Minister of Religious Affairs against Valentines Day celebrations

Jakarta, PPQ Al-Amin Purwokerto. Religious Affairs Minister Lukman Hakim Saifuddin reminded Muslims in the country to not celebrate the Valentines Day on Saturday.

"Commemorating what supposedly marks the day of love, Valentines Day, could harm national morality," he was quoted by republika.co, as saying at the opening of a working meeting of the International Muslim Womens Union at Asafi-iyah University in Pondok Gede, recently.

Minister of Religious Affairs against Valentines Day celebrations (Sumber Gambar : Nu Online)

Minister of Religious Affairs against Valentines Day celebrations

"Celebrating the day by attending parties, especially ones that violate religious norms, has the potential to harm morality. So we declare the celebration as forbidden (haram, or not allowed by religion)," Saifuddin said.

The minister explained that in Islam, there is no specific day to celebrate love, adding that Islam calls on all Muslims to give the most beautiful thing to their parents, families and fellow human beings every day.

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"Islamic teachings recognize no specific date to express love. So the declaration of February 14 as the day of love must not be heeded. It must, instead, be monitored closely to see whether it spreads teachings that go against religion," he remarked.

In addition, the government of Bekasi city in West Java has issued a letter to all students in the region, urging them to not celebrate Valentines Day.

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"The ban was issued to instill national values in the students of Bekasi," Deputy Mayor of Bekasi Ahmad Syaiku noted.

In the letter, teachers and schools are requested to monitor and prevent their students from being involved in activities that are against religious, social and national cultural norms, with regard to Valentines Day celebrations.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq

Dari (National) Nu Online: http://www.nu.or.id/post/read/57622/minister-of-religious-affairs-against-valentine039s-day-celebrations

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For pesantren, 1945 Constitution is a mitsaqan ghalidhan

Jombang, PPQ Al-Amin Purwokerto. In dealing with the national cureent conditions, Tebuireng Islamic boarding school (pesantren) and the Hasyim Asyari University (Unhasy) called for the so-called National Messages of Pesantren Tebuireng as part of the ulema concern over the conditions facing the nation.

The purposeful messages were read by the younger brother of the late KH Abdurrahman Wahid (Gus Dur), KH Salahuddin Wahid (Gus Sholah) on the sidelines of a meeting held in Pesantren Tebuireng on Sunday (5/2).

For pesantren, 1945 Constitution is a mitsaqan ghalidhan (Sumber Gambar : Nu Online)

For pesantren, 1945 Constitution is a mitsaqan ghalidhan

At the scholarly event aimed at inaugurating the Center for KHM Hasyim Asyari Thought, the leader of Pesantren Tebuireng, Gus Sholah, said that Indonesia was such a very ideal masterpiece of the nations founding fathers. However, the nations 71 years journey is not sufficient to realize the ideals of independence.

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"We still face many fundamental problems that must be solved," said Gus Sholah who is also one of the grandchildren of the founder of Nahdlatul Ulama (NU).

For pesantren, the Preamble of the 1945 Constitution is the mitsaqan ghalidhan (solid agreement) of the founding fathers being the basis of building the state as the embodiment of the ideals of the Indonesian nation. It underlines the basic goal of establishing the state and Pancasila.

"Therefore, the 1945 Constitution is a necessity that could no longer be changed," he said.

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According to Gus Sholah, the Indonesian and Islamic spirit initially contested, could successfully be integrated by the founding fathers.

"The combination that is a major factor of the nations unity and could be the potential to become a model for the world has to be upheld and preserved," he said, adding that there should be firm measures in dealing with any possible threat posed by those willing to undermine the national and Islamic spirit.

Present also at the occasion were former Minister of Religious Affairs Prof. Dr. M. Tholhah Hasan and Director of the Graduate School of UIN Jakarta Prof. Dr. Masykuri Abdillah, Vice Rector of Unhasy Haris Supratno, Deputy Leader of Pesantren Tebuireng KH Abdul Hakim Mahfudz. (Ibn Nawawi / Masdar)

Dari (National) Nu Online: http://www.nu.or.id/post/read/75220/for-pesantren-1945-constitution-is-a-mitsaqan-ghalidhan

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Ansor committed to fighting against terrorism

Solo, PPQ Al-Amin Purwokerto. The Ansor Youth Movement (GP Ansor) sees both violence and radicalism are a challenge to the nation. "We Ansor Youth Movement, are ready to fight against violence in the name of religion," said Nusron Wahid, chairman of the GP. Ansor at a commemoration attended by some 40.000 Ansor cadres at Manahan Stadium, Surakarta, Central Java, on Monday (16/7).

However, in the fight against violence, Ansor would not create a new violence. The NU youth wing would raise programs aimed at strengthening the national unity by deepening the four pillars of the nation (Pancasila, the 1945 Constitution, and Unity in Diversity, and the Unitary State of Republic of Indonesia / NKRI), Nusron said.

Ansor committed to fighting against terrorism (Sumber Gambar : Nu Online)

Ansor committed to fighting against terrorism

According to Nusron, GP Ansor would committed to promoting regeneration and strengthening the Indonesian traditions, saying strengthening the four pillars was considered effective in eliminating any possible violence.

The former chairman of the Indonesian Islamic Students Movement (PMII) called on Ansor cadres to continue to guard the NKRI. Together with other elements, the 78 year-old youth movement would be at the forefront in guarding the nation with all its problems.

