Minister of Religious Affairs: It is Time for Indonesia to Take the Baton of Global Islamic Civilisational Leadership

Minister of Religious Affairs (Menag) Prof KH Nasaruddin Umar has asserted that it is time for Indonesia to take up the baton of leadership for global Islamic civilisation. According to him, the Middle East has fulfilled its role as the birthplace of Islam, while Indonesia now possesses the strong capital required to become the epicentre of Islamic civilisation in the future.

“It is no longer time for us to wait for too much from the Middle East. The Middle East has completed its task of giving birth to Islam. But the new baton of leadership for world Islamic civilisation, we hope, is in Indonesia,” said Nasaruddin during the launch and discussion of the book “Seri Pemikiran Prof. Dr. Nasaruddin Umar” at the UIN Syarif Hidayatullah campus in Jakarta.

He emphasised that Indonesia has several key advantages that serve as a strong foundation for this leadership. These include stable economic conditions, relatively high economic growth, political stability, and a high level of social harmony. “The economic growth of the best Muslim country is Indonesia. We are above five per cent. Saudi Arabia is around three per cent, the United Arab Emirates is four per cent, Qatar is two per cent. Our political stability is also the best, even though Indonesia is the most plural country,” he stated.