Gus Yahya: UN Charter Often Violated By World Political Actors

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board Yahya Cholil Staquf at the R20 International Summit of Religious Authoritys (ISORA) in Jakarta, Monday (27/11/2023). (ANTARA/Sean Muhamad)

Chairman of the Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU) Executive Board Yahya Cholil Staquf said the United Nations Charter (UN) was often violated by a number of world political actors. Gus Yahya, as he is familiarly called, said that several centuries ago, humanity was in the era of making religion the basis and weapons of war a natural thing. But all that changed. The first and second world wars led the public to a consensus to maintain world peace signed in San Francisco, United States on June 26, 1945 and called the UN Charter. "However, in practice, the consensus (BP UN) is often violated by world political actors for their own interests," said Gus Yahya at the R20 International Summit of Religious Authoritys (ISORA) in Jakarta, Antara, Monday, November 27. Gus Yahya said this was a big challenge currently faced in realizing human peace. For this reason, Gus Yahya said that the R20 ISORA Forum is a forum to strengthen the implementation of consensus as a world order rule based on mutual agreement, not just fighting with each other. Furthermore, he revealed that the most important thing about the implementation of this forum is so that religion is no longer a weapon or the basis for conflict. "However, religion is present as a solution to various problems in the world, especially humanitarian conflicts," he said. It is known that on Saturday (25/11) there was a feud between a group of Muslims defending Palestine and a group of Christians defending Israel in Bitung, North Sulawesi. Gus Yahya responded to this as a real challenge that is currently being faced. According to him, in realizing the step of peace, religious people do not have to be angry with each other and hurt other groups who are considered inconsistent. "It will only hurt each other and will not contribute anything to the groups defended," he said. Therefore, Gus Yahya hopes that the religious observers present can use the authorities to mobilize the people, including global actors with power, towards real awareness to immediately stop the conflict and realize world peace, especially those in Gaza, Palestine. On this occasion, President Jokowi emphasized that Indonesia believes that the role of religion, religious leaders, and society is very important in creating peace, harmony and togetherness both within a country, within the region and in the world.

"Therefore, I really appreciate it, I really appreciate the holding of this forum, let's make it a cross-religious dialogue, cross-border to bridge differences and stop all forms of dispute so that we can realize a peaceful, prosperous world," he said while inaugurating the opening of the R20 ISORA.