Coordinating Minister Yusril Explains His Article in the Book 'Islam ala Prabowo'

Coordinating Minister for Legal Affairs, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections (Menko Kumham Imipas), Yusril Ihza Mahendra, has acknowledged that he was not directly involved in writing the article attributed to him in an anthology entitled Islam ala Prabowo: Cara Prabowo Mengamalkan Ajaran Islam (How Prabowo Practises Islamic Teachings).

The book, officially launched on 26 August 2025, drew public attention after its cover, table of contents and description circulated widely on social media. A number of netizens questioned the choice of title, as well as the names of the figures involved in the book, including Yusril’s.

Yusril explained that the article bearing his name in the book was written on the basis of an interview conducted by the book’s editorial team.

“I did not write that book. I was only interviewed by the team that compiled it. After the interview was completed, I never saw the transcript or the resulting manuscript until the book was published,” Yusril said in a written statement to journalists in Jakarta on Monday (7/9).

He said he has now read the article in full and is satisfied with it. According to him, what he conveyed during the interview with the editorial team was well rendered in the written piece in the book.

Yusril even asserted that his interview could be defended academically.

“I have only just read the book in its entirety from beginning to end. What I conveyed in that interview represents my views, and I can certainly be held academically accountable for them,” he said.

The article bearing Yusril’s name in the book Islam ala Prabowo appears in Part 1, page 2, which addresses the theme Islam: Peace and Justice. His article is titled Peduli Kepada Rakyat dan Keadilan (Caring for the People and Justice).

Yusril said the interview for the book took place before he was sworn in as a minister in the Red-and-White Cabinet. He no longer remembers who conducted the interview.

“I no longer remember who interviewed me. I also do not know whether they were part of the editorial team or the team preparing material for the book. I do not know them personally,” he said.

Yusril further explained that he played no role in conceiving or financing the book’s publication.

“My position in that book is clearly that of an interviewee. I am not a sponsor, nor was I the one who initiated its publication,” he stressed.

Regarding the book’s title, which has sparked discussion and public debate on social media, Yusril explained that he was never involved in choosing it.

“If you ask me about the title, I do not know, because it was never discussed with me. If the title had been, for instance, ‘Prabowo and Islam’, I think it would be more easily understood as a discussion of Prabowo’s relationship with Islam,” Yusril said.

Yusril observed that the debate surrounding the book stems from the public’s tendency to judge its content by its title without reading the book in full.

“Nowadays people tend to lack the patience to read a fairly long book. They read the title and take it as representing the entire content. Then people pass judgement based on their own point of view, often even based on their own interests,” Yusril said.

For that reason, he said, understanding the full content and context of the discussion is important so that judgements do not stray from the actual substance.

“I think we need to get into the habit of reading and understanding the substance first before passing judgement. We should not end up merely debating the title while the content of the book itself has never been read carefully,” Yusril added.

Regarding the inclusion of his name in the book’s copyright section, Yusril said the matter was never discussed with him beforehand.

“If I am listed as a copyright holder, the context needs to be examined under the Copyright Law, because there are many authors and materials used in the book. If it exists at all, it may relate to the section based on my interview. But I was never consulted about that listing. I myself am not particularly concerned about the copyright issue,” Yusril said.

The book Islam ala Prabowo was launched during the 2025 BAZNAS National Coordination Meeting (Rakornas) in Jakarta on 26 August 2025.

According to BAZNAS statements and media coverage at the launch, the book’s writing was initiated by Speaker of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR RI) Ahmad Muzani together with Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) KH Anwar Iskandar.

The anthology was compiled by Abdur Rahim Hasan, Rikal Dikri and Mush’ab Muqoddas. The book’s cover lists a number of contributing figures, including MPR RI Speaker Ahmad Muzani, who wrote the prologue, and the cleric Asep Saifuddin Chalim, who wrote the epilogue.

In addition, the names of Minister of Primary and Secondary Education Abdul Mu’ti, Yusril Ihza Mahendra, and Noor Achmad, Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) of Central Java for the 2026-2031 term, also appear on the book’s cover.