Jokowi Attends Forum with Young Muslim Clerics in Yogyakarta
Sleman, The Gulf Observer: President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) met with dozens of young Muslim clerics from various regions in Java at the Ora Aji Islamic Boarding School (Pesantren) in Sleman District, Yogyakarta, on Thursday. The visit coincided with the 12th anniversary celebration of the pesantren, led by renowned cleric Miftah Maulana Habiburrahman, popularly known as Gus Miftah.
Arriving at the pesantren at approximately 9 a.m. local time, the president and his entourage were greeted with a traditional tambourine performance. During his hour-long visit, President Jokowi distributed assistance to hundreds of residents gathered at the front yard of the pesantren. The aid included groceries, t-shirts, and books.
Speaking to reporters following the president’s departure, Gus Miftah expressed his gratitude for Jokowi’s visit, stating that the head of state had long shown an interest in visiting the pesantren. “We held a forum that brought together 50 select young Muslim clerics from East Java, West Java, Jakarta, and Central Java,” he explained.
Gus Miftah further revealed that he had coordinated with State Secretariat Minister Pratikno to arrange the president’s visit in conjunction with the anniversary celebration. “Thank God, he (President Jokowi) came here on the sidelines of his official agendas, coinciding with the anniversary of Ora Aji Pesantren,” Miftah added.
During the forum, Gus Miftah praised the president for his policies, which he believes have provided tangible benefits to pesantrens across the nation. In response, Jokowi, in his characteristic humility, remarked that he saw himself as “nobody” and acknowledged that there are many individuals more knowledgeable than him.
Following his visit to the pesantren, President Jokowi is scheduled to continue his official duties in Central Java, where he will participate in the 22nd Congress of the Indonesian Economic Bachelors Association (ISEI). Additionally, the president is set to inaugurate a section of a toll road connecting Central Java to Yogyakarta in Boyolali District.
