MUI Counter Terrorist Agency Asks For Khilafah No Longer To Be Discussed In Indonesia

Chairman of the MUI's Counterterrorism and Terrorism Agency (BPET), Muhammad Syauqillah

JAKARTA - The chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Counter-Extremism and Terrorism Agency (BPET), Muhammad Syauqillah, emphasized that the issue of the caliphate had been resolved a long time ago and there is no need to debate its implementation. Moreover, to discourse as a system of government in Indonesia.

"The caliphate stopped in the era of Khulafaur Rashidin, after which various dynasties emerged until the Ottoman era (Turkey) which was completed in 1923. The use of the term caliphate has also been completed. The Ottomans used the word caliph to refer to the ruler. So, there is no need any more discourse as a system of government in Indonesia", said Syauqillah in a written statement from the National Counterterrorism Agency (BNPT) received in Jakarta, Tuesday, June 28, as reported by Antara.

The Ottomans themselves actually used the system of government of the Ottoman Empire and not the Ottoman Caliphate. So he assessed the literacy weaknesses of the bearers or sympathizers of the caliphate ideology.

"So, after the Ottomans, there were many regions that declared themselves as nation-states, both in the form of a kingdom and so on, including Indonesia, which chose to be a Pancasila state; and we have finished that Pancasila", he said.

According to him, the involvement of the nation's founding fathers, scholars, and figures has taken place to shape Indonesia as darul ahdi wal syahadah (land of peace) and darul mitsaq (land of agreement). Thus, the existing government system in Indonesia has been completed and has been agreed in the context of the nation and state.

"For those who are still campaigning for a caliphate, they need to be very aware that the previous scholars have carried out ijtihad and have agreed on the formulation in the state", said the Head of the University of Indonesia (UI) Terrorism Study Program.

He explained that Islam actually teaches things that regulate the judiciary, ministries, wilayatul qadha, and finance, all of which also exist in Islamic history and are products of ijtihad.

"In the affairs of the nation and state, of course, Islam has taught about safeguarding the nation and matters related to the state, such as the judiciary, mal, to finance", he said.

Therefore, he considers that there need to be real efforts from various stakeholders to be aware of the caliphate ideology which is increasingly massive in people's lives.

"This relates to people's literacy about how the history and meaning of the caliphate really need to be seen. If there are various versions and histories, it is better to read them all and consider what they are like", he said.

He also said that there needed to be continuous steps or campaigns related to alternative narratives, which must also be by the tastes of young people.

"For example, regarding the terminology of the caliphate, the terminology of the caliphate, history, for example, the campaign must be simultaneous and continuous", he said.