PWNU DKI Pecat Zainul Maarif And 3 Other Management After Meeting The President Of Israel

Former Executive of the NU DKI Jakarta Bahtsaul Masail Institute (LBM) Zainul Maarif (@NUJakarta)

JAKARTA - The DKI Jakarta Nahdlatul Ulama Regional Management (PWNU) dismissed Zainul Maarif from the management of the DKI Jakarta NU Bahtsaul Masail Institute (LBM). This step was taken after Zainul Maarif held a meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

This was conveyed by the General Chairperson (Ketu) of PWNU DKI Jakarta Samsul Ma'arif at the PWNU DKI Jakarta office, East Jakarta, last Thursday.

Zainul Maarif is one of five young NU figures who met Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The meeting sparked polemics among nahdliyin and also the Indonesian people.

"We, the PWNU management from the ranks of the sharia and tadfidzyah, held a meeting earlier, deciding that some people who were directly or indirectly involved in the departure of NU children to Israel were dismissed from the management of the Bahtsaul Masail PWNU DKI Jakarta Institute, including Zainul Maarif who went directly to Israel," said Samsul Ma'arif.

Not only Zainul Maarif, PWNU DKI Jakarta also dismissed three other administrators from LBM NU DKI Jakarta, namely Mukti Ali, Roland Gunawan and Sapri Saleh. The three people are suspected of being involved in the organization of the Ibrahim Heritage Study Center for Peace (Rahim) which has communication with Israel.

"So these four people were dismissed from the management of the DKI Jakarta PWNU LBM," said Samsul.

Samsul explained that the decision to dismiss was taken after the DKI Jakarta PWNU held a meeting following up on the direction of PBNU General Chair KH Yahya Cholil Staquf. This directive is related to the follow-up to the polemic of the meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

It's just that, said Samsul, the four of them still have the rights as NU citizens. He has no problem if the four people remain active in NU activities. The four of them were only fired from the PWNU management.

"PWNU DKI does not stop as NU residents. Still they are NU citizens, have rights and obligations, one of which has the right to participate in activities. However, they are no longer part of the management of the DKI Jakarta PWNU LBM," concluded Samsul.

Previously, a photo circulated of five young NU figures meeting with Israeli President Isaac Herzog. The meeting drew public criticism and resulted in an apology from PBNU General Chair KH Yahya Cholil Staquf.

The five nahdiyin who met included Zainul Maarif, Munawir Aziz, Nurul Bahrul Ulum, Syukron Makmun, and Izza Annafisah Dania. They are administrators in autonomous bodies and NU regional administrators at the provincial level.