MUI: Elections Are Events To Knit Unity, Not Enmity

ILLUSTRATION ANTARA

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council Kiai Haji Abdullah Jaidi invites all parties to make the 2024 General Election an event to knit togetherness and national unity, not an arena for conflict.

"Identity politics often occurs in every political event. For this reason, I advise that next year's elections should not be used as an arena for conflict but to be used to knit togetherness and national unity," said Kiai Abdullah Jaidi as reported by ANTARA, Tuesday, February 21.

According to him, politics is the momentum for the Indonesian nation to determine a leadership period for the next five years.

Therefore, ahead of the 2024 political year, he appealed to the public to strengthen the knitting of togetherness and unity and avoid various forms of hate speech and intolerance in the form of Ethnic, Religious, Racial, and Intergroup (SARA), especially those that use religious platforms to engage in politics.

Kiai Jaidi hopes that the election will be a lesson for Indonesian people to be able to show politeness and mutual respect in responding to different political views. This needs to be done so that people do not easily collide with one another.

Kiai Jaidi also advised that the voters involved in the election event must support the elected leaders and representatives, even though they are not his choice.

This is important because elections are only a process, and later whoever is elected will still be the leader of the entire nation.

"It's not ideal to blaspheme and put each other down. However, we have to knit together so that this five-year political event doesn't trigger hostility between us. We have to be sporty by jointly providing full support to whoever is elected later," he said.

Regardless of what was promised, continued the former General Chairperson of PP Al-Irsyad Al-Islamiyyah, it is best if competing parties need to pay attention to adab or politeness in acting and speaking words towards fellow children of the nation.

"Civilization comes from the word adab. Adab is politeness, meaning that first, in the context of a state and society, politeness must be realized in the equality (rights and obligations)," he said.

Second, mutual respect and appreciation. You may have different religions, views, or beliefs, but as citizens of the Republic of Indonesia, you must prioritize togetherness in upholding the foundation of the country, namely Pancasila.

In the first precept of Pancasila, said Kiai Jaidi, there is a divine value or belief, and there is a value of Indonesian unity which describes the togetherness of the nation's children.

Indonesian civilization will be more mature if it can get rid of disputes from existing differences. This can be achieved if each individual has politeness in getting along in society.

"Supposedly, the aim of all is to create an atmosphere of harmony, peace, mutual respect, and appreciation. This Indonesian civilization is essentially politeness shown by Muslims or other people in order to protect the Unitary State of the Republic of Indonesia," he said.

For this reason, once again he appealed to all parties to enter a political year not to justify any means to achieve political goals. Especially by carrying out hate speech, and intolerance of SARA, especially those using religious platforms.