Jakarta, wapresri.go.id – In the last years, the world faces various formidable global challenges, including the Ukrainian war which is predicted to cause geopolitical, energy, food, and financial crises. For this reason, as a guard of people, the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) is expected to increase its role in facing global challenges.

“The dangers predicted to come are food crisis, energy crisis, and financial crisis. This is our obligation as MUI members to jointly face this situation. Don’t panic, don’t worry, but we must prepare food allocation in various regions to prevent food shortage,” asked Vice President Ma’ruf Amin while attending the MUI 47th Milad commemoration at the Sultan Hotel, Jakarta, Tuesday (26/07/2022).

More than that, continued the Vice President, MUI is also expected to continuously increase its roles in assisting and motivating the community to always be ready to face various challenges.

“The participation of MUI is also expected to urge the public to be patient and vigilant, as well as well prepared in dealing with the challenges,” he said.

Because indeed, said the Vice President, anticipating facing dangers and threats predicted to come is part of a religious order.

“Shaykh Nawawi Al-Bantani said while interpreting the verse ‘khudzu hidzrakum’, that we have to be prepared for all possible enemy attacks. According to him, this verse also provides the argument that we must be prepared to face all the dangers predicted to come,” he explained.

Furthermore, on this occasion, the Vice President also hopes that MUI will continue to increase its role in protecting people from various creeds and deviant thoughts.

“Protecting the people from what? From deviant beliefs, deviant thoughts, and non-moderate ways of thinking, by strengthening wasathiyah Islam or moderate Islam. This must continue to be underpinned so that people are not being washed away by thoughts that tend to the right or to the left too much,” he explained.

Finally, the Vice President asked MUI, as a government partner, to continuously play a role in maintaining the nation’s integrity, such as by preventing conflicts in the community, including in the upcoming elections.

“Don’t let it happen. Different choices may cause conflict among the citizen, as well as among Muslims. No need for collisions to happen. MUI and all Islamic mass organizations are not involved in determining the presidential and vice presidential candidates,” he stressed.

The role of MUI and other Islamic organizations in the election, said the Vice President, is to advise the public to vote for the best candidates for the nation’s leaders.

“We expect all to choose the best candidates, of course, the ones who have the capacity, capability, integrity, and noble character. Therefore, only the best candidates will be chosen. I think the role of MUI is directing people not to vote because of emotional attachment, but to vote for the best candidates,” he said. (EP/DMA/ LHS-BPMI Setwapres)