REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, JAKARTA -- Chairman of Nahdlatul Ulama Executive Council (PBNU) KH Said Aqil Siraj said NU does not agree with the discourse of formation of the Islamic caliphate in Indonesia. According to Kyai Said, the caliphate state was not the solution to solve national problems.

"We reject the shape and form of the state as well as caliphate anything except nationalist caliphate," said Kyai Said through his personal twitter account @saidaqil, on Friday, May 22.

Kyai Said mentioned the concept of the Indonesia state was much better than other Islamic countries, including Islamic countries in the Middle East. He argued Indonesia is currently a country with religious mandate and the commitment of nation which made it uneasy to be divided by the other party.

Then, he mentioned that Islamic countries in Middle East which eventually destroyed because they did not pay attention to national commitments. If Indonesia turned into the concept of the caliphate, Kyai Said worried, Indonesia will be destroyed.

As a result, he said, it would make the Islamic civilization itself run from the context of true Islam. "Many Islamic countries, especially in the Middle East not having a commitment to save its people, so the country was destroyed," said Kyai Said.

So, Kyai Said invited all Indonesian people, especially Muslims to both maintain the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia, especially from the influence of extremism transmitted by ISIS militants who also tried to influence the thinking of Indonesian Muslims, especially young people who want to join.

Kyai Said explained, ISIS movement was not in the name of religion. On the contrary ISIS, called by Kyai Said, increasingly tarnished and knocked down Islamic culture.

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