HNW: Stop the War, We Want to Perform Hajj

JAKARTA — Vice Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly (MPR) of the Republic of Indonesia, Hidayat Nur Wahid, is pushing for the Hajj pilgrimage to become part of diplomatic efforts to stop the war between the US and Iran.

“Using Hajj as peace diplomacy is to convey to all parties: stop the war. We want to perform Hajj, the pilgrims want to perform Hajj,” he said on the sidelines of a meeting of scholars at the Residence of the Saudi Arabian Ambassador to Indonesia in Jakarta on Wednesday (15/4/2026).

He rejected military attacks that target public facilities or non-military facilities, both in Iran and in Saudi Arabia. Therefore, ahead of the upcoming Hajj pilgrimage, he hopes the war can be stopped immediately to ensure the safety of the journey for pilgrims from all over the world.

“Hajj pilgrims come from all over the world, including a great many from Iran and a great many from America. Stop the war, do not wage war anymore,” he said.

If the war is stopped, it will help ensure the safety of the pilgrims’ journey. “The journey to Mecca and Medina is also very much related to the safety of the journey from Iran to Mecca, from Indonesia to Mecca, from America to Mecca. It very much depends on what is on the road,” he added.

According to him, part of the principle of humanity is to carry out religious teachings, and for Islam, the highest pillar of Islam is Hajj.

“If that can then be facilitated by stopping the war, it will certainly be something very good. And if that happens, then Indonesia’s role in presenting that, and presenting peace, will be very effective,” he said.