About The Chinese Army Playing A Role In Indonesian History, PBNU: Many Failed To Understand KH Said Aqil Siradj

KH. Said Aqil Siradj, General Chairman of PBNU. (Instagram.com/saidaqilsiroj)

JAKARTA - Information circulating on social media is getting wild. Unfortunately, this information is often swallowed up by the public. Without confirmation to related parties, directly judge a certain person or group. This, said Deputy Secretary-General of the Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Board (PBNU) Masduki Baidlowi, was what happened to the Chairman Prof. Dr. KH Said Aqil Siradj, MA, in recent days.

“Currently, the information circulating on social media is almost all rubbish. As readers, we must be wise and critical. Nearly 90 percent of the information circulating on social media is rubbish, so it needs to be checked again for its accuracy. The remaining 10 percent has only valid information that can serve as a guide. Therefore, it is necessary to check and check with the parties concerned or see credible media coverage", said the man who is called Cak Duki to VOI.ID, who contacted him on Saturday, May 7, 2021.

As previously reported, KH Said was reported by a social media account, Facebook, about statements about the state of China. "China is not a Communist country" as said one of the accounts uploaded on social media, one of which was by an account named John Indigenous. In the statement, a picture was uploaded with the face of PBNU Chairman KH Said Aqil Siradj.

In this account, there is a narrative like this: 'Said Aqil: China is not a Communist country, is it an Arab country? Are the people who are fanatical towards NU still not aware, if their lord is getting more Ambyarrr ??? '

In addition, a recording of KH Said Aqil Siradj's old speech was circulating about Indonesia's present existence, which cannot be separated from the work of the Chinese army in ancient times. The speech recording was uploaded by the Instagram account of a content creator named Madrigu WP @madriguwp.

In a speech attended by various groups including Kiai Said, he was enthusiastic about talking about the history and role of Chinese troops in the archipelago in ancient times.

In the video that went viral on social media, Kiai Said confirmed this. "Without the oath of youth, there is no spirit of one country, one nation, one language. Without the Palapa oath, there is no Youth Pledge. Without Majapahit, there will be no Palapa oath. Without Chinese troops, there will be no Majapahit. That means without Chinese troops, no. there is Indonesia", he gave a speech which was greeted with enthusiasm and applause from the audience.

Efforts to Corner Certain Parties

Masduki Baidlowi neither denied nor confirmed the contents of the recording and the statement made by Kiai Said. However, he wanted to emphasize that currently, so many past recordings are showing up again to discredit certain parties. This is what is now happening to the Chairman of PBNU. "Currently, anyone who is in line with the government and supports the government will be cornered in such way. A certain narrative is built that leads the public to come to certain conclusions. Oh this person like this, oh this person so worthy of the corner. What happened to Kiai Said Aqil was like that", he said.

Unfortunately, continued Cak Duki, who is also the spokesman for Vice President Ma'ruf Amien, what is viral and viral is sometimes only a fragment and very brief. In fact, to arrive at the correct conclusion, of course, you must listen to the statement in its entirety so you do not have wrong perceptions or judgments.

That's why he urged anyone not to easily judge, let alone judge when they hear and see a viral statement. "Get used to checking and checking before judging and let alone judging someone. It could be that you fail to understand a narrative and then immediately launch blasphemies and attacks on certain people or groups. If like this it could be fatal", he said.

Regarding KH Said Aqil Siradj's statement regarding the role of the Chinese army soldiers who contributed to the emergence of Indonesia, as viral at this time, according to him, must be addressed wisely. What was conveyed by Kiai Said, of course, had a background or a prologue?

In reality, Masduki continued, there was indeed a role for Kublai Khan's soldiers from mainland China in this case, both directly and indirectly in the formation of kingdoms in the archipelago which became the forerunners of modern Indonesia. "In the past, this archipelago was filled with big kingdoms such as Majapahit, Singosari, Demak, and so on. according to Kiai Said, there was a role for China in Majapahit kingdom", he said.

He added that Kiai Said often delivered material like the viral one. Regarding China's role in the archipelago. Indonesia is a diverse nation originating from various ethnic groups: Chinese, Arab, Indian, and other ethnic groups who migrated to the archipelago. "What is discussed this time is the role of China. The context is how we, who are plural, can integrate for an advanced and strong Indonesia. That plurality is a necessity until now, and this is indeed prone to friction with one another. This is what we must protect by spreading correct and valid information, not the other way around”, hopes Masduli Baidlowi regarding the virality of Kiai Said Aqil Siradj's speech in recent days.