine.
“Of course, we hope Islam, as its name suggests, can be a place of calm, a peacemaker,” said MUI chairperson for Da’wah and Ukhuwah, Muhammad Cholil Nafis, here.
The conflict between Israel and Palestine, which is rooted in the struggle for rights over territory, will not be resolved if it is debated, he added. Therefore, he said he hopes that Muslims can help calm the situation in order to achieve peace.
He also appealed to Muslims in Indonesia to pray for Muslims in Palestine in various ways, including by reciting Qunut Nazilah, a prayer offered when a disaster occurs.
“Because one thing that Muslims can rely on is prayer,” he said.
Then, Nafis appealed to people who want to send donations and assistance to send them through official and accredited institutions.
In addition, he stated the MUI’s position regarding the current situation in Palestine.
“We not only want a ceasefire, but also Palestinian sovereignty,” he informed.
Earlier, a similar statement was made by the President of the Republic of Indonesia, Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who called for an immediate end to the war between Israel and Palestine to prevent further casualties and destruction of property.
“Because conflict escalation can have a greater humanitarian impact,” President Widodo said on Tuesday (October 10, 2023).
He further said that he had asked Minister of Foreign Affairs, Retno Marsudi, and related ministries/institutions to take quick action to protect Indonesian citizens in the areas affected by the conflict.
“The root of the conflict is the occupation of the Palestinian territories by Israel, which must be resolved immediately according to the parameters agreed upon by the UN,” he added.
Palestinians sought refuge Saturday after Israel warned them to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip before an expected ground offensive against Hamas, one week after the deadliest attack in Israel’s history.
Hamas militants in their October 7 attack gunned down, stabbed and burned more than 1,300 people, according to government figures. Most of the dead were civilians, in an attack Israelis compared to 9/11 in the United States.
Scores of foreigners were also killed or dragged back to Gaza among the 150 people the Israeli government estimates were taken hostage by Hamas.
In retaliation, Israel has pounded Gaza targets with thousands of strikes, leaving at least 1,900 Gazans dead—most of them civilians and including more than 600 children according to the health ministry in the enclave home to 2.4 million people.
