Affirming NU Is Neutral In The 2024 General Election, Gus Yahya: So That Politicians Don't Play Religion

Illustration of the Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) flag. (doc. Nu.or.id)

JAKARTA - Chairman (Ketum) of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board Yahya Cholil Staquf emphasized that Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) is not a tool that can be played with for practical political purposes.

"Well, this is so that these politicians don't play games with religion. We don't want NU to be played with for this nomination, let alone religion, don't be played with," Yahya said in Jakarta, Monday, August 7, which was confiscated by Antara.

Yahya's statement was in response to claims from political parties (political parties) and politicians who claimed to have received the mandate of the struggle from PBNU in the 2024 political contestation.

The man who is familiarly called Gus Yahya admitted that he was annoyed because NU was always seen as merchandise in practical politics, including claims to represent NU.

"That there is no presidential or vice presidential candidate on behalf of NU, basically there is none," he said.

According to him, many nahdliyin residents are active in political parties, but do not immediately represent NU. He asked political actors to rely on their credibility to gain votes, not because of NU.

"Whoever the candidate is in the name of the credibility of each, none of them are in the name of NU, especially in the name of Islam, there is definitely none," he said.

Previously, Gus Yahya asked religious identity not to be manipulated into weapons to gain political support or attack other parties. The practice of such manipulation has the potential to lead religion as a source of problems.

"We have to prevent our religion from becoming a problem," he said.

According to Gus Yahya, the last two general elections, namely the 2014 Presidential Election and the 2019 Presidential Election, have been a bad experience due to the use of identity politics.

"The very bad experience is related to identity politics where people use religion as a weapon to gain political support to attack other people," he said.