Minister Of Religion: A Political Speaking Mosque That Unites The Ummah

Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas, at the National Working Meeting (Rakernas) of the Mosque Welfare Agency (BKM) in Jakarta, Wednesday night (8/11/2023). (ANTARA/Sean Muhamad)

JAKARTA - Minister of Religion (Menag) Yaqut Cholil Qoumas said the mosque is a place to talk about politics for the unity of the people and is not related to differences of interest or high politics.

"In the past, the Prophet Muhammad SAW in the mosque carried out public politics or the term was now high on politics, not related to differences of interest, and instead united the differences from various regencies there," said Minister of Religion Yaqut at the National Working Meeting (Rakernas) of the Mosque Welfare Agency (BKM) in Jakarta as reported by ANTARA, Wednesday, November 8.

Gus Men, as he is familiarly called, said that the difference with the politicization carried out in mosques at this time tends to divide the people and divide the people.

"When conducting political consolidation in the mosque, there is actually a city. We must not allow this," said Minister of Religion Yaqut.

He revealed that political activities in mosques are currently often associated with the activities of the Prophet Muhammad when building civilization in Medina by politics in mosques in ancient times.

According to him, this is different from what happened today and cannot be equated with what happened in ancient times.

"So ladies and gentlemen, you must be able to explain the different Prophets in building civilizations by politics in mosques in ancient times, with those in this political year," he said.

In addition, Gus Men said that mosques should not only be used as places of worship, but also activities related to the welfare of the people, such as economic and social activities.

"Let's use a mosque, we design it to become a mosque where the Prophet had dreamed of, which was not only a center for Muslim worship activities, but also a center for socio-economic activities that smelled of prosperity for the wider people," said Minister of Religion Yaqut Cholil Qoumas.