Chairman Of PAN Zulkifli Hasan: It's Time For Us To Embrace Central Islam

General Chairman of the National Mandate Party (PAN) Zulkifli Hasan/ Antara

JAKARTA - Chairman of Partai Amanat Nasional (PAN), Zulkifli Hasan, invites all Muslims in Indonesia to ground Islam in the center so that the spirit of Islam is not suspected of being a hard or radical attitude.

“It is time for us to re-earth central Islam and makes it the main Islamic public conversation. Middle Islam is an Islamic concept and a national path that needs to be a guide for people in living their daily lives," said Zulkifli Hasan, while delivering a cultural speech entitled "Indonesia Needs Central Islam" at the Main Auditorium of the National Library of Indonesia, Jakarta, as reported by Antara, Saturday, January 29.

He said that Islam is the embodiment of Islam that prioritizes moderation or in Arabic, it is known as "Wasatiyah", which is a superior attitude to understanding the limits of tolerance and being able to protect all parties and groups.

The grounding of Islam, said Zulhas, is increasingly important to the wider public, including political figures, national figures, press figures, and even cultural figures because the state has recently questioned the position of religion again.

In fact, he said, the position of religion in Indonesia is a discussion that has been completed.

The Deputy Chairperson of the Indonesia People's Consultative Assembly views the relationship between religion and the state in the Indonesian concept as symbiotic, which is a form of harmonious synergy.

On the same occasion, through a video shown by the event's organizers, General Chairperson of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board, KH Yahya Cholil Staquf, stated that cultural speeches related to Islam are playing an important role in eroding identity politics and improving the quality of democracy in Indonesia.

General Chairman of Executive Board Muhammadiyah, Haedar Nasir, through a video that was also shown by the event organizers, appreciated Zulhas' idea of culturally oriented politics.

According to him, culture is a source of noble values that are not only oriented to power.