UII Urges Government to Resign from the Board of Peace
Islamic University of Indonesia (UII) has stated its position in line with developments in global geopolitics, particularly regarding the United States-Israel military attack on Iran, including the Indonesian government’s stance on the operation. Rector Fathul Wahid said that, as a higher education institution upholding Islamic values, Indonesian identity, and universal humanity, UII must carry out its moral and constitutional responsibilities for the realisation of a civilised and humane state.
UII urges the government to resign from the Board of Peace (BoP), said Fathul in a written statement on Wednesday, 4 March 2026.
Indonesia’s involvement in the forum initiated by United States President Donald Trump could conflict with constitutional mandates and undermine the principles of an independent and active foreign policy.
Participation in the BoP forum, he said, also risks undermining Indonesia’s consistency in supporting the Palestinian struggle for independence.
“and the constitutional commitment to reject all forms of colonisation on earth,” he said.
In addition to urging the Prabowo Subianto administration to leave BoP, UII also urges the government to cancel the Agreement on Reciprocal Trade (ART) with the United States. The government, according to Fathul, should absorb the various criticisms and public objections to the agreement, and openly and transparently evaluate its substance which could weaken Indonesia’s bargaining position.
“Bilateral relations must be built on the basis of equality, not within a framework of dependence or geopolitical pressure from a superpower,” said Fathul.
Fathul further stated that the UII academic community also demands the Prabowo administration to promptly issue a firm statement regarding the US-Israel military attack that killed the Supreme Leader of the Islamic Republic of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Hosseini Khamenei.
“The US-Israel military attack on Iran violates the principle of state sovereignty in international law and runs counter to the constitutional mandate,” he said.
Before UII’s call for BoP withdrawal, a similar demand had already been voiced by the Indonesian Ulema Council (MUI) through a Tausiyah MUI in a letter numbered Kep-28/DP-MUI/III/2026. MUI regards BoP as ineffective in realising genuine independence for Palestine.
Because, rather than creating peace, MUI argues that the United States, a key BoP member, is playing a role in a military operation alongside Israel against Iran this past weekend.
The decision to join BoP was made by President Prabowo Subianto during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland, on Thursday, 22 January.
In the presence of US President Donald Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Prabowo affixed his signature on the BoP charter as a sign of approval to join the forum founded by the United States, a close ally of Israel.
BoP is touted as capable of addressing conflicts around the world, including Gaza, Palestine.