PBNU Calls on OIC Countries to Unite Against Israel's Hegemony

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Ulil Abshar Abdalla, Chairman of the Executive Board of Nahdlatul Ulama (PBNU), has called for the importance of unity among Muslim countries to address geopolitical dynamics in the region, particularly in relation to Israel’s hegemonic actions.

Ulil emphasised that divisions within the Muslim community, especially due to sectarian issues such as Sunni and Shia, must be avoided. According to him, the countries that are members of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) are fundamentally fellow Islamic nations that need to prioritise solidarity.

“We do not want the Muslim community to be divided because of the Sunni-Shia issue. All Muslim countries that are members of the OIC, regardless of their madhhab and ideology, are fellow Islamic nations and we need to unite to combat the arbitrariness of the Zionist state, namely Israel,” said Ulil in Jakarta on Tuesday.

He highlighted the rising tensions in the region involving the US-Israel and Iran. In his view, aggressive actions against Iran could worsen the situation and trigger broader conflicts among Muslim countries.

He reminded that confrontational conditions or tensions among Muslim countries would only weaken their collective position on the global stage.

“I believe the long-term goal is for Israel to weaken all the Islamic countries in the region, so that Israel can become the dominant hegemonic power in the region, and that is dangerous,” he stated.

For this reason, PBNU invites all OIC member countries to maintain unity and avoid conflicts based on differences in madhhab for the sake of stability and collective strength in the region.

“We need to maintain the unity of Muslim countries in the OIC and avoid sectarian divisions due to the Sunni-Shia issue. This division brings no benefit to anyone except benefiting Israel,” said Ulil.