JAKARTA - The statement by the Minister of Religion (Menag), Yaqut Cholil Qoumas regarding the issuance of a circular regarding the regulation of loudspeakers in mosques and prayer rooms in Pekanbaru, Riau, on Wednesday, February 23, 2022, caused a stir. Yaqut is considered to compare the sound of the call to prayer to the barking of a dog. Then arose reactions from various parties.
The hashtag #TangkapYaqut became a trending topic on Thursday, February 24, 2022, regarding his statement. A total of 15,300 tweets of people have commented on Yaqut's statement in the form of a tweet by raising the hashtag #TangkapYaqut, so the hashtag is a trending topic on Twitter.
"Is there any other good metaphor if you refuse the loudspeaker for the Adhan? It's really outrageous the metaphor you make as an example in creating regulations of mosque loudspeaker, Naudzu billah," wrote @umarHasibuan777.
The Special Staff of the Minister of Religion, Nuruzzaman, gave an explanation regarding Yaqut's statement regarding the sound of the call to prayer and the barking of dogs that drew criticism. Nuruzzaman explained that Yaqut did not compare the sound of the call to prayer with the barking of a dog.
"The Minister of Religion is not at all comparing the sound of the call to prayer to the sound of a dog. But the Minister of Religion is giving an example of the importance of regulating loudspeaker noise," Nuruzzaman said in a video.
Nuruzzaman said that at that time Yaqut gave a simple example, but not to compare one with another. Therefore, Yaqut also mentions the word 'eg' when giving a simple example.
Yaqut's Background
Who exactly is Yaqut Cholil Qoumas? People are wondering about the figure of the Minister of Religion who was inaugurated on December 22, 2020, in President Joko Widodo's Advanced Indonesia Cabinet. Here is his family tree, political career, and educational history
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, usually known as Gus Tutut or Gus Yaqut, was born in Rembang on January 4, 1975. He is the son of one of the founders of the National Awakening Party or PKB, namely KH. Muhammad Cholil Bisri. He is also the brother of Yahya Cholil Staquf who is now the General Chair of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).
Born into a family of NU activists, Yaqut has been active in various NU activities since he was young and has excelled as Chairman of PP GP Ansor for the 2011–2015 period. In 2012, Yaqut was given greater responsibility by becoming Deputy Chair of the West Java PKB DPW for the 2012–2017 period.
In the 2014 election, Yaqut ran for the Indonesian House of Representatives from the Central Java electoral district, but failed. However, when Hanif Dhakiri was appointed as the Minister of Manpower in the Working Cabinet, Yaqut was inaugurated as a Member of the DPR-RI for the 2014-2019 period. He was then re-elected as a Member of the Indonesian House of Representatives for the 2019-2024 period.
Some of Yaqut's Statements
During his time as Minister of Religion, Yaqut issued several statements that invited negative reactions. Here are some of Yaqut's controversial statements that sparked a stir among the public.
- Ministry of Religion is State Prize for NU (20 October 2021)
“The Ministry of Religion is a state prize for NU, not for Muslims. So it's natural that now NU is taking advantage of the many opportunities at the Ministry of Religion for NU." His statement was criticized by NU itself through a statement by the Secretary-General of NU (PBNU).
"With all due respect and humility, the Minister of Religion's statement is, of course, his right, although I can personally state that these comments are inappropriate and unwise in the perspective of building the spirit of statesmanship," said Helmy Fasihal Zaini.
- Protecting Shia and Ahmadiyya (25 December 2021)
A few days after being sworn in as Minister of Religion, Yaqut revealed that all citizens have the same position. Furthermore, he revealed that Shia and Ahmadiyah also have the same position as citizens of other countries. He stated that, as Minister of Religion, he was ready to facilitate dialogue to bridge various differences.
3. Wishing Happy Eid to the Baha'i Community (26 March 2021)
In July 2021, the Minister of Religion Yaqut again reaped controversy by congratulating Eid Naw Ruz 178 EB. The remarks, which were uploaded via the PB NU YouTube channel on March 26, 2021, have drawn controversy because the Baha'i is considered one of the deviant sects in Indonesia. However, the Ministry of Religion later made an additional statement stating that Baha'iyah is a separate religion and is not tied to any religion. On this basis, Yaqut also congratulated Naw Ruz 178 EB.
4. Propose "Prayers of All Religions" to Begin the National Working Meeting of the Ministry of Religion (5 April 2021)
Yaqut Cholil Qoumas once gave a suggestion to say prayers of all religions before starting a meeting at the Ministry of Religion, not only prayers for Islam. The proposal arose based on the fact that the Ministry of Religion was tasked with protecting all religious adherents.
The policies and actions of Yaqut Cholil Qoulmas as Minister of Religion to maintain religious tolerance in Indonesia are not wrong. It's just that as a high-ranking state official, Yaqut is required to be more observant in the choice of diction so that there are no multiple interpretations in society.
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