Din Syamsuddin: Beware of Buzzers Amid the Iran-US War
Former General Chairman of the Muhammadiyah Central Leadership, Din Syamsuddin, has called on Muslims in Indonesia to be wary of provocateurs amid the ongoing war between Iran and the United States-Israel. These provocateurs, he said, are attempting to incite discord by promoting narratives of differences between Sunni and Shia.
“Agents of Israel, the buzzers. They are trying to inflame differences between Sunni and Shia,” he stated during his meeting with Iran’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi, at Din Syamsuddin’s residence in South Jakarta on Friday, 3 April 2026.
He urged Indonesian Muslims not to be easily provoked by narratives from these provocateurs. According to him, such actions are a strategy of divide et impera, or divide and conquer, in the style of colonial oppressors.
“Do not be swayed or provoked by the divide et impera politics of colonial oppressors, which pits us against each other,” he said.
Din Syamsuddin called for unity among Indonesian Muslims. He stated that there is no need to pit differences between Sunni and Shia, or between Arabs and Persians, against each other. For him, all schools of thought teach brotherhood in faith.
He also supported the proposal from the 48th Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmad Muhammad Ahmad Ath-Thayyeb, who called for the unity of the Muslim ummah.
Iran’s Ambassador to Indonesia, Mohammad Boroujerdi, accused the division between Sunni and Shia of being engineered by Zionists amid the conflict between Iran and the United States (US) with Israel. The aim is to prevent Muslims from uniting.
“When they are divided, they will be weak. When weak, they will be very easy to destroy, even to eliminate,” he said during his meeting with Din Syamsuddin.
He stated that Iran no longer discusses differences between Sunni and Shia. Iranian society, he said, follows various schools of thought. “There are several regions where the majority are even Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah,” he added.
He also noted that Ahlussunnah wal Jamaah has representation in Iran’s parliament. Even Christian and Jewish groups have representation in Iran’s parliament. “They realise that when missiles from Israel are dropped, these missiles do not choose between Sunni and Shia; everyone will be hit,” he remarked.
Boroujerdi said that non-Muslim groups also play a role in Iran’s military armament to confront the United States and Israel. The Iranian government refers to all groups as defenders of religion and the state.
He accused Israel of being the one that separates religions. They have enacted a law that privileges Jewish people. No matter how serious the violations by Jewish individuals, they will not be sentenced to death. “Meanwhile, Palestinians who commit minor violations can be sentenced to death,” he stated.
The meeting was attended by several Islamic figures, including two: Deputy Chairman of the Indonesian Ulema Council’s Advisory Board, Muhyiddin Junaidi, and General Chairman of the Central Leadership of the Indonesian Muslim Women, Marfuah Musthofa.