Crucial Points of Discussion Between Prabowo and Islamic Leaders at the Presidential Palace

President RI Prabowo Subianto invited ulama, leaders of Islamic organisations, and the heads of pondok pesantren to the Presidential Palace in Jakarta on Thursday night (5 March). They attended two sessions; the first featured Rais Aam PBNU KH Miftachul Achyar, Muhammadiyah Chairman Haedar Nashir, and the General Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council KH Anwar Iskandar. The second, larger session included other Islamic leaders and heads of organisations, and also saw Buya Yahya (Yahya Zainul Ma’arif), Dedeh Rosidah (Mamah Dedeh), and Habib Muhammad Hanif Alatas, Secretary of the Majelis Syuro Front Persaudaraan Islam (Front Persaudaraan Islam).

During the meeting, Prabowo discussed internal and external conditions, especially the rising conflicts in the Middle East and Indonesia’s decision to join the Board of Peace (BoP), the forum established by U.S. President Donald Trump. Despite criticisms, he remains in BoP and is open to evaluation. The government said Prabowo valued input and criticisms about the proposal to suspend or even withdraw Indonesia from BoP. Nusron Wahid, Minister of Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning/National Land Agency (ATR/BPN), who attended the meeting with ulama and Islamic organisations at the Presidential Palace, said the President has an obligation to provide a full account of Indonesia’s position in BoP. ‘If there are suggestions like that, the government is not anti-criticism. We listen while considering the situation,’ he said.

He added that Prabowo regards BoP as an important forum for peace efforts, particularly in the Middle East, and that ending membership before diplomacy would be premature. The government’s position is to treat BoP as part of Indonesia’s diplomatic effort to foster peace. This requires trying first before taking other steps. ‘The Indonesian nation has accepted BoP as a means, as an initiative towards peace. At least give it a try. Do not exit before the attempt and effort have been made,’ he explained.

Nusron added that at the forum, Prabowo also questioned alternative forums if Indonesia were to exit BoP. Nevertheless, the government notes that BoP remains the only available platform to discuss peace in Palestine and Gaza. Indonesia, along with eight other countries, has agreed to use this forum as a space for diplomacy to push dialogue and conflict resolution.

‘Big decisions prioritise the people’s interests,’ the official statement read. In his remarks, Prabowo said every major decision is taken with the people’s interests and the nation’s future in mind. He also noted that Indonesia continues to push for a strategic role in bridging tensions among allied countries to achieve world peace.

‘Janjinya kalau memang saya tidak bermanfaat di BoP, saya akan mundur’ (‘If I am no longer useful in BoP, I will resign’), Cholil Nafis, Deputy General Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI), told reporters at the Presidential Palace on Thursday night. He said Prabowo pledged to resign if BoP fails to advance the Palestine cause. He stated that Indonesia’s position is clear and will not change. ‘If not for Palestine’s interests, then he would pull Indonesia out,’ he added. The pledge to evaluate had previously been stated by Prabowo when he invited ulama and leaders of Islamic organisations to the palace before the U.S.–Israel strike on Iran that killed its top leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Prabowo reiterated that joining BoP was the result of a long process and discussions with Gulf leaders, Muhadjir Effendy, who chairs Muhammadiyah, told reporters after the meeting. ‘His involvement in BoP was not accidental; it followed a long process and discussions with Gulf leaders, who then agreed to join,’ Muhadjir said.

In the three-hour-plus discussion, Prabowo provided a detailed explanation of Indonesia’s BoP membership amid the escalating tensions in Iran involving the United States and Israel. According to Muhadjir, Prabowo emphasised that BoP is a strategy from within, chosen to advance peace and to secure Palestine’s independence from within the BoP framework.

After the meeting, Gus Yahya stated that Prabowo promised BoP would become a vehicle to spur de-escalation and peace in the current Middle East conflict. He noted that BoP has not yet taken concrete action because talks have only just begun, but that Gulf states and Indonesia are among its participants.