MUI Urges Muslims Not To Be Provoked By The Burning Of The Tauhid Flag In Today's Memory, October 22, 2018

The demonstration of burning the tauhid flag in Riau. (ANTARA)

JAKARTA Memories of today, six years ago, October 22, 2018, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) emphasized that Muslims should not be provoked by the burning of the tauhid flag by the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) Banser in Garut, West Java. MUI said the burning was just a misunderstanding.

Previously, the presence of Hizbut Tahrir Indonesia (HTI) sparked a polemic. They want to try to force Indonesia to adhere to the caliphate system. This condition is not liked by many parties. Garut NU banner burned the flag allegedly belonging to HTI.

It is possible that the HTI mass organization was dissolved and banned in 2017. However, some people believe that the influence of HTI does not necessarily disappear. Sympathizers and struggles are still considered to exist. They continue to insist that the democratic system in their view has many disadvantages changed.

HTI sympathizers think the caliph system is the most correct. HTI's desire was clearly opposed from everywhere. This condition is because HTI does not only damage religious harmony. HTI, in that case, will also damage Indonesia's integrity, which considers diversity to be the real power of Indonesia.

That opposition is done in many ways. Some openly use the medium of mass media to criticize. There are also those who take direct action. Take for example what was done by the NU Banser in Garut.

Those who were furious with HTI actually burned flags similar to HTI. The action spread throughout Indonesia. Instead of getting a good response. The burning of the flag actually hurt the hearts of Muslims throughout the archipelago.

The flag that was burned was not the HTI flag. The banner actually burned the Ar-Rayah banner (Hitam) with the contents of the tauhid sentence used by the Prophet Muhammad. Usually HTI often carries the banner as a symbol of struggle along with the banner of Al-Liwa (white).

However, it was not the HTI flag. The Banser leader immediately gave his clarification.

"I understand what these friends are doing is an attempt to maintain the tauhid sentence. If it wasn't the flag with the tauhid writing, it could be that they (Banser Garut members) weren't burned, but just throw it into the comberan."

"burning the flag with the words tauhid, in my opinion, my friends want to treat it as if they find pieces of the Mushaf of the Koran. They will burn the tear, in order to respect and keep it from being trampled on or thrown in an inappropriate place," said GP Ansor chairman Yaqut Cholil Qoumas quoted on the CNN Indonesia website, October 22, 2018.

The problem of burning the tauhid flag spread everywhere. The potential for division is due to high burning. This condition made the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) intervene to relieve the heat pressure.

MUI also appealed to Muslims in Indonesia not to be provoked by the burning of the flag on October 22, 2018. The burning of the flag was considered by MUI as just a misunderstanding. The issue of burning is solely carried out in order to maintain the magnification of the flag so that it is not trampled on or not wasted in the right place.

"There is no need to exaggerate and be made a polemic because this can cause misunderstanding and trigger friction," said MUI Deputy General Chair Zainut Tauhid Saadi as quoted on the ANTARA page, October 22, 2018.