Coordinating Minister Yusril Denies Writing Book 'Islam According to Prabowo': Was Only Interviewed

Jakarta, VIVA – Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration and Correctional Affairs, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has affirmed that he is not the author of the book Islam ala Prabowo: How Prabowo Subianto Practises Islamic Teachings.

Yusril said his involvement in the book was limited to being one of the sources interviewed by the editorial team.

He also said he was never involved in discussions about the title, nor in the conceptualisation or financing of the book’s publication.

“I did not write that book. I was only interviewed by the team that compiled it,” Yusril said when contacted on Tuesday, 8 September 2026.

After being interviewed, Yusril said he never saw the transcript or the manuscript resulting from the interview until the book was published.

Having now read it, Yusril found that most of what he conveyed had been set out quite well.

He explained that the interview was conducted long before he was inaugurated as a minister in the Red and White Cabinet.

Because it took place some time ago, he no longer remembers who conducted the interview and does not know for certain whether the interviewer was directly part of the book’s editorial team, particularly as he did not know the person personally.

After reading the book in its entirety, Yusril saw no fundamental problems with the substance presented, particularly the parts sourced from his interview.

He assessed that the views he expressed in the interview were views that could be accounted for academically.

“I have only just read the book in full, from beginning to end. What I conveyed in that interview represents my views and, of course, I can account for them academically,” he said.

Furthermore, Yusril expressed hope that the public would view the work in its entirety, distinguishing between the substance of the book and the perceptions that may have arisen from the choice of its title.

For him, what matters most is that the content conveyed in the interview reflects his views.

“I have no objection to those views being published, and I am prepared to account for them academically,” Yusril concluded. (Ant)