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The Republic of Indonesia was final, said Nusron, adding the national unity was the clerics (kiai) legacy. In addition to formulating the state ideology, the kiai had also considered that the establishment of RI could work perfectly only by grounding on the four pillars.

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Writer : AlhafizKurniawan

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq

Dari (National) Nu Online: http://www.nu.or.id/post/read/38830/ansor-committed-to-fighting-against-terrorism

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RI hajj quota cut by 20 percent: Minister

Jakarta, PPQ Al-Amin Purwokerto. The Saudi government has cut Indonesia`s hajj pilgrimage quota this year by 20 percent or 42,200 pilgrims from 211,000 to 168,000 pilgrims, Religious Affairs Minister Suryadarma Ali said.

"We call on the 180,000 would-be hajj pilgrims who have got their turn to go to the Holy Land this year to patiently wait for policies to be issued by the Religious Affairs Ministry after it holds a meeting with the Saudi Arabian government. We hope would-be pilgrims would give us time," the minister said here on Wednesday.

RI hajj quota cut by 20 percent: Minister (Sumber Gambar : Nu Online)

RI hajj quota cut by 20 percent: Minister

He said that the religious affairs ministry would assure the departure in 2014 of would-be hajj pilgrims who were affected by the Saudi policy and could not go to the Holy Land this year. If next year, there is an increase in hajj pilgrimage cost, they would not be charged with the difference.

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"The minister of religious affairs will make diplomatic efforts and discuss it with the Saudi government immediately, particularly with the Saudi minister for hajj affairs and with other relevant parties. We will also ask for dispensation," Suryadarma said.

The Saudi government`s policy to cut the hajj quota was contained in the Saudi religious minister`s letter on June 6, 2013 which said that the quota was cut because there was a delay in the completion of the rehabilitation of the Haram Mosque. It was cut to ensure the safety of hajj pilgrims.

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The minister said that the Saudi government cut not only the quota of Indonesia but also of all countries which sent hajj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia. The quota of respective countries was cut by 20 percent from the basic quota as agreed by member countries of the Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC).

"The delay in the completion of the rehabilitation of the Haram Mosque reduced the mosque`s accommodating capacity for the tawaf (encircling the cubical shrine) ritual. It could initially accommodate some 48,000 pilgrims for the tawaf ritual per hour. With the delay, the accommodating capacity dropped to 22,000 pilgrims only," he said.

The minister said that the reduction in the quota of hajj pilgrims would be done proportionally for all provinces in the country. But the ministry hopes that younger ones would give the chance to aging would-be pilgrims.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq

Dari (National) Nu Online: http://www.nu.or.id/post/read/45173/ri-hajj-quota-cut-by-20-percent-minister

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NU invites its worldwide networks to help end Syrian conflict

Wonosobo, PPQ Al-Amin Purwokerto. The Indonesias largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) will actively hold communications and mediations with its all long-standing ulema networks around the world to prevent possible conflicts among fellow Muslims.

This was one of the NU plenary meeting recommendations read by the General Chairman of the Central Board of NU KH Said Aqil Siroj at Unsiq Islamic boarding school (pesantren), Kalibeber, Wonosobo, on Sunday (8/9).

NU invites its worldwide networks to help end Syrian conflict (Sumber Gambar : Nu Online)

NU invites its worldwide networks to help end Syrian conflict

The Nahdliyin based organization also called on Muslims to avoid the so-called divide et impera being played by superpowers for the sake of their economic interests by exploiting oil and other natural resources and still uphold the power of Israeli hegemony in the Middle East.

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Furthermore, NU did encourage the government to be proactive in doing smart diplomacy, through the Organization of Islamic Confrence (OIC) and the United Nations so that the two international organizations could soon take measures to prevent possible conflicts and military aggression.

Spiritually, the NU instructed all Nahdliyin (NU followers) and Muslims in Indonesia to conduct a special prayer called Qunut Nazilah and istighotsah so that such conflicts could be ended and peace could soon be realized.

Reporting by Mukafi Niam; Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq

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Dari (National) Nu Online: http://www.nu.or.id/post/read/46921/nu-invites-its-worldwide-networks-to-help-end-syrian-conflict

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Pesantren told to help improve national economy

Jakarta, PPQ Al-Amin Purwokerto. Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs, Hatta Rajasa expects that Islamic boarding school or pesantren can improve national economy. Pesantren as part of community in society has important role in rural economy.

"Religious community and pesantren have main role to encourage local community. Therefore, I need to give insight to our people and government this year," Rajasa said recently.

Pesantren told to help improve national economy (Sumber Gambar : Nu Online)

Pesantren told to help improve national economy

According to him, national economic insight has to be delivered to all levels of society because religious community can develop economic society. For example, Majelis Tafsir Alquran or Tafsir Al-Quran Assembly (MTA) has brought economic improvement in society through various businesses, such as printing, mineral water, educational institutions, also Hajj and umrah agencies.

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Rajasa explained that governments economic policy was important to deliver right information. For example, government has asked PT Pertamina to review its policy on rising price of 12 kg LPG cylinder. Government did not want the decision to result bad impact on society.

Editing by Sudarto Murtaufiq

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Dari (National) Nu Online: http://www.nu.or.id/post/read/49296/pesantren-told-to-help-improve-national-economy

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