Keep The Value Of Nusantara Islamic Civilization, Minister Of Culture Fadli Zon Appreciates And Is Ready To Advance Aceh

Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Dr. Fadli Zon, M.Sc. (Doc. Ministry of Culture)

JAKARTA - The Minister of Culture of the Republic of Indonesia, Fadli Zon, during a working visit and gathering of the cultural ecosystem in Aceh, emphasized the importance of Aceh's role as a guardian of the values of Islamic civilization and the cultural heritage of the archipelago. Aceh as the only province in Indonesia that has a uniqueness by integrating Islamic law with local cultural wisdom is a clear proof of the harmony between religion, culture and tradition that can go hand in hand.

In this case, Fadli expressed hope that Aceh would continue to be a model for other provinces in maintaining harmony between religion and culture.

Starting his visit to Aceh Province, the Minister of Culture held a meeting with the elected Deputy Governor of Aceh Province Fadhlullah and the ranks of the Region I Cultural Preservation Center, conducting discussions on various matters, including the Ministry of Culture's commitment to encourage Aceh Province to become the center of Islamic civilization in Indonesia. With a total of 9,255 Cultural Advance Objects spread across various regions in Aceh Province, Minister Fadli Zon hopes that more Acehnese cultural heritage can become a national, even world-class Takbenda Cultural Heritage.

"Various traces and historical residences that marked the beginning of Islamic civilization in Aceh since the time of the Pasai Ocean Kingdom not only showed Aceh's contribution in the spread of Islam in Indonesia, but also the glory of Aceh as a center of international trade and Islamic religious education," concluded Fadli Zon.

He added, "The various global cultural heritages of Aceh include the Saman Dance, which was transcribed by UNESCO as a TakBenda Cultural Heritage, the Aceh Hikayat manuscript which was designated as the World Collective Memory of UNESCO, and the Birthday of Admiral Keumalahayati as an international celebration which was also recognized by UNESCO as showing the wealth of the world-wide Aceh culture."

In addition to visiting the Pedir Museum in Blang Glong, Pidie Jaya which holds various ancient objects from civilization in Aceh such as manuscripts, currencies, weapons, ceramics and various other artifacts and the Aceh Tsunami Museum, the Minister of Culture also held a gathering with Wali Nanggroe Aceh Tgk Malik Mahmud Al-Haytar. The Minister of Culture and Wali Nanggroe expressed a joint commitment through synergy between the central government, local governments, communities, and the community to maintain the diversity of Aceh culture and make it an important asset for the Indonesian nation.

During this visit, Minister Fadli Zon also inaugurated the results of the revitalization of the Gunongan cultural heritage site and the arrangement of the Rumoh Cut Nyak Dhien display material. "This revitalization is an effort of literacy and education to ensure that future generations can understand and appreciate the cultural and religious roots that are the identities of the nation, and reinforce a common commitment in preserving the nation's culture rooted in local and progress-oriented wisdom," explained Minister Fadli Zon.

This working visit and gathering ended with a Cultural Speech with the theme "The Application for the National Culture Based on the Local Wisdom of Peace" at the Indonesian Institute of Cultural Arts (ISBI) Aceh. On this occasion, Minister Fadli hoped that the Aceh ISBI could strengthen arts and cultural education in Aceh so that it could contribute to efforts to accelerate national culture.

In his closing speech, Minister Fadli expressed hope that Aceh culture would continue to be an inspiration to Indonesia and the world. "We have a big responsibility to ensure that historical traces in Aceh, one such as the Pasai Ocean Kingdom, remain alive, not only in the nation's collective memory but also as the foundation of civilization, driving regional and national development, as well as a symbol of the pride of Indonesian culture in the eyes of the world," concluded Culture Minister Fadli Zon.