US-Israel Attack Iran, MUI Urges Indonesia to Withdraw from Board of Peace
Indonesia’s Council of Islamic Scholars (Majelis Ulama Indonesia, or MUI) has urged the Indonesian government to withdraw from the Board of Peace, a US-sponsored international body. This formal statement was issued in response to a combined US-Israel military assault on Iran on Saturday, 28 February 2026.
The appeal is documented in an official MUI advisory, numbered Kep-28/DP-MUI/III/2026, signed by MUI General Chairman Anwar Iskandar and Secretary-General Amirsyah Tambunan.
The MUI expressed concern that the United States, which plays a central role in managing the Palestinian conflict through the Board of Peace, now faces serious questions. The organisation questioned whether this strategy is genuinely directed towards fair peace or instead reinforces an asymmetrical security architecture and buries Palestinian independence.
“Therefore, the MUI urges the Indonesian government to withdraw its membership from the Board of Peace, as it is deemed ineffective in achieving genuine Palestinian independence,” the MUI stated in its advisory released on Sunday, 1 March 2026.
The MUI criticised US President Donald Trump for acting contrary to his stated objectives. President Trump, the MUI noted, has launched a joint attack with Israel against Iran. This action is seen as triggering a regional war involving various powers, both directly and through proxies.
The MUI also called upon Muslims across the world to continue reciting qunut nazilah (supplicatory prayers during crisis), asking Muslim believers to earnestly pray during salat to request God’s assistance and protection for Muslims experiencing hardship, oppression, or calamity globally.
The MUI appealed to the United Nations (UN) and the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) to take maximum steps to halt the war whilst respecting international law. “The MUI believes that war will bring global harm,” the organisation stated.
Israel launched an unprovoked attack on Iran on Saturday morning, 28 February 2026, conducted as a joint military operation between the US and Israel. Multiple explosions were reported in Iran’s capital, Tehran, with thick smoke visible rising from several parts of the city. Beyond Tehran, explosions were reported in numerous cities including Kermanshah, Lorestan, Tabriz, Isfahan, and Karaj, according to local media reports cited by Al Jazeera.
The MUI condemned the assault launched by the United States and Israel against Iran. Drawing from the Iranian attack, the Council concluded that the Board of Peace is useless as it cannot create genuine peace.
Sudarnoto Abdul Hakim, MUI Chairman for Foreign Relations, stated that the attack provides concrete evidence that US President Donald Trump is essentially a destroyer of peace. “Consequently, the Board of Peace increasingly loses its moral, political, and even legal legitimacy, as it has proven utterly ineffective in creating genuine peace, let alone justice,” Sudarnoto said in a written statement on Sunday, 1 March 2026.
He characterised President Trump as an actor who has hijacked the word ‘peace’ to serve hegemonic and imperialistic ambitions. Sudarnoto asserted that the attack on Iran demonstrates that the US-sponsored Board of Peace cannot be trusted as an international body championing peace and Palestinian independence.