Indonesian Ulama Call for US-Iran Ceasefire to Become Permanent

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The caretaker of the Tebuireng Islamic Boarding School in Jombang, who is also the Chairman of the East Java branch of Nahdlatul Ulama, Abdul Hakim Mahfudz, has called for the temporary ceasefire between the US and Iran to become permanent. “We call for the temporary ceasefire of two weeks currently underway between Iran and Israel or the United States to become a permanent ceasefire,” said Abdul Hakim Mahfudz, known as Gus Kikin. He made this statement on behalf of the ulama present at the Halal Bihalal event at the residence of the Saudi Ambassador in Jakarta on Wednesday, alongside boarding school leaders, Islamic figures, and Chairman of the People’s Consultative Assembly, Ahmad Muzani. In his declaration, he expressed a negative response to the failure of peace negotiations between Iran and the US and Israel. Therefore, he called for the ongoing temporary ceasefire between Iran and the US to become permanent, meaning the war should be stopped immediately and not allowed to continue. He also stated that the ulama and figures present at the Halal Bihalal event affirmed that the war must be halted, especially as the Hajj season of 1447 Hijriah is about to begin. “The Hajj moment is a highly sacred, noble, and grand time for Muslims, taking place in the two Holy Lands in Saudi Arabia,” he said. “Therefore, all countries must ensure that Saudi Arabia remains a safe nation without any disturbances, which could impact the Hajj pilgrimage in 2026,” he added. Finally, he stated that war only brings harm to all parties, with impacts that disadvantage everyone. This is evident from the energy crisis, economic crisis, civilisational crisis, and especially the humanitarian crisis resulting from the ongoing war between the US and Iran. Therefore, he called for the war to be stopped immediately and for a peace agreement to be realised soon. Meanwhile, the Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia, Faisal Abdullah Al Amoudi, responded regarding the Hajj pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia and assured that the country is currently in a safe condition. Therefore, Saudi Arabia guarantees that the Hajj pilgrimage will proceed smoothly. “The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia always provides such security guarantees, both to Hajj pilgrims, Umrah pilgrims, and other visitors arriving in Saudi Arabia,” said the Saudi Ambassador.