Jihad is fighting against backwardness minister says

Cilegon, NU Online
The Religious Affairs Minister Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni called on religious leaders to focus their concern more on the term of Jihad as a means to fight against backwardness, poverty, ignorance, injustice and so on.

The minister made the remarks here Friday following a construction of the Jihad Resolution Monument as part of an effort to commemorate the struggle of prominent ulema of the Indonesia's biggest Muslim organization Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).<>

After officially declaring the Cilegon's Nurul Ikhlas Grand Mosque, Maftuh said the construction of the monument was inevitably a historical fact in regard with the struggle of Indonesians in the escape from colonization.

"As a minister of religious affairs, I do understand what carried out by the board members of NU in East Java," Maftuh said.

He added the historical fact, admitted or not, had positioned the ulema and santri as the most important figures for defending the nation's independence in the time.

In the meantime, Maftuh also stressed the importance of taking into account of the spirit of jihad led by Hadrotus Sheikh KH Hasyim Asy'ari in Surabaya, issuing the Jihad Resolution fatwa in the time.

Maftuh reiterated that jihad should be understood as an effort to fight against such conditions as backwardness, stupidity, poverty and injustice. In this regard, he said, each of us should support the government in fighting against corruption, collusion and nepotism. (nam)