Minister Yaqut Sowan To The Office Of The PBNU Chairman Gus Yahya

Minister of Religion, Yaqut Cholil Qoumas (Photo via Ministry of Religion)

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas last Friday, January 7, came to visit the Office of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board on Jalan Kramat Raya, Jakarta. The Minister of Religion was received by the General Chair of PBNU KH Yahya Cholil Staquf, who was only elected late last year.

Minister of Religion Yaqut's meeting took place warmly in the office of the PBNU Chairman. Present to accompany the Special Staff of the Minister of Religion, namely: Wibowo Prasetyo, Mohammad Nuruzzaman, and Abdul Qodir.

"We discussed in an effort to synergize in maintaining harmony and improving the quality of religious life in Indonesia," explained Gus Yaqut, the Minister of Religion's nickname, via the ministry's website seen by the editor, Saturday, January 8.

"I am committed to continuing to build constructive partnerships with religious organizations," he continued.

According to the Minister of Religion, the government has declared 2022 as the year of tolerance. The harmony and tolerance of the Indonesian people are admired by various countries. The Minister of Religion gave the example of the Hukama Al-Muslimin Council, an independent organization consisting of Muslim scholars from around the world and based in Abu Dhabi-United Arab Emirates, which has visited to convey its desire to learn about tolerance in Indonesian society.

"It's time for Indonesia's tolerance to be a barometer for the world community. The narrative of tolerance in Indonesia needs to be echoed in order to be understood by the world community," said Minister of Religion Yaqut.

"And this effort will not be separated from the cooperation and contribution of various religious organizations that have been directly guiding the grassroots community," he said.

Apart from PBNU, continued the Minister of Religion, partnerships will be built with other religious organizations. For example, Muhammadiyah, Islamic Association, Indonesian Ulema Council, Indonesian Bishops' Conference, Fellowship of Indonesian Churches, Parisadha Hindu Dharma Indonesia, Representatives of Indonesian Buddhists, Indonesian Confucian High Council, and other religious organizations.