At LDII's 10th National Congress, Hajj Minister Urges LDII to Serve as Bridge Between Government Policies and Society
Minister of Hajj and Umrah (Menhaj) KH Mochamad Irfan Yusuf has urged the Indonesian Islamic Dai Association (LDII) to serve as a bridge between government policies and society. This is because building Indonesia requires collective effort. “The government cannot operate alone. No single party can go it alone. When we work together, we not only become strong but also respected by the world,” said Menhaj, affectionately known as Gus Irfan, during his speech at the 10th National Congress (Munas) of the LDII Central Executive Board at the Minhajurosyidin Islamic Boarding School in East Jakarta on Tuesday (7/4).
The LDII’s 10th Munas is being held from 7–9 April 2026 under the theme “Strengthening LDII’s Role in Building a Sovereign, Harmonious, and Civilised Indonesia for World Peace”.
Gus Irfan assessed that the theme of the 10th Munas aligns with President Prabowo’s vision and mission. “The President emphasises that Indonesia must achieve self-sufficiency in food, water, and energy. No matter what happens in the outside world, if we are self-sufficient in food, water, and energy, we will not be affected,” he stated.
He noted that the world is currently facing global uncertainties. Therefore, the theme of the 10th Munas is highly relevant. Given the current global geopolitical conditions, which disrupt energy and food supply chains as well as national trade stability.
On that occasion, he mentioned the Hajj implementation affected by the Iran-Israel and US war, stating that his side continues to communicate with the Saudi Arabian Government to ensure the Hajj proceeds smoothly. “Up to now, everything is still on schedule as planned,” he stressed.
Gus Irfan explained that the impact of the war has led to additional costs. For example, air tickets, with potential increases of up to Rp10 million per pilgrim. In light of this, he revealed that President Prabowo has instructed that, whatever happens, the primary consideration for departure or not is the security and safety of Indonesian Hajj pilgrims.
He stated that if there is an increase in financing, it should not be burdened on the Hajj pilgrims. His side is also holding a limited coordination meeting with the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and is calculating the financing mechanism in case of price changes.
Furthermore, he reminded that the Middle East situation provides a lesson: building a nation cannot be done by one party alone. “National resilience will be solid if built by all elements of the nation. From the government, community organisations, the business world, and society itself,” he concluded.
In his view, Indonesia has high diversity, and all of that requires a binding agent. “Namely, national values, religious moderation, and societal character. Without that, the Indonesian nation will easily fracture and will not become a resilient nation,” he explained.
To support this, he assessed that LDII can continue to enhance its role. “Through soothing da’wah, character strengthening, and contributions to social life. To maintain harmony and national resilience,” Gus Irfan concluded.
On the same occasion, the General Chairman of the LDII Central Executive Board, KH Chriswanto Santoso, stated that this Munas is a strategic momentum to evaluate the organisation’s performance while formulating future programmes. KH Chriswanto Santoso emphasised that the chosen theme is because the world is currently facing high uncertainties due to geopolitical conflicts in various regions.
“The prolonged war in Eastern Europe and tensions in the Middle East not only impact global security stability but also shake the world’s geo-economic order, from energy and food supply chains to international trade stability,” he explained.
According to him, this situation serves as a reminder that the Indonesian nation must strengthen national resilience, both in social, economic, and moral aspects of society. In this context, LDII seeks to play a role through da’wah that emphasises national values, moderation, and strengthening societal character.
“When the world faces conflicts and geopolitical tensions, Indonesia must instead emerge as a nation that maintains stability, unity, and humanitarian values. LDII wants to contribute to building a religious, harmonious society with concern for world peace,” he asserted.
He added that the 10th Munas LDII is not only a forum for organisational consolidation and determining the 2026-2031 leadership but also a momentum to formulate LDII’s real contributions in supporting national development. Various strategic issues will be discussed in the Munas, including strengthening national values, religious moderation, and preparing human resources through societal character strengthening. “These issues are a sharpening of LDII’s eight work programmes, formulated as 8 Areas of LDII Service to the Nation,” he revealed.
Regarding the government’s Hajj programme, his side emphasised support for all programmes and Hajj implementation. “LDII supports the government’s policies and Hajj organisation,” he concluded. (H-2)
KH Chriswanto also assessed that the current global situation demands Indonesia strengthen economic independence and social solidarity.