Ketum MUI Asks For The Word "Amen" In Prayer Not Politicized, The Duandaan Polemic Zulhas Asked To End

Screenshot - General Chairperson of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Anwar Iskandar. BETWEEN/Asep Firmansyah

JAKARTA - Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) Anwar Iskandar asked for the word "Amen" in prayer not to be politicized or not to be mixed with politics.

"But it has nothing to do with politics. It could be that the person is silent because his mouth hurts or something," said Anwar Iskandar as quoted by ANTARA, Thursday, December 21.

Anwar Iskandar's statement responded to the viral video of Trade Minister Zulkifli Hasan joking about the pronunciation of the word "Amen" during the 2024 presidential election contestation.

Anwar said this became crowded because it was related to the existence of presidential and vice presidential candidates, namely Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin Iskandar who raised their names to "AMIN" for election purposes.

However, the word "Amen" in prayer, he said, certainly has nothing to do with Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar's affairs.

"So don't talk about 'Amen' in this prayer with Anies Baswedan and Muhaimin. It has nothing to do with it, it has nothing to do with it," said the Head of MUI.

Anwar also asked the public not to prolong or overestimate the problem.

"It became crowded because there were Ustaz-ustaz who joked. There was Ustaz Adi Hidayat, there was Ustaz Abdul Somad, there was Mr. Anies too. Let's shake hands, let's forgive each other," he said.

Vice President Ma'ruf Amin called the party that mentioned religious rituals through political narratives a form ofulant behavior.

"We shouldn't be like children, 'Amen' matters don't mean presidential candidates. The 'Amen' has been around for a long time," said Ma'ruf Amin.

Ma'ruf said, the word "Amen" in the general worship ritual is pronounced to conclude and end a prayer and is meaningful as a term to be granted.

However, ahead of the 2024 presidential election contestation, the word is identical to the presidential and vice presidential candidate pair Anies Baswedan-Muhaimin Iskandar or abbreviated as the "AMIN" pair.

"If people say 'wa tad-daallin', then it must be 'amin', then what to replace? Yes, it is impossible and that everyone knows," he said.