Indonesian VP urges Nahdlatul Ulama to play role in addressing global challenges

Jakarta, The Gulf Observer: Vice President Ma’ruf Amin has urged Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), the largest Islamic organization in Indonesia, to play its role in helping the nation face global challenges.

“NU should take on a role here because it is a big organization with a great responsibility to the community, humanity, and the world,” he stated at the NU Scholars’ Association (ISNU) working meeting in Surabaya, East Java, monitored online on Saturday.

Amin remarked that NU should help the country face global issues, such as war, climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the rapid developments in technology and artificial intelligence (AI).

NU has an obligation to protect people from various extreme ideologies, he stated.

“We need to promote moderate Islam,” he emphasized.

Amin underscored the need for NU to empower the ummah, as there are still several Muslims living in poor and vulnerable conditions.

“We must not leave behind vulnerable children and grandchildren, as the weak will continue to be marginalized,” he stated.

The weak people referred to by Amin include those weak in fundamental Islamic beliefs (aqidah), education, economy, and other aspects.

“This is our significant responsibility as ummah. Hence, we need substantial human resources,” he stated.

Amin said that NU must continue to defend the nation, as the organization has, since the period of the struggle for independence, taken a stand to defend the country’s freedom.

Moreover, he remarked that Indonesia is moving towards its vision of Golden Indonesia, aspiring to be a developed and prosperous country by 2045, requiring reliable human resources to achieve this goal.

“And NU must play a role and contribute optimally in realizing Golden Indonesia 2045,” Amin stressed.

Several officials, including Administrative and Bureaucratic Reform Minister Abdullah Azwar Anas and East Java Governor Khofifah Indar Parawansa, attended the meeting.