Kiai NU: Army Chief Of Staff's Statement About 'God Is Not An Arab' Is Not Blasphemy

KSAD General TNI Dudung Abdurachman/ANTARA HO DISPENAD

JAKARTA - Deputy Head of the Syuriah Branch of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PCNU) Bogor City KH Khotimi Bahri assessed that the statement by the Army Chief of Staff (KSAD) General Dudung Abdurachman about "God is not an Arab" did not include blasphemy.

The statement needs to be understood in its meaning and grammatical context, said Khotimi Bahri in a written statement.

"What Kasad conveyed was the issue of praying after the prayer. If the group of reporters are indeed scholars, of course, the object of the discussion is that in Arabic and in the science of Usul Fiqh there is the term siyaqul kalam," he said, quoted by Antara, Thursday, 10 February.

He explained that the term siyaqul kalam is the language used when someone is praying. The provisions in Islam, regulate prayer is worship that can use any language.

"The context is that praying to Allah does not have to use Arabic. In Nahwu Science (Arabic Grammar), such a statement is ta'kid or affirmation. If the reporter is a scholar, he should understand Nahwu Science and Usul Fiqh Science in understanding Kasad's statement, " he explained.

Khotimi also disagreed with the argument that the KSAD reporter's statement equated God with humans.

The member of the Fatwa Commission of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Bogor City also did not deny the existence of sects in Islam, which tried to compare God as a human being, namely mujassimah and musyabbihah. However, Khotimi believes Dudung is not part of the group.

"In fact, General Dudung is a Muslim Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah, like Muslims in general in the world," he stressed.

Previously, in a broadcast on social media Dudung made a statement containing the sentence "Our God is not an Arab".

"I use Indonesian when praying. Our God is not Arab. I (pray) use Indonesian, O God, O Allah, I want to help people, I want to help people; that's all the prayer. That's all," said Dudung in shows uploaded on Deddy Corbuzier's Youtube channel.

The statement was considered a blasphemy of Islam by a group acting in the name of the Coalition of Ulama, Habaib and Lawyers Against Blasphemy of Religion (KUHAP APA). KUHAP APA reported Dudung to the TNI AD Military Police Center (Puspomad).

Puspomad investigators in Jakarta, Wednesday, February 9 have summoned KUHAP APA and asked the reporters about 50 questions